The Pilot Point Bearcats football team bounced back from their loss against Callisburg with a dominant 61-13 win over the Howe Bulldogs on Sept. 19.
The Bearcats defense put the clamps on the Bulldogs, holding them under 200 yards of total offense, while Pilot Point’s offense racked up over 400 yards and 6 touchdowns.
“We came out really focused,” said Chad Worrell, Pilot Point athletic director and head football coach. “We executed what we talked about in practice all week, and that was getting off to a fast start and playing fast. We played well on both sides of the ball and were able to get up early, which was important.”
The Bearcats received the opening kickoff but fumbled four plays into their possession, and the Bulldogs recovered the ball for Pilot Point’s first turnover of the season.
Pilot Point’s defense forced Howe to punt the ball back to the Bearcats, and on the ensuing drive, Bearcats fullback Caden David ran away from the Bulldogs' defense for a 17-yard touchdown.
Bearcats tight end Kade Stuckly made it an 8-point game after he carried the ball into the end zone for a successful 2-point conversion midway through the first quarter.
On their next possession the Bearcats hit a big play when fullback David Pickrel connected with receiver Hunter Newman for a 35yard gain, and running back Josh Chumley scored on the next play with a 10-yard touchdown run.
A successful extra point kick from Pilot Point kicker Anthony Torres extended the Bearcats’ lead to 15-0 with 1:59 remaining in the first quarter.
Bearcats defensive end Jason Rangel recovered a fumble on the Bulldogs’ next drive, and Da- vid powered into the end zone from 31 yards out, making the score 22-0.
Pilot Point linebacker Fernando Marmolejo got in on the turnover act, recovering another Bulldog fumble, which the Bearcats turned into a 30-yard field goal from Torres, his first of the season, and with 9:19 left in the second quarter, the Bearcats led 25-0.
The Bearcats got another turnover on the next drive when linebacker Michael Marsh recovered the third Bulldog fumble on the Howe 15-yard line.
Marsh didn’t stop there, and on the Bearcats' next offensive play, he threw a block that opened the hole for Newman to run 85 yards for the touchdown, putting Pilot Point up 32–0 with 6:48 left in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs found some success on their next possession when running back Knox Bounds ran for a 62yard touchdown, making the score 32-6 after a botched extra point attempt.
Pilot Point responded with a 6-yard touchdown run by running back Ashton Williamson, taking a 39-6 lead into halftime.
Howe returned the second half’s opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, making the score 39-13.
The Bearcats answered with a 56-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown by Pickrel, extending their lead back to 33 points.
Pickrel made another big play for Pilot Point when he intercepted a Bulldogs pass on their next drive and returned it for a 75-yard touchdown, padding the Bearcats’ lead to 53-13 midway through the third quarter.
Pilot Point quarterback Garrett Evans connected with Stuckly for a 40-yard touchdown strike, making the final score 61-13 after a successful 2-point conversion run by David.
Pilot Point’s defense held Howe to 15 rushing yards on the night, and defensive back Lane Eft credited the performance to the Bearcats’ coaching staff and the team’s chemistry.
“We have a great [leader] in Coach Worrell,” he said. “He's our defensive coordinator, and we know he’s going to put us in the places where the ball is going to be. … We also trust each other. I know I can trust my defensive ends to keep the quarterback contained, I trust my linebackers to make the tackle and that’s important.”
Bearcats offensive weapon Newman summed up his team’s thoughts on the win.
“It felt really good to get a win over [Howe], especially after losing to them last year, and one of their players was wearing a Pilot Point towel, so we had to show him who was the ‘big dog,’” Newman said. “We’re not that same team that was still learning our offense last year; we have everything put together now.”
Assistant editor Martin Edwards contributed to this report.
