Drawing a blank: Bobcats take bite out of Sharks
Published 10:54 pm Friday, October 27, 2017
SABINE PASS — Since beating Burkeville 53-6 in the season opener, Sabine Pass hasn’t scored.
The Sharks were held to 10 total yards Friday night, and Hull-Daisetta quarterback Bryce Fregia rushed for five touchdowns in leading the Bobcats to a 54-0 win.
An abbreviated season that kicked off more than a month later than scheduled thanks to Tropical Storm Harvey’s impact is turning a little sour for Sabine Pass.
“We thought after that first win, everything else would come a little more easier for us,” SP coach Jason Thibodeaux said. “But, you know, we’ve just got to practice a little harder. We don’t have a lot of kids come to practice for the reasons we missed the first five games of the season, so it’s hard to have a scout-o and scout-d [scout offense and defense in practice].”
Thibodeaux said before Sabine Pass played Burkeville that players have taken off from practice to help their families in the recovery from Harvey, adding families are more important than football. Sabine Pass numbers 22 on its roster.
Hull-Daisetta (3-4, 2-1 in 12-2A Division II) outgained Sabine Pass (1-2, 1-2) 437-10 in total yards and dominated the young Sharks up front on the defensive end.
The Bobcats broke seven running plays of 20 or more yards. Junior Gavin Villanueva, who had 175 yards on five carries, turned in runs of 73 and 42 yards in the first quarter alone, tightroping his own sideline and scoring when it seemed the Sharks had him forced out on the longer run.
“We couldn’t have done it without our line and the help from our teammates and stuff,” Villanueva said. “They’re a big factor to how good we are. Without them, we’re not able to execute.”
Hull-Daisetta fumbled the ball away twice, but the Sharks never capitalized. They had a drive of eight plays starting at the H-D 48 aided by a roughing-the-kicker call, but after two losses totaling 10 yards, the Sharks were stopped for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-2.
A 90-yard series for the Bobcats in the fourth quarter was emblematic of the Sharks’ night. Hull-Daisetta was called for holding on the drive, but still scored in nine plays.
“We’re not very good arm-tacklers, evidently,” Thibodeaux said. “We need to wrap up. If we have to hang on and wait for the cavalry, then that’s what we’ve got to do. We over-pursued. They got up a couple of scores on us, and it seemed like the air was deflated.”
Sabine Pass freshman running back Grayson Johnson mustered 23 yards on 20 carries. Shawn Taylor ran 10 times for 114 yards and a touchdown, and Fregia rushed for 92 yards on 10 carries for Hull-Daisetta.
Despite the Sharks’ woes, they can still clinch a second straight playoff berth next Friday in their abbreviated season with a win at Colmesneil. Evadale will visit Sabine Pass in the regular-season finale.
“I just talked to the kids, and they made a commitment they’re coming to practice and we’ve got a golden opportunity to beat Colmesneil. If we beat Colmesneil, we’re in. We have another chance, so we’ll rise to the challenge.”
•
I.C. Murrell: 549-8541. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews