Bandera Versus SA Kennedy - Varsity
Bandera Versus SA Kennedy - JuniorVarsity
Photos by Lisa Gherman
September 10, 2023
Bulldogs dominates Kennedy for homecoming win
By Brady Keane
BISD Assistant Football Coach
The Bandera Prophet
The Bandera varsity football team started fast and never looked back in Friday night’s homecoming game as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 42-0 lead in the first half before cruising to a 49-7 win over San Antonio Kennedy.
It was the most points Bandera has scored in a game since Oct. 31, 2019, and continued the program’s best start since that same season as the Bulldogs moved to 3-0 in front of a packed crowd at Bulldog Stadium.
“It’s what we have been waiting to see from our team – a fast start and good execution,” Bandera Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Joel Fontenot-Amedee said.
Bandera had success in all three phases, and it started on the defensive end after the rockets received the opening kickoff. A sack from senior linebacker Jorge Cabasos forced an early Kennedy punt, and the Bulldogs immediately went to work moving the ball down the field with a methodical 14-play, 82-yard drive that was capped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jesse Cardenas to senior wide receiver Corben Gonzales.
Sophomore safety Dane Barnett broke up a pass on third down to force another Rockets’ punt on the ensuing drive, and the Bulldogs needed just five plays to hit pay dirt after a bad snap gave Bandera the ball deep in Kennedy territory. Cardenas punched it in on a 17-yard touchdown run, and the Bulldogs led 14-0 with 25 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Bandera defense continued to get the stops it needed throughout the second half while the Bulldogs’ offense and special teams’ units put the game out of reach before halftime. Cardenas had a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown, sophomore running back Juan Cabrera had a 2-yard touchdown run, Cardenas connected with sophomore wide receiver Jeffry Thomas on a 23-yard touchdown pass and Cabrera got into the end zone again on a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 42-0 with 1:12 left in the second quarter.
“Our team was very focused,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We were present. Our guys were dialed in for the entire game.”
The rout continued into the third as the Bulldogs received the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards in 12 plays before a 1-yard touchdown run from Cabrera. Bandera coasted from there, as Kennedy was unable to get anything going offensively until the game’s final minute when the Rockets got on the board with a 6-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Kennedy finished with 166 yards of offense, including just 24 yards passing. The Bulldogs’ defense held Kennedy to an 0-9 mark on third down, and the Rockets were 0-2 on fourth down as well.
Barnett had a breakout game in the secondary to lead the Bandera defense, finishing with five tackles, a pass breakup and an interception. Senior Daniel Freeman had nine tackles and a tackle for loss, Cabasos had seven tackles (two TFL) and a sack and Eric Straeter had five tackles (0.5 for loss).
“Our run fits were once again excellent,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We locked down receivers while putting constant pressure on the quarterback. We had a great game plan.”
Offensively, the Bulldogs racked up 354 yards of total offense. Cabrera was the workhorse, tallying 170 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Cardenas had 32 passing yards and two touchdowns alongside 89 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Julian De La Paz had 38 yards rushing in the win.
“We were physical up front,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “The game is usually won in the trenches where the big boys play, and Friday was no exception.”
Bandera will now hit the road for the next several weeks after playing the last two weeks at Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs will take on Cole next Friday night, and will then travel to Hondo on Friday, Sept. 22.
District 14-4A Division II play will begin on Friday, Oct. 13, against Pearsall.
“Cole holds a special place in my heart,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “After working there for three years and truly existing to serve the military child, I feel like I have a great amount of respect and admiration for the military families of Robert G. Cole High School. I expect to see kids who are talented and play hard. I’m excited to go back there. It’s a special place.”
JV Bulldogs remain undefeated with win over Kennedy
The Bandera JV football team bounced back from a tie last week in Cotulla by knocking off Kennedy 33-14 Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium in San Antonio.
The Bulldogs got a quick defensive stop to open the game thanks to a big tackle for loss from freshman Breydan Gherman, and the Bandera offense took advantage of the good field position by quickly moving into scoring range and taking a 6-0 lead on a 22-yard touchdown pass from freshman Dalton Parks to freshman Ruffin Scartocci.
A third down sack from Caleb Tippit on the Rockets’ ensuing offensive possession forced a punt, and the Bulldogs drove a full 90 yards into the red zone before stalling out. Fortunately, a quick interception from junior Daylon Lee set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Gherman, and Parks added the 2-point conversion to make it 14-0.
Kennedy climbed back into the game with a 52-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, but Gherman returned the kickoff 84 yards for another Bandera touchdown to make it 21-8 at the half.
Freshman Jackson Aragones had an 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to help build the Bandera lead, and Gherman returned another kickoff into scoring range. The Bulldogs added their final score on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Parks to sophomore Riley Moran, and the defense continued to hold Kennedy in check. Sophomore Beto Rodrigues had an interception late in the fourth to help close out the victory.
Parks finished 10-of-16 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns while adding five carries for 34 yards in the run game. Moran had 10 carries for 107 yards and Gherman had 10 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown to pace the run game. Nine different Bandera players caught a pass from Parks: Caleb Tippit (1-40), Chazz Embry (1-24), Jaymin Klein (2-17), Riley Moran (1-9, TD), Logan Spangler (1-17), Breydan Gherman (1-5), James Goldberg (1-29) and Ruffin Scartocci (1-22, TD).
Defensive leaders included Tippit, Klein and Matthew Wilkinson. Bandera held the Rockets to just 13 yards rushing and 163 total yards.
The JV Bulldogs are now 2-0-1 on the season and will return to action on Thursday back at Bulldog Stadium against Cole, with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m.
It was the most points Bandera has scored in a game since Oct. 31, 2019, and continued the program’s best start since that same season as the Bulldogs moved to 3-0 in front of a packed crowd at Bulldog Stadium.
“It’s what we have been waiting to see from our team – a fast start and good execution,” Bandera Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Joel Fontenot-Amedee said.
Bandera had success in all three phases, and it started on the defensive end after the rockets received the opening kickoff. A sack from senior linebacker Jorge Cabasos forced an early Kennedy punt, and the Bulldogs immediately went to work moving the ball down the field with a methodical 14-play, 82-yard drive that was capped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jesse Cardenas to senior wide receiver Corben Gonzales.
Sophomore safety Dane Barnett broke up a pass on third down to force another Rockets’ punt on the ensuing drive, and the Bulldogs needed just five plays to hit pay dirt after a bad snap gave Bandera the ball deep in Kennedy territory. Cardenas punched it in on a 17-yard touchdown run, and the Bulldogs led 14-0 with 25 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Bandera defense continued to get the stops it needed throughout the second half while the Bulldogs’ offense and special teams’ units put the game out of reach before halftime. Cardenas had a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown, sophomore running back Juan Cabrera had a 2-yard touchdown run, Cardenas connected with sophomore wide receiver Jeffry Thomas on a 23-yard touchdown pass and Cabrera got into the end zone again on a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 42-0 with 1:12 left in the second quarter.
“Our team was very focused,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We were present. Our guys were dialed in for the entire game.”
The rout continued into the third as the Bulldogs received the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards in 12 plays before a 1-yard touchdown run from Cabrera. Bandera coasted from there, as Kennedy was unable to get anything going offensively until the game’s final minute when the Rockets got on the board with a 6-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Kennedy finished with 166 yards of offense, including just 24 yards passing. The Bulldogs’ defense held Kennedy to an 0-9 mark on third down, and the Rockets were 0-2 on fourth down as well.
Barnett had a breakout game in the secondary to lead the Bandera defense, finishing with five tackles, a pass breakup and an interception. Senior Daniel Freeman had nine tackles and a tackle for loss, Cabasos had seven tackles (two TFL) and a sack and Eric Straeter had five tackles (0.5 for loss).
“Our run fits were once again excellent,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We locked down receivers while putting constant pressure on the quarterback. We had a great game plan.”
Offensively, the Bulldogs racked up 354 yards of total offense. Cabrera was the workhorse, tallying 170 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Cardenas had 32 passing yards and two touchdowns alongside 89 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Julian De La Paz had 38 yards rushing in the win.
“We were physical up front,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “The game is usually won in the trenches where the big boys play, and Friday was no exception.”
Bandera will now hit the road for the next several weeks after playing the last two weeks at Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs will take on Cole next Friday night, and will then travel to Hondo on Friday, Sept. 22.
District 14-4A Division II play will begin on Friday, Oct. 13, against Pearsall.
“Cole holds a special place in my heart,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “After working there for three years and truly existing to serve the military child, I feel like I have a great amount of respect and admiration for the military families of Robert G. Cole High School. I expect to see kids who are talented and play hard. I’m excited to go back there. It’s a special place.”
JV Bulldogs remain undefeated with win over Kennedy
The Bandera JV football team bounced back from a tie last week in Cotulla by knocking off Kennedy 33-14 Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium in San Antonio.
The Bulldogs got a quick defensive stop to open the game thanks to a big tackle for loss from freshman Breydan Gherman, and the Bandera offense took advantage of the good field position by quickly moving into scoring range and taking a 6-0 lead on a 22-yard touchdown pass from freshman Dalton Parks to freshman Ruffin Scartocci.
A third down sack from Caleb Tippit on the Rockets’ ensuing offensive possession forced a punt, and the Bulldogs drove a full 90 yards into the red zone before stalling out. Fortunately, a quick interception from junior Daylon Lee set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Gherman, and Parks added the 2-point conversion to make it 14-0.
Kennedy climbed back into the game with a 52-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, but Gherman returned the kickoff 84 yards for another Bandera touchdown to make it 21-8 at the half.
Freshman Jackson Aragones had an 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to help build the Bandera lead, and Gherman returned another kickoff into scoring range. The Bulldogs added their final score on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Parks to sophomore Riley Moran, and the defense continued to hold Kennedy in check. Sophomore Beto Rodrigues had an interception late in the fourth to help close out the victory.
Parks finished 10-of-16 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns while adding five carries for 34 yards in the run game. Moran had 10 carries for 107 yards and Gherman had 10 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown to pace the run game. Nine different Bandera players caught a pass from Parks: Caleb Tippit (1-40), Chazz Embry (1-24), Jaymin Klein (2-17), Riley Moran (1-9, TD), Logan Spangler (1-17), Breydan Gherman (1-5), James Goldberg (1-29) and Ruffin Scartocci (1-22, TD).
Defensive leaders included Tippit, Klein and Matthew Wilkinson. Bandera held the Rockets to just 13 yards rushing and 163 total yards.
The JV Bulldogs are now 2-0-1 on the season and will return to action on Thursday back at Bulldog Stadium against Cole, with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m.