Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

Longhorns return to action at Bridgeport

The Kimball High football team was idle this past weekend and used the bye week to prepare for a very important contest with the Bridgeport Bulldogs tomorrow night (Friday) on the latter’s home field.

Bridgeport, fresh off a double overtime win over Bayard this past week in a contest that was close from start to finish with the final score 28-26, is having one of their best seasons in many years and Kimball hopes to keep their current three game win streak alive, along with their hopes for a state playoff berth. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Looking at the season stats to date for the Horns, they are now 3-3 in the win-loss column and have that three game win streak going. They have scored 166 points averaging 27.7 points per game with junior running back Jonathon Withrow scoring 60 points with his 10 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Colton Stull has scored 30 points, AJ Spicer 24, Angel Flores 18, Michael Ferguson 6, and Trent Rutledge 6. Enrique Cajero has put 22 points on the board for Kimball by kicking. Interesting to note that all of Kimball’s scoring has been by juniors and sophomores, meaning all of Kimball’s scoring to date will return next season.

Cajero, a junior lineman who goes both ways for the Horns, handles most all of the kicking including kickoffs, punts, and PAT attempts and field goals. He is averaging just over 28 yards on his 14 punts, has made 16 of 23 PAT kicks, and 2 of 3 on field goal tries.

Withrow is on track to write his name into the Kimball High record books with his running abilities and unofficially at this time, his 266 yard rushing game may be a school record. We will finalize everything at the end of the season and update you readers.

Withrow is a work horse in the Kimball offense as the sturdy young man, listed at 5’9” and 160 pounds, averages 26 carries a game, 6.9 yards per carry, 179 yards per game, and now has 1076 yards on the season with 156 carries! He can get the tough short yardage and bust the long runs with his longest TD run 72 yards. He also has an 80 yard kickoff return for a score.

With two games on the regular season schedule, he has the opportunity to pile up some more stats, and of course, he has his senior year still ahead.

Junior fullback AJ Spicer has really started to come on with his own hard running style and now has 289 yards rushing on 53 carries for a 5.45 yard average. Junior quarterback Colton Stull, who missed one game with a severe ankle injury, is also a capable runner when called upon as are sophomore Angel Flores and freshman Jaden Withrow.

Stull is 22 of 39 passing for 286 yards and 4 touchdowns with only 1 interception. Withrow is the top receiver with 9 catches for 84 yards and 1 TD. Michael Ferguson, another junior, has 7 catches for 139 yards and 1 TD and averages almost 20 . yards per catch. Angel Flores has 4 receptions with 1 TD, and Trent Rutledge 2 receptions with 1 TD.

Jake Reader, one of two seniors on the squad, and a returning all conference, all region, and all state mention player, tops the tackle chart with 104 total tackles including 47 solo stops. He averages over 17 tackles a game. Others high on the tackle charts are Damien Rutledge, next high behind Reader, with 34, Ben Sauter 26, Justin Mohr 21, Trent Rutledge 21, Michael Ferguson 20, Jonathon Withrow 20, AJ Spicer 19, Dakota Flores 15, Dakota Jefferson 14, Angel Flores 13, Ethan Land 13, and Colton Stull 12, all in double figure stats.

Bridgeport will bring a 4-2 record into Friday’s game and have a very capable quarterback in senior Jaime Gonzales, and a strong running back in sophomore Wyatt Pankowski. Kaleb DeKora is a favorite receiver target when the Bulldogs go to the air.

Tomorrow night’s game between the two Western Trails Conference foes could be the game of the week with a lot riding on the outcome of this one. Be there!

 
 
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