Sunray, which is off to a hot 3-0 start to the season, snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Elks. Prior to Friday night, the Bobcats last win against Stratford was a 26-12 victory in 2011.
“It’s one of those deals where you know what you’ve been through together,” Sunray head coach Wes Boatman said. “It was just chipping away to get better. To play a top program like Stratford and doing all of those things like chipping away, getting better, doing the right things, all of those things can go a long and make us believe more than we ever have.”
For the Bobcat seniors, the team that ended this drought, it felt good to get this win in their final year.
“This is awesome,” senior wide receiver Dawson Bennett said. “We had a chance to get this win last year and didn’t get it done. We knew it was the last chance we had to beat then, and we were able to go out on top.”
For the first time since the 2020 season, the Elks (1-2) have dropped back-to-back games after suffering a 33-27 overtime loss to Panhandle last week.
“This two week stretch meant a lot to us,” Stratford head coach Jonathan Murphy said. “It was two really good games that offered a lot in terms of experience. We’re still a team with bigger goals and we’re going to go after those goals, but we’re learning a ton about ourselves. We need to regroup and get better.”
Leading 13-7 at half, Sunray quickly pushed that lead in the opening minutes of the third quarter on a swing pass from quarterback Armando Lujan to running back Arnold Mendoza. Mendoza took the pass, stiff armed a defender and got loose down the sideline for a 45-yard score. Following a two-point conversion the Bobcats took a 21-7 advantage.
Stratford didn’t go away responding on its first drive of the third that was capped off by a one-yard QB plunge by Bryce Braden. That cut the Sunray deficit at 21-14 with 4:59 remaining in the third.
That was as close as the Elks came the rest of the way. Sunray answered right back marching right down the field that saw Lujan find Ty McDowell on a 4-yard pitch and catch as the Bobcats went back on top 28-14.
Sunray’s defense stifled Stratford from that point forward as Sunray pulled away for the W.
“We took care of the football,” Boatman said. “We did all the little things right and played great on both sides of the ball. I also have to compliment the defense. They played out of their minds.”
That setup Sunray’s first lead thanks to Lujan hitting tight end Luke Grajeda in stride down the sideline on a 44-yard scoring connection putting Sunray up 13-7.
The Sunray defense did a great job of keeping the talented Braden in check and held Stratford at 207 total yards for the game. Braden, the Air Force commit, never got going rushing for only 28 yards and was 8-of-18 for 128 yards passing with three interceptions.
“It felt good to get this win,” Sunray defensive end and running back Arnold Mendoza said. “We know how hard a runner Bryce (Braden) is and that Stratford team is. We just flew to the football and played hard.”
Sunray linebacker Uriel Ortiz was all over the field making 12 tackles, two for a loss, with a pick. McDowell had nine tackles with Mendoza finishing with eight tackles to go with 54 yards receiving.
The Sunray offense was led by the prolific Lujan. Getting time to throw most of the night with Stratford dropping multiple men into coverage, Lujan had another showcase contest going 22-of-35 for 286 yards.
Kagan Davis caught four passes for 66 yards while Bennett had five snags for 52 yards.
