Comfort in need of a win as they host Stockdale

Comfort High hosts Stockdale on Friday and it’s getting close to desperation time for the Bobcats.

Comfort is 0-2 in district and 1-5 overall. The Bobcats have four district games left and need to get on a roll soon if they’re going to have a chance at a playoff spot, but it won’t be easy against the Brahmas.

Stockdale is currently atop the district standings at 3-0 (5-2 overall) and is coming off a 37-28 victory over Blanco.

“They’re big and physical and their quarterback is a dude and a half,” Bobcats coach Jay Rieken said about Stockdale QB Coy Gann. “He’s all over the field, he’s 6-1 and 200 pounds and runs well. He’s very fluid in his movement, looks like he’s running out there with a bunch of kids, but they have other players that are good too.”

Comfort is coming off a 58-36 loss to Nixon-Smiley last Friday. The Bobcats were leading at the end of the first quarter, 14-12, but were outscored in the second, 18-14, and trailed at halftime, 30-24.

The Mustangs won the third quarter, 14-8, and opened up a 44-36 lead by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. Nixon-Smiley closed out the final stanza by outscoring the Bobcats, 14-0, so it was a tightly contested game until the end.

Rieken said they didn’t have much luck on Friday.

“We didn’t have a break at all, we couldn’t buy a break,” he said. “We’ve not had anything good happen to us.”

With four games left on the schedule, Rieken said he knows the team has to start collecting wins. Their last victory came in their season opener on Aug. 28.

“Somehow, we’ve got to learn to win, we’ve got to figure out how to turn it around,” he said. “We’ve dug a hole, but we need to start stringing something together. We still have time, but we’re running out of time, really quick.”

After Stockdale, the Bobcats have Karnes City, YMLA and Blanco left on the schedule.

Despite the loss to Nixon- Smiley, the Bobcats did total almost 400 yards of offense after they rolled to 280 through the air and another 111 on the ground.

Comfort QB Omar Rivera completed 12 of 31 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns and was the team’s leading rusher with 46 yards.

Mason Judkins and Gabe Gonzales both scored rushing touchdowns, while Judkins, Gonzalez and Cole Young all had receiving TDs.

Young tallied 95 receiving yards, Judkins had 88, Gonzalez had 65 and Cash Barrett added 32 receiving yards.

Marcus Zarate led the team in tackles with 11, while Travis Gwaltney and Barrett both chipped in with 9 stops.