1955 Bucks beat the Ballinger Bearcats 20-6

The Breckenridge Buckaroos won the District 2A-8 championship and played their first playoff game in a Bi-District match-off that they won handily in the second half, 20-6. Though, neither team played well in the first half but the Ballinger Bearcats managed to get one touchdown in the first half and hold the Bucks to zero until well into the third quarter.

The game was played in Bearcat Stadium in Ballinger with an estimated 3,000 or more dedicated fans. Joe Bob Jackson (RE) was out of the game due to a recurring knee injury. Phil Dye took his place at RE.

The Buckaroos had an 8-2 overall record, with their two losses to 4A teams in non-district play. The Bucks beat all the district members in a clean sweep of District 2A-8. Ballinger had a 9-1 record, with their only loss to Lake View, in District 2A-7. Therefore, the Bearcats had to play and beat Brady, who was tied with Ballinger for the district 2A-7 title. The Bearcats successfully accomplished that goal and took the title for 2A-7.

The Bucks swamped the Bearcats, 20-6, after a very slow start in the first half. The Bucks were stymied with no points in the first half and only five first downs, while the Bearcats had only four first downs. The Bucks tallied only 50 yards rushing that first half and the Bearcats took 78 yards and a touchdown but no conversion. The Bearcats led 0-6 at the end of the first half.

By the end of the game, the Bucks accumulated 198 rushing yards to the Bearcats 113 total yards, which shows that the Bearcats were only able to get 35 yards during the third and fourth quarters.

The victory for the Bucks was spearheaded by the passing of Bennett Watts (QB) and his quick dashes, the fine running of Bill Taylor (FB) and the ball-snatching abilities of Jerry Payne (LE), coupled with his outstanding defensive play. Watts completed four of 13 passes for 67 yards and dashed for another 67 yards on the ground in 15 carries. Taylor had 90 yards on the ground and one pass for 10 yards. Payne had three completed passes for 56 yards and Eddie Offield (LHB) tallied 31 yards in nine carries. Freeland Morgan, a sub in for Offield at LHB, got four yards in four carries. Buddy Hamilton (RHB) got five yards in two carries.

The Bearcats remained in the lead 0-6 well into the third quarter, when the Bucks finally began to turn things around and take control. In the first quarter, the Bucks got the ball and then fumbled four or five times but were able to recover them. The Bearcats also intercepted three of Watts’ passes, which stymied one Buckaroo drive.

The strong defensive play by different combinations of Buck players helped hold the Bearcats to only 78 yards of rushing during the first half. That strong defensive wall by Payne, Larry Munnerlyn (RT), Hamilton and Ronnie Daniel (LT) forced the Bearcats to punt time after time. Also, the defensive combo of Joe Fonville (LG), Taylor and Hamilton kept the Bearcats to a minimal amount of first downs. Coach Bellard must have been ready to pull his hair out with all the offensive fumbles by Watts and crew. Also, the unusual accumulation of big 15-yard penalties hurt the Bucks advance more than once.

Taylor attempted an onside kick to start the third quarter but it failed and went to the Ballinger 45, where the Bearcats were slapped with another 15-yard penalty and were forced to punt. Payne devised his own plan of rushing the punter, which worked this time as the Bearcat punter only getting 17 yards, to the Bearcat 47. Watts got 17 yards on a keeper over right end and then picked up another nine yards over left tackle. Taylor stepped up and grabbed 20 yards and was stopped at the Bearcat 1-yard line. Watts took it over left tackle, in a keeper, for the first Bucks touchdown. Hamilton went over right tackle for the extra point and the Bucks led 7-6.

On the next Buckaroo series, Watts took the punt at the Bearcat 45 and jaunted to the Bearcat 38. Taylor tallied two yards before Watts fumbled the pigskin (the fifth Buckaroo fumble) but was scooped up by James Stanford (RG) and made a seven-yard gain to the 29. Taylor got 17 yards and Offield took seven yards on a Watts pitchout. After that, Hamilton grabbed two yards but was hurt on the play and was replaced by Freeland Morgan (RHB). Taylor was nailed for a two-yard loss to the five-yard line. It was now fourth and goal. A Watts pitchout to Morgan (RHB), who took it around left end and across the goal line for the second Buckaroo TD. Watts ran behind Ronnie Daniel (LT) and in for the extra point conversion. The Bucks now led 14-6.

Watts attempted another onside kick but it didn’t work any better than the previous two attempts. The ball was recovered by a Bearcat at the Ballinger 39 and ran it to the Buckaroo 41. However, the Bucks defensive wall went into operation on the next play and the Bearcats were forced to punt. The Bearcats were not very successful in turning the Buck fumbles into points on the scoreboard. Watts took the punt on the Buckaroo five-yard line and made a substantial run out to the Buck 35. Unfortunately, a 15-yard clipping penalty against the Bucks took the pigskin back to the Bucks 4. Offield scrambled for nine yards and then Taylor tacked on 24 more yards to the Buckaroo 37. A string of three incomplete passes followed to a 4th and 10, as the third quarter ended.

The two teams exchanged punts once more and then Payne’s rushing-the-punter tactic finally paid off as he blocked a Bearcat punt for minus three yards to the Ballinger 19. Taylor, Morgan and Watts moved the ball in small increments and Watts took the keeper in for the last four yards and a TD for the Bucks. Offield failed to convert. The score was 20-6, with the Bucks in the lead once again.

The rest of the fourth quarter was taken up by trading punts.

“Some Bucks were a bit stale physically and others demonstrated a wrong positive attitude,” Coach Bellard said. “Some Bucks were there to win a football game and not so much to play football.”

The quarter-final game was next and set against Crane, which the Bucks successfully knocked off their ivory tower.