The Amherst Bulldogs’ varsity football team saw their season come to a close on Thursday night in the Class 1A Six-Man Division II Football Play-offs, as they fell to Klondike, 68-22, at Lubbock Christian High School.
With the loss, the Bulldogs finish the season with a mark of 8-3.
Amherst won the toss and elected to take the ball in the second half, giving the Cougars the ball to start the game.
The opening kick- off from Kevin Garcia rolled into the endzone for a touchback, giving Klondike the ball at their own 20yard line. Jake Jones leaked out to his left and caught a pass taking it up to their 36-yard line to give them a fresh set of downs. On the next play, Cannon McGee carried it for a yard up the middle, but on second and 14, Jared Quintanilla rolled out to his left, before tucking it and running back across the field to his right for a 43-yard touchdown with 8:48 to play in the opening quarter. The kick by Jones was good, putting the Cougars in front, 8-0.
The onside kick try by Klondike was recovered by Kevin Garcia at the Amherst 34-yard line, where the offense would set up shop.
Kevin Garcia carried the ball to his right, breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage, before taking it down the Amherst sideline for a big gain before being brought down by Jones at the Klondike 19yard line. The Bulldogs were flagged for a false start backing them up to the 20-yard line, but Kevin Garcia would get nearly all of the penalty yards back on a run up the middle to make it second and 16 from the 21-yard line.
Joel Garcia carried the ball on second down, taking it down to the five-yard line to set up third and 1, but on the next play, Joel Garcia was stuffed for no gain, brought down by Jones and Slay Bowley. The Bulldogs would like up to go for it on fourth and one, as Aiden Rodriguez plunged ahead, picking up the first down, making it first and goal from the three-yard line.
Rodriguez picked up a yard on a run up the middle on first down, and Amherst took a time out with 5:26 remaining in the first quarter. Out of the break, Joel Garcia’s pass was deflected by Jones, bringing up third and goal from the twoyard line. He was stuffed for a loss of one on third and the Bulldogs would take a delay of game penalty on the next play, backing them up to fourth and goal from the eight-yard line.
The Bulldogs would line up again to go for it on fourth down, as Joel Garcia dropped back and avoided a sack, before finding Rodriguez in the back of the endzone for the touchdown with 4: 23 to play in the quarter. Rodriguez’s kick was good, tying the game, 8-8.
The Cougars wasted no time responding, as McGee fielded the kick-off and took off to his right, finding a crease down the Klondike sideline for a 75-yard kick-off return touchdown with 4:11 to play in the quarter. The kick by Jones was good, making the score, 16-8.
Guillermo Pacheco covered the onside kick attempt by Klondike at the Bulldogs 37-yard line, as their offense came back out on to the field for their next possession.
On first down, Joel Garcia dropped back and found Rodriguez streaking down the sideline for a monster gain, down to the Klondike one-yard line. With first and goal to go from the oneyard line, Kevin Garcia was stuffed for a four-yard loss by McGee, and Joel Garcia’s pass on second down was dropped in the middle of the endzone by Rodriguez, bringing up third down from the five-yard line.
On third and goal, Joel Garcia tossed a pass out to his right to Jose Flores for the touchdown with 2:49 to play in the first quarter. Rodriguez’s kick was good, keeping the game tied, 16-16.
Kane Gonzales recovered the onside kick attempt for Klondike, giving them the ball at their own 34-yard line to begin their next drive.
Back- to- back runs by Quintanilla set them up with third and eight from the Amherst 39yard line and he would drop back to pass on third down, connecting with Bowley, who took it all the way down to the five-yard line to set up first and goal. McGee picked up three yards on a firstdown run, but on the next play, Klondike was flagged for an illegal block below the waist, backing them up to the 17-yard line.
McGee carried the ball on second down, but it was called back for a holding penalty, making it second and goal from the 28-yard line. Amherst would give them five-yard back on an offsides penalty and McGee would carry it to the right for six yards to close out the first quarter for the Cougars.
Trenton Thixton was stuffed by Kevin Garcia on a run up the middle to make it fourth and goal from the 17-yard line. They would line up for a 35-yard field goal and it was nailed to put the Cougars in front, 20-16, with 9:10 to play in the half.
The Cougar’s kick-off rolled out of bounds, giving the Bulldogs the ball at their own 35-yard line to begin their next drive.
Joel Garcia called his own number on first down and picked up 13 yards before being ran out of bounds by Bowley. On the next play, Joel Garcia connected with Kevin Garcia, who took the ball down to Klondike’s 26-yard line to move the chains for Amherst. The Bulldogs kept the ball in the air, as Joel Garcia connected with Pacheco for 12 yards, making it second and three.
After an incomplete pass to Pacheco, Joel Garcia again called his own number taking it to his left, diving forward for the first down to move the chains once more for Amherst. After back-toback drops by Rodriguez and Kevin Garcia, Rodriguez got the carry on third and goal, taking it around the left side for an eightyard touchdown run with 6:22 remaining in the half. His kick was no good, leaving the score, 22-20, with Amherst in front.
Amherst’s kick-off was short of the line to gain, giving the Cougars the ball at the Amherst 29yard line.
Thixton carried it on first down for 11 yards before being brought down by Joel Garcia and two plays later, McGee carried it around the left side for a 15-yard touchdown run with 5:25 to play in the half. The kick was good, putting the Cougars back in front, 28-22.
Amherst took over after the onside kick try at their own 35-yard line, but had nothing going offensively on this drive. They lined up to go for it on fourth and seven inside Klondike territory, but Joel Garcia was stripped in the backfield by McGee and it was picked up by Luke Smith, who took it the other way for the scoop and score with 3:08 remaining in the half. The kick was good, stretching their lead to, 36-22.
Amherst would get behind the sticks on their next offensive possession and on fourth and 23, Joel Garcia’s pass to Rodriguez fell incomplete for a turnover on downs with 1:17 left to play in the half.
The Cougars took over at the Amherst 36-yard line and needed just three plays to find the endzone, as Bowley cutback to his right for a 25-yard touchdown run on third down, making the score, 44-22, after the kick with 30 seconds to play in the half.
The score would stand going into the locker room at halftime.
Amherst turned the ball over on downs to begin the second half, and on first down from the Amherst 34-yard line, Jones connected with Bowler on a big play to set up first and goal from the 12-yard line. Jones would hit Smith on the next play to make it second and goal from the four-yard line and Thixton would punch it in on a run up the middle for the touchdown with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter. The kick was good, making the score, 52-22.
Amherst’s offensive struggles continued, as Joel Garcia was picked off in the middle of the field by Smith with 5:17 remaining in the quarter.
Klondike would score back-toback touchdowns to close out the third quarter, as they 45’ed the Bulldogs, 68-22.