Bucks rout Tigers in season opener

BRECKENRIDGE – Scoring on its first two drives of the night, the Breckenridge Buckaroos struck quick and ultimately often Friday night, opening the season with a convincing 42-13 victory over the Jacksboro Tigers before a nice crowd at Buckaroo Stadium.

Breckenridge used punishing senior running back Jerry Lawson to set up a 28-yard scoring strike from Chase Lehr to Anson Rodgers barely 90 seconds into Friday, Aug. 26’s contest. Sophomore Sawyer Wimberley tacked on the first of six extra points.

Jacksboro turned the ball over on downs on its first five drives, interceptions by Cannon Valenzuela and Lando Belcher keeping the Bucks from doing even more damage in the first half. The Valenzuela interception gave the Tigers great field position at the Breckenridge 33 but the visitors couldn’t take advantage.

The Bucks took advantage of the failure to score after the interception as Lehr motored 36 yards to the Tiger 32. Wimberley moved the ball inside the 30. A holding penalty on first and goal moved the ball to the 16 where Lehr and Rodgers hooked up again for a 14-0 lead with 3:55 to go in the first.

The Bucks shot themselves in the foot on the ensuing drive with penalties and a QB sack by Jackson Musick but it was the Belcher interception that ended the drive.

Jacksboro moved the ball inside the Buck 40 with completions to Valenzuela and Luke Sams but would get no closer. Runs by Rodgers and Lehr got the ball into Tiger territory by the Tiger defense forced a turnover on downs.

The Buckaroos struck again before the half. Rodgers’ 21-yard jaunt moved the ball into Tiger territory. Lehr finished the job with a 36-yard scoring toss to a wide open Adrian Ruiz, his third TD toss of the half with 26 ticks left.

Lawson used his 245-pound size for big runs to open the second half using a 30-yard run to set up his 31-yard scoring jaunt with less than two minutes gone in the second half.

Another Tiger turnover on downs got the hosts rolling again offensively. A 46-yard pass to Lane Castillo move the ball to the Jacksboro 40, where Rodgers scooted into the end zone from untouched with 6:36 left in the third quarter.

Breckenridge took advantage of a personal foul penalty by the Tigers to move the ball to the Tiger 15. Hunter Eaton found pay dirt from 12 yards around the left side to end the Buck scoring with 3:30 left in the third.

Jacksboro would score twice late on a 33-yard pass from Belcher to Valenzuela and a 55-yard jaunt by Belcher midway through the fourth.

The Buckaroos will hit the road this Friday, Sept. 9 for a 7:30 p.m. game in Childress against the Bobcats.