Opening night was a success for the boys in orange and white. Even before starting kickoff, the Bearkats started off with the clear advantage. Everywhere one looked, there was a sea of orange, not only on both sides of the stadium, but behind the end zone as well. It was the perfect atmosphere for a good game.
On the ninth play of the opening drive, quarterback Rhett Bomar threw a beautiful pass to wide-out Catron Houston for the go-ahead touchdown. After kicker Taylor Wilkins made the extra point, the Bearkats were up by seven and never looked back. Just when it appeared East Central would answer back, defensive end Ryan Gloston forced a fumble, eventually leading to another touchdown for the Bearkats. Sam Houston would have two more dates with the end zone before the first quarter expired, amassing a 24-0 lead.
The second quarter went even worse for the Tigers. A fumble on the opening drive for the Tigers gave Rhett Bomar a chance to hook up with running back James Aston for a 21-yard pitch. Aston would then take part in a 49-yard run for the end zone, making East Central appear ill equipped. At halftime, the Bearkats bombarded the Tigers with a 52-0 lead.
Just as a shutout was in the works, East Central Oklahoma quarterback Marcus Johnson completed a 6-yard pass to Thurman Sims for East Central’s first points of the game. Despite the Tigers striking again in the fourth quarter, Sam Houston walked away with the victory.
Sam Houston had an all around successful game. On a personal level, I look forward to seeing more of this same style of play in the upcoming weeks.