COMFORT – Comfort High challenged District 15-3A Division II football frontrunner Stockdale during Friday night’s league match, but its early eight-point lead didn’t hold in a 41-28 home defeat.
The Bobcats dropped their season record to 1-6 and district mark to 0-3. They will look to breakthrough and snap a six-game skid when they travel to Karnes City for a 7 p.m. game on Oct. 23.
The Brahmas, meanwhile, improved their year record to 6-2 and district mark to 4-0 before they host Poth at the same time.
“That’s a good Stockdale ball club,” Comfort head football coach Jay Rieken said of his team’s opponent on Friday. “I know it’s a loss, but I’m proud of the way our guys battled them.”
Comfort’s defense made some early noise when it forced an early Stockdale fumble and recovered the ball at its own one-yard line at the 7:44 mark of the first quarter.
The Bobcats then leaned on their run game during a 99-yard scoring drive and took the early 7-0 lead after Gabe Gonzalez’s eight-yard touchdown run and Omar Rivera’s successful PAT at the 2:23 mark of the opening period.
Stockdale regrouped on its second drive because Erik Maldonado produced a two-yard touchdown run at the 11:25 mark of the second quarter, but Josh Hathaway’s short extra point attempt kept Comfort in front 7-6.
Comfort continued to charge down the field on its next drive because Jared Valadez avoided a tackle for loss and found important spacing during an excellent 43-yard touchdown run. Rivera then tacked on his second extra point of the night to expand the home team’s lead to 14-6 at the 8:24 mark of the second quarter.
But, Stockdale’s Coy Gann quickly answered with a 60-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion scamper to even the score at 14-14 at the 6:16 mark of the period.
Gann eventually ran 20 times for 169 yards and three touchdowns, and also completed both his passes for 70 yards.
Comfort’s attempt through the air on its following offensive drive then landed in the hands of Gann, who ran down the sideline for Stockdale’s go-ahead pick-six touchdown. Hathaway then redeemed himself on the extra point to give the Brahmas a 21-14 lead with 4:53 remaining in the first half.
Stockdale set the tone for the second half with a steady 8:26-second drive. Gann eventually punched in a one-yard touchdown run to set up a 28-14 lead at the 3:34 mark of the third quarter.
Comfort cut into the deficit in the fourth quarter when it outscored Stockdale 14-13 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the district defeat.
The Bobcats received touchdown runs of 25 yards and six yards from Rivera, but the Brahmas countered with Ty Dougherty’s 47-yard rushing score and Gann’s 10-yard touchdown before a late blocked PAT.
Rivera finished Comfort’s outing with 14 carries for 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also completed two of his eight pass attempts for 51 yards.
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