Benbrook still searching for first win as Bobcats fall to Hillsboro in district opener
.jpg "Hillsboro’s Darrian Hodge (2) runs the ball for a touchdown during a high school football game against Benbrook at Farrington Field in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Hillsboro won 40-28. (Caleb Luttrell/Special to the Star-Telegram)")
Friday night’s match up between the Benbrook Bobcats and the Hillsboro Eagles at Farrington Field was the first district game for both teams.
“I’m excited for our kids, they had a really good week of practice so we’re looking forward to them competing against Hillsboro,” Benbrook head coach Cody Slater said before the game.
The night started when Austin Cook made the first touchdown for the Eagles with 9:04 left in the first quarter, putting Hillsboro in the lead 6-0.
Hillsboro’s Ezrian Emory came in with his own touchdown followed by a two-point conversion with 5:05 left in the first quarter, continuing his team’s lead at 14-0.
The first quarter would end with Darrian Hodge making a 60-yard touchdown pass with 1:31 left, this made the score 21-0 Eagles. The Bobcats (0-6, 0-1 in District 4-4A D2) inched closer to the end zone with each play until quarterback Collin Thompson scored their first touchdown with 7:05 left in the second quarter, putting the score at 21-7.
Hodge would end the first half by answering the Bobcats’ touchdown with his second of the night, with 5:22 left in the second quarter to make the score 28-7 Hillsboro (4-2, 1-0).
The second half would continue with the Eagles not letting the Bobcats touch their lead. Tory Brooks would run a 19-yard touchdown with 6:18 left, making the score 34-7.
The Bobcats were not ready to give up. With only 52 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Benbrook’s Christian Gleason would score a touchdown to bring the score to 34-14, with the Eagles still leading the game.
Only seconds after Gleason’s touchdown, Hodge would make his third and final touchdown for the Eagles with 21 seconds left in the third quarter, making the score 40-14.
The last quarter of the game was all about Benbrook as they tried to catch Hillsboro.
“It was a tale of two halves, the first half was really good, and the second half it got real sloppy,” Hillsboro head coach Stephen Almuete said. “We need to get rid of all the little penalties and have everyone on the same page.”
Christian Dwight scored an 85-yard touchdown with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter for Benbrook, making the score 40-21. A final Bobcat touchdown with only seconds left on the clock wasn’t enough for Benbrook to take the win.