The Amherst Bulldogs’ varsity football team jumped on Wellman-Union early and never looked back, as they 45’ed the Wildcats, 56-0, at halftime on Thursday at Bulldogs Stadium.
With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 6-0 heading into district play next week.
The Bulldogs won the toss and elected to defer to the second half, giving Wellman-Union the ball to start the game.
The Wildcats took over at their own 30-yard line for their first offensive possession, but a run up the middle was stuffed by senior, Yahir Garcia, for a gain of just one. The Wildcats tried the middle again on second down, but they were met in the backfield by a pack of Bulldogs knocking them back to the original line of scrimmage. Two plays later they were faced with a fourth down, electing to go for it, Edgar Macias dropped back to throw, but the screen pass to the right fell incomplete looking for Riley Gober for a turnover on downs with 7:06 to play in the opening quarter.
Amherst took over at the Wildcats’ 35-yard line, and wasted no time finding the end zone, as Aiden Rodriguez took a carry around the right side for the score. The kick by Rodriguez was no good leaving the score, 6-0, with 7:30 to play in the quarter.
Junior, Kevin Garcia, booted the ball into the end zone for a touchback, as Wellman-Union took over at their own 20-yard line for their next possession. However, on first down, the drive was derailed, as Macias fumbled the snap and it was recovered by Yahir Garcia with 7:22 to play in the first quarter.
Amherst took over at the Wildcats’ 19-yard line, as sophomore quarterback, Joel Garcia, found an open Yahir Garcia in the middle of the field, who dodged a tackle on his way to the end zone for the touchdown. The kick this time by Rodriguez was good, extending their lead to, 14-0, with 7:14 to play in the quarter.
Wellman-Union got the ball back at their own 26-yard line after a five-yard penalty on the kick-off by Amherst.
A run on first down picked up eight yards, before the ball carrier was brought down by Joel Garcia, and the second down run picked up three more yards, making it third and four from the Wellman-Union 37-yard line. However, a dive by Gober was blown up at the line by the Bulldogs, and the Wildcats elected to go for it again on fourth down, but the snap was fumbled by Macias, who fell on it, but it went over to the Bulldogs on downs with 4:50 remaining in the first quarter.
Amherst took over at the Wellman-Union 37-yard line, as Rodriguez took the pitch to his right before cutting back to his left and taking it down the Bulldogs’ sideline for a big gain to set up first and goal from the four-yard line. Joel Garcia’s pass fell incomplete on first and goal looking for Perez, but on the next play, Rodriguez carried the ball to his right for a four-yard touchdown run. The kick was good from Rodriguez, making the score, 220, with just under four minutes to play in the quarter.
The kick-off from Kevin Garcia was fielded by Tanner Ribble, but he was tackled by Perez at their own 24-yard line.
Wellman-Union came back out onto the field on offense, but they were unable to get anything going offensively, as they turned the ball over on downs after a pass from Macias fell incomplete on fourth down, giving Amherst the ball at the Wildcats’ 19-yard line with 1:11 to play in the quarter.
On first down, Joel Garcia completed a pass to Perez in the middle of the field, as Perez turned it up field and hit the accelerator, on his way to the 28-yard touchdown. The kick from Rodriguez was good, making the score, 30-0, with one minute to go in the quarter.
Amherst tried an onside kick, but it was recovered by the Wildcats at their 34-yard line.
The Wildcats drive carried over into the second quarter, but faced with another fourth down, the run up the middle by Noah Rodriguez was stopped well short of the sticks by Yahir Garcia and Perez for a turnover on downs with 8:53 to play in the first half.
Amherst took over at their own 47-yard line, as Joel Garcia’s pass on first down fell incomplete looking for freshman, Guillermo Pacheco. Joel Garcia over threw sophomore, Oscar Contreras, on second down, but on the next play, Perez took a run up the middle, for the 43-yard touchdown with 8:40 remaining in the quarter. The kick by Rodriguez was blocked, leaving the score, 36-0.
Wellman-Union took over after the onside kick at their own 33yard line, and on first down, they tried a run to the right, but the ball was stripped out by the Bulldogs, and freshman, Jesus Mata, was able to recover it for a turnover with 8:31 to play in the half.
Amherst took over at midfield, but Joel Garcia threw an incomplete pass to Yahir Garcia on first down, and a bad snap was covered by Joel Garcia at the Amherst 25-yard line, backing them up to third and 30. However, on third and long, Joel Garcia called his own number, keeping it for a run up the middle, before cutting it out to the Amherst sideline, stiff-arming a Wildcat defender on his way to a 55-yard touchdown run. A bad snap on the kick forced Rodriguez to try and throw for the conversion, but the pass was batted down by the Wildcats, stretching the lead to, 42-0, with 7:50 to play in the have.
The Wildcats took over at their own 28-yard line, but their offensive struggles continued on this drive. They were called for a holding penalty on first down and on the next play, a run up the middle was stuffed by Yahir Garcia for a one-yard loss. A run on second down went nowhere, and Macias was sacked on the next play by Pacheco at the Wildcats’ sevenyard line. They went for it on fourth down, as Macias completed a screen pass to his right, but Gober was tackled by Perez well short of the sticks for a turnover on downs with 4:48 to play in the half.
On the very next play, Joel Garcia hit Mata on a slant route over the middle for a touchdown, stretching their lead to, 50-0, after the kick by Rodriguez with under five minutes to play in the half.
The Wildcat offense came back out onto the field after the kickoff, starting at their own 20-yard line, but just three plays into the drive, Gober had the ball stripped and it was recovered by Pacheco at the Wellman-Union 18-yard line. The Bulldogs drew a penalty on first down, but three consecutive runs from Pacheco put Amherst in the endzone once more, making the score, 56-0, with 1:18 to play in the half. The one-point conversion run by Joel Garcia was no good.
Wellman-Union muffed the kickoff and it was recovered by Yahir Garcia, as Amherst went on to defeat Wellman-Union, 56-0.
The Bulldog begin District play next Friday on the road against Hart.
Kick-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.