The Orangefield Bobcats used a combination of big plays, ball control offense and a swarming defense to close out the 2019 regular football season in style and prepare for the playoffs with a 42-19 thrashing of the Anahuac Panthers.
The Anahuac Panthers took the opening kickoff 56 yards in eight plays and jumped out to an early 7-0 lead over the Bobcats but that would be about all of the excitement Anahuac fans would experience in the first-half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Orangefield’s Clayson Choate caught the ball at the 16-yard line and zipped through the heart of Anahuac kicking team before breaking down the left sideline for an 84 yard return for a touchdown to even the score, 7-7.
The Bobcats defense provided the next spark as the unit held the Panthers to a three-and-out. However, knowing the winner of this game would be the second seed from District 12-3A for the playoffs, Anahuac opted for a fake punt but was stopped one yard short of the first down and was forced to turn the ball over on downs at its own 40-yard line.
The Orangefield offense took charge and pounded the ball on the ground into the red zone, where Chase Broussard scored on an 11-yard run to put the Bobcats up for good at 14-7 following the extra point by Gunner Jones.
The Orangefield defensive unit asserted its will on the Panthers offense by racking up four quarterback sacks, three interceptions and limiting the potent Anahuac offense to just 217 total yards with only 20 yards rushing on 30 carries.
The Bobcats offense exploded in the second quarter with 21 points as Gunner Jones scored on a 13 yard run, followed by Choate adding a 47-yard interception return for another touchdown. Then, before halftime, the Bobcats added another touchdown when Jones found Broussard all alone in the end zone on a 16 yard pass and a 35-7 lead over Anahuac at the break.
In the second half, Anahuac’s passing game finally found its rhythm as quarterback Foster Kreuzer connected with receiver Zyon Clark on a 52-yard touchdown pass. Bobcats defenders had Clark well-covered but Clark was able to haul in the tipped ball and dash to the end zone.
Orangefield another another touchdown on the following possession as Kadeon Evans scored from the 3-yard line to extend the Bobcats lead to 42-13.
Anahuac added one last touchdown on its next drive as Kreuzer marched the Panthers 63-yards downfield before finishing the drive himself with a 6-yard keeper around the right side of the Bobcats defense to make the final score 42-19.
As the second seed in District 12-3A, Orangefield (9-1, 6-1) will now face the Franklin Lions (6-3, 4-2), the third seed from District 11-3A in the Bi-District round of the Division I playoffs. The game will be played at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 14 at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah.
-Tommy Mann, KOGT-
-photo by Darren Hoyland-
ANAHUAC 19
ORANGEFIELD 42
A 7 0 0 12 19
OF 14 21 0 7 42
SCORING SUMMARY
A – Foster Kreuzer 5 yard run, Christian Sanchez kick (8:06)
O – Clayson Choate 84 yard kickoff return, Gunner Jones kick (7:50)
O – Chase Broussard 11 yard run, Jones kick (2:31)
O – Jones 13 yard run, kick failed (7:15)
O – Choate 47 yard interception return, run converted (4:50)
O – Broussard 16 yard pass from Jones, Jones kick (1:35)
A – Zyon Clark 52 yard pass from Kreuzer, run failed (10:58)
O – Kadeon Evans 3 yard run, Jones kick (8:20)
A – Kreuzer 6 yard run, pass failed (4:25)
A OF
First Downs 12 20
Rushes-Yards 30-20 53-259
Passing 197 20
Total Yards 217 279
Com-Att-Int 12-21-3 2-2-0
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 7-71 2-26
Individual Stats
Rushing – A: Landon Corbitt 13-18, Foster Kreuzer 14-14, Jaylon Jones 1-1, Zyon Clark 1-(-2), Terrell Cargo 1-(-11); OF: Hunter Ashworth 12-65, Chase Broussard 13-64, Heston Puckett 11-43, Clayson Choate 4-37, Gunner Jones 4-17, Kent Michael 2-11, Macoy Marze 2-10, Kadeon Evans 3-9, Cade Brown 1-2, Clayton Westbrook 1-1;
Passing – A: Foster Kreuzer 12-21-3 197; OF: Gunner Jones 2-2-0 20;
Receiving – A: Zyon Clark 7-131, Wyatt Gates 2-45, Terrell Cargo 2-16, Landon Corbitt 1-5; OF: Chase Broussard 1-16, Heston Puckett 1-4;
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