The Pilot Point Bearcats traveled to Palmer Oct. 3 to take on the reigning district champion Bulldogs and left with a 44-28 victory.
The Bearcats pounced on the Bulldogs, racking up almost 500 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns to earn their second district win of the season.
“We were really happy with the way our kids came out and executed,” said Chad Worrell, Pilot Point athletic director and head football coach. “The kids were locked in in all three phases of the game. The kickoffs were great. The punts were great. The kickoff return was great, and defensively, even though they ended up getting some points and yards after the game was in hand, I thought our kids rallied well to football, and our offense was rolling. I couldn’t be happier with it.”
Pilot Point found the end zone first after two explosive runs by running backs Josh Chumley and Caden David moved the ball deep into Palmer territory.
Chumley capped the Bearcats’ drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, putting Pilot Point up 6-0 after a missed extra point kick.
On the ensuing possession, Palmer moved the ball to Pilot Point’s 39-yard line, but the drive stalled after a holding call negated a touchdown pass, followed by a sack by David, where he brought down Palmer quarterback Eric Cisneros for a 14-yard loss.
Bearcats running back Ashton Williamson finished off the Bearcats’ next drive with a 21-yard rush for a touchdown, and kicker Anthony Torres added the extra point, giving the Bearcats a 13-0 lead in the first quarter.
Pilot Point’s third score came after Williamson intercepted a pass and returned it to the Palmer 25yard line.
The Bearcats only needed one play to score when running back Drevion James sliced through the Bulldogs’ defense for a 75-yard touchdown, and after a 2-point conversion run by quarterback Carter Lock, the Bearcats led 21-0 midway through the second quarter.
“I knew the ball was coming to me, so I was ready,” James said. “I caught the pitch, ran to the edge, saw a hole and ran through it as fast as I could, and no one touched me.”
The Bulldogs answered with a 77-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard pass from Eric to receiver A.J. Cisneros, making the score 21-7.
Palmer tried an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but the ball was recovered by Lock, and Pilot Point responded with a 13-yard touchdown run by David, regaining its 21-point lead.
The Bulldogs found the end zone again with a 7-yard touchdown run by Eric, and the Bearcats would add a field goal as the first half ended, going into halftime up 31-14.
The two squads traded punts to open the third quarter, but toward the end of the period, Palmer drove 97 yards for their third score of the game, making the score 31-21.
Pilot Point receiver Hunter Newman added the Bearcats’ next touchdown with a 14-yard run, putting Pilot Point up 38-21.
The Bearcats would add an insurance touchdown when quarterback Garrett Evans ran in from a yard out, giving Pilot Point a 4421 lead with a few minutes left in the game.
Palmer would find the end zone again late in the fourth quarter, but Pilot Point held on to take the 4428 win.
The Bearcats had three rushers—Chumley, David and James—cross the century mark, with each running for over 100 yards.
Pilot Point’s defense also made plays when needed, and linebacker Jason Rangel credited their play to the team’s preparation process.
“In practice we watched for the quarterback the whole time, and Coach [Robby] Perez and Coach Worrell helped us learn the quarterback plays on their offense,” he said. “We ran them over and over at practice and learned what kind of plays they were going to run and what formation they were going to be in, which allowed us to shoot the gaps really hard and make tackles.”
Pilot Point is off to one of the hottest starts in recent seasons, but Worrell said this year’s Bearcats are focused on the road ahead.
“We’re 2-0 in district after two games, and we can’t be in any better spot than that, controlling our own destiny in terms of playoffs and eventually possibly a district championship, but we’re a long way from there,” he said. “Sometimes a big win is harder to get over than a loss, but we have to reload this week and get ready for A+ [Academy].”
Assistant editor Martin Edwards contributed to this report.
