Bulldogs Run Out Of Answers

The No. 13 ranked Kerens Bobcats traveled to Edgewood on Friday, and come away with a hard- fought win on 25 to 21.

The Bobcats’ much- hyped Pat Faulk delivered for his team with 27 carries for 139 yards and 2 rushing TDs. He added 7-for-19 passing for 104 yards and 1 TD. Faulk accounted for 243 of the total 288 yards Kerens was gained. And three of the four touchdowns the team scored.

Kerens bagan their first possession on their own 42, and on the first play form scrimmage, Faulk hit Trey Lindsey for a 58-yard toucdhwon pass. The 2-point conversion failed, but Kerens led 6-0 with 10:43 to play in the first.

Edgewood answered with a 59-yard drive that included a 30-yard pass from Ethan Rutter to Colton Hinton. Rutter scored from three yards out, and when Mario Bustillos added the extra point, Edgewood led 7-6.

In the second quarter, Kerens took adavantage of an offsides penalty on a fourth-and-nine punt, to set up a fourth-and-four conversion attempt. Faulk picked up 16 on the fourth down play to the Bulldog 15. On fourth-and-nine from the 14, Faulk pciked his way through the Bulldogs fdefense for a touchdown. The point after was no good, but Kerens led 12-7.

Edgewood would again answer, going on an 8-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:00 off the clock, and ended with Rutter scoring from one yard out. The Bustillos kick gave Edgewood a 14-12 halftime lead.

Neither team could muster much offense in the third quarter. Edgewood’s defense was helped by a Hinton interception, but the offense could not take advantage.

Late in the third, facing a third-and-13 from his own 10-yard line, Rutter was picked off was picked off by Kerens Leerskov, who would return it for a touchdown, and an 18-14 lead with 1:27 to go in the third.

On the next possession, though, the Bulldogs returned to the running game, and moved 67 yards in 12 plays. The drive culminated in a fourth-down touchdown pass from Rutter to Darrius Rogers. The Bustillos kick gave the Bulldogs a 21-18 lead with 8:21 to go in the game.

On the ensuing possession for the Bobcats, Faulk would carry six times for 46 yards, moving his offense 64 yards in 10 plays. The quarterback scored form one-yard out, and the kick after made the score 25-21 with 5:01 to play.

With Rogers, Clay Haltom and Levi Weaver and Joseph Read alternating carries, the Bulldogs moved from their own 27 to the Kerens 17. On second-and-seven, though, Rutter was called for intentional grounding, setting up a third-and-15 from the 27. Rutter passed to Rogers for eight, but the foruth down pass into the end zone fell incomplete, and Kerens took over with 1:27 left in the game.

The win tied Kerens with Malakoff at the top of the district race at 2-0. Edgewood falls to 1-1 along with Mildred, which the Bulldogs meet next Friday in Mildred.