SUNRAY — Since straight-line winds ripped through the community on Aug. 3, the Sunray football team had been without a home field. The Bobcats did play four of their first five regular season contests on the road, with the lone home game moved to Comanche Field in Stinnett.
With the installation of brand new stadium lights earlier in the week, the blue and gold finally stepped foot on familiar ground. Even though Spearman participated in the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights event alongside Sunray, the Lynx were bound and determined to make their own mark on the party.
The Lynx resorted to their tried-and-true ground game, before running away from Sunray via a 28-6 decision in a District 1-2A, Division 1 matchup on Friday at Bobcat Stadium.
The rest of this story is only for subscribers.
Not only did Spearman rack up 305 rushing yards, but the Lynx also won the turnover battle with two fumble recoveries and one interception. All together, Spearman accumulated 410 total yards, led by junior Brayson Goodheart’s 186 total yards and three trips to the endzone.
Goodheart rushed for 113 yards and two scores on 11 carries, and reeled in one catch for 73 yards and another touchdown. On defense, Goodheart produced seven tackles, including one for a loss.
According to Spearman head coach Brandon Reagan, the “Lynx Raid” was powered by the young men in the trenches.
“We have a lot of experience up front,” Reagan said, following the game. “We lost one of our seniors in the first quarter, which slowed us down. But I’m proud of the younger guys for stepping up, getting in there and getting the job done. We just felt like, as much as (Sunray) throws the ball, we need to control the clock to have a chance.”
Sunray had no issues moving the ball, putting up 309 yards with 233 of those yards coming from the air. However, the three turnovers and lack of points hurt the Bobcats by the end.
While Murphy’s Law struck the Bobcats on several occasions, Sunray head coach Wes Boatmun saw resilience and positivity within his team.
“We didn’t make it as short and sweet as possible,” said Boatmun. “We did move the football up and down the field, but we just didn’t finish drives. Things would be going great, and then we hit a wall. Not being able to hit paydirt was so frustrating to everyone. But the kids continued to speak life into each other, even into the late moments of the game.”
Junior quarterback Zeke Grajeda and the Sunray defense kept the Bobcats alive for most of the game. Grajeda was 26-of-44 with 233 yards passing and one touchdown, while the defensive unit limited the Lynx to just three first downs in the second half.
“He’s a tremendous talent,” Boatmun said of his signal caller. “His arm is incredible and he also has his escape ability. I trust his legs, and he’s able to deliver the ball anywhere on the field. Spearman did a wonderful job of frustrating some of our concepts, but I felt like we had time to throw the ball.”
“Zeke’s ability to change and play with his legs to be creative after the concept breaks down makes him tough,” continued Boatmun. “We’re lucky to have a guy like him back there. He’s a great kid and great competitor, but he’s a dangerous quarterback.”
For more on the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights game in Sunray, look for the feature story on Monday at Press Pass Sports.
Spearman improved 4-2 overall with a 1-0 mark in District 1-2A, Division 1. The Lynx return home at 7 p.m. next Friday, where they welcome in Sanford-Fritch for week two of district play.
The Eagles (3-3, 0-1 in district) were handed a 69-0 road setback from Panhandle on Friday.
To keep things rolling, Reagan knows that the Lynx must keep relying on their bread and butter — literally running over their opposition.
“It’s what Spearman’s always been good at,” said Reagan. “It’s something we always go back to. The kids just love it, and we have a bunch of mean linemen who would get after it. That makes it fun. Our culture and our town is built around that. We can open it up and spread it out a little bit, but you have to know your opponent.”
Sunray remained winless on the season, falling to 0-1 in district and 0-6 overall. Despite the undesired record, Boatmun remains optimistic about his team.
“These kids are warriors,” Boatmun said. “They deserve to win. They will win, but right now, they have to learn how to do that. The fact of the matter is, they’re going to get up tomorrow and take the next step forward.”
“They have grown better in that respect over the course of the season,” added Boatmun. “It’s not something that comes easy. It’s not something that comes naturally. It’s a lot of work for kids to build chemistry, to believe in one another, trust one another and not point fingers at each other. That’s what I’m taking home with me. We’re coaching the right kids. They’re cooking, but they’re not ready yet.”
The Bobcats have Homecoming coming up, playing host to Highland Park at 7 p.m. next Friday at Bobcat Stadium. The Hornets (2-4, 0-1 in district) fell to West Texas High by way of a 58-6 outcome on Friday night in northeast Amarillo.
Spearman relied on Goodheart to make things happen, as the junior began the game with a 26-yard touchdown run at the 8:05 mark of the initial stanza. Following the PAT from senior Hector Delgado, the Lynx established a 7-0 lead.
With 37 seconds left in the first period, Goodheart hauled in a pass from junior quarterback Jailen Vasquez before taking it to the crib from 72-yards out. Going into the second quarter, the Lynx extended their lead to 14-0.
Goodheart then helped polish off another drive with 5:19 left until halftime, following his linemen before breaking through the endzone from five yards out. Even with the failed extra point, Spearman held a three-score advantage.
“We took what they were giving us,” Reagan said. “We tried to do some of our other stuff early, and (Sunray) took all that stuff away. We decided to go under center, how they adjust and run it with Brayson. We had some big plays with him in the first half.”
Sunray struck paydirt with 42 seconds remaining before intermission. From 12 yards out, Grajeda connected with junior wideout Cristian Sauceda for the touchdown. Despite a missed PAT, the Bobcats got within striking distance at 20-6.
Before the first half expired, the Lynx tallied more points. From 23-yards away, Vasquez connected with senior running back Dallen Scroggs for six, and junior Hudson Swan caught a pass from Vasquez for the two-point conversion.
At the break, Spearman presided over a 28-6 lead.
Returning to the field following the marching bands and check presentation from T-Mobile, the Sunray began to create drives and make defensive stops.
However, even though the Bobcats’ defensive unit provided its offense with opportunities, Spearman turned away Sunray each and every time. Most came from turnovers on downs, while Vasquez reeled in an interception for the Lynx.
For Reagan, there was no magical scheme when it came to stopping the Bobcats. The Lynx simply went man-to-man.
“We sit five and hope for the best,” Reagan said. “It tipped off of a kid’s hands, and we got it.”
From there, Spearman was able to keep the Bobcats in check until the final horn. Along with going 3-of-6 for 106 yards passing and his one INT, Vasquez put up seven tackles and one pass break-up. Junior linebacker Landon Sonnenberg had a big night for Spearman, amassing 10 tackles and two quarterback sacks. Of Sonnenberg’s 10 tackles, four of those were solo stops.
Scroggs came away with eight tackles and three pass break-ups. Scroggs then rushed for 67 yards on seven rushing attempts to go along with his 23-yard touchdown catch.
Swan was credited for nine tackles, with two pass break-ups and lended a hand toward Vasquez’s interception. On offense, Swan rushed for 65 yards on seven carries and caught one pass for 10 yards.
For Sunray, sophomore receiver Dominik Dominguez snagged six receptions for 65 yards.