The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Orangefield is the place to be Friday night when the Bobcat’s celebrate their home opener in F.L. McClain Stadium against the Buna Cougars. The Cat’s nipped the East Chambers Buccaneers, 21-20, to get the season off to a good start on the road last week.

In their season debut the Bobcats, under second year Head Coach Brian Huckabay, combined offensively and defensively to bring home the season’s first victory.

“One of the most positive things about the win was the intensity of the team,” Huckabay said, “They played hard and although we made some mistakes the team kept a good attitude.”

“After the first game we tend to go back to fundamentals in practise,” Huckabay said. “We stress that football is still a pretty simple game and we are working on those things to get ready for Buna.”

Buna won’t start their season until Friday against Orangefield (1-0) making them tough to evaluate, according to Huckabay. “Our first game is a good tool to see how we have done but we haven’t seen them in one yet.”

The Bobcat offense rolled over East Chambers for 310-yards on 46 carriers. Quarterback Quinten Evans rambled for 151 yards on 21 totes. Evans scored the Bobcat’s first TD on a 55-yard scamper and kicked the PAT that tied the game 7-7 at the half.

Fullback Evan Guidry picked up 60-yards on 14 carriers and scored both of Orangefield’s second half touchdowns. Guidry scored from the 14-yard line and also punched one in at the goal line in the third quarter. Both PATs by Evans split the crossbars.

Ryaln Cook had 43-yards on two carries and Josh Shores tallied 39-yards on two carries. Shores broke loose late in the fourth quarter on a 37-yard run that brought the Bobcats to the Buccaneer 17-yard line before the buzzer sounded. Casey Raley also collected 15 yards on four carries for Orangefield.

The Bobcats came up with the big plays on defense refusing to allow the Bucs to score in critical situations.

The testy Bobcat defense snuffed a Buccaneer fourth quarter chance to tie the game when Logan Moss blocked the PAT. It was the second time Moss robbed East Chambers of the chance to score. In the first half he caused a fumble that ended an East Chambers drive to the seven yard line. Bobcat defensive back Eric Truncale came up with the ball.

Truncale collected 6 tackles and Shores brought down 12 Buc ball carriers. Ty Johnson, Damon Burton and Kake Best also had big games defensively.

East Chambers scored the game’s first TD in the second quarter on a one yard pass. In the third quarter Buccaneer running back Glenn Roberts scored from 38 yards out. Roberts scored again from the three yard line in the fourth quarter before Moss blocked the game tying PAT. Roberts accounted for 157-yards on 19 carries. East Chambers gathered 265-yards on 41 carries against Orangefield.