San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Randolph 21, Blanco 7
Quick Take: Randolph remained unbeaten and ran its record to 6-0 for the first time since 2007 with a 21-7 win over Blanco on Friday night in a District 13-3A-I clash.
The Ro-Hawks (6-0,
2-0), who earned their first win over Blanco since 2019, scored a pair of first-half touchdowns and their defense made the lead stand up against a Blanco team that came into the game averaging 39 points a contest this season.
Highlights: After forcing Blanco (4-2, 1-1) to go three-and-out on its opening possession, Randolph went 63 yards in nine plays before Cody Howard found Deshon Cobbins for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give the Ro-Hawks a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Another 12-play, 80-yard drive by Randolph was finished off by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Collin Stucki to Cobbins with 29 seconds left in the first half, sending the Ro-Hawks into the locker room with a 14-0 lead. It stayed 14-0 until a sequence early in the fourth quarter decided the outcome.
On the first play from scrimmage after a 6-yard punt by the Panthers, Howard took a handoff and raced 34 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0 Randolph with 8:58 remaining.
The Panthers got a touchdown on an 11-yard run by quarterback
Cameron Anderson with 3:04 to go, but never threatened again.
What it means:
Randolph, which avenged a 10-7 loss to Blanco from last year, has now won nine
straight regular-season games and the Ro-Hawks, who have outscored their opponents 226-71, have to be considered a contender to win their first district title since 2007, when they went 11-1.
Blanco showed signs of life offensively in the second half, but had too many penalties and negative-yardage plays to put points on the board.
The Panthers need to fix that if they want to claim a top-two spot in the District 13-3A-I standings.
Quotable: “I felt like we played with great effort and energy tonight. The kids and coaches did a great job this week of preparing for this game and it showed. I feel really good about how we’re playing right now and how the kids are willing to keep improving every day. They want to keep getting better and keep pushing forward,” Randolph coach Elliott Ortiz said.
Game balls: Stucki was 11-for-18 for 136 yards and a touchdown through the air for Randolph. Howard finished with 67 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, two catches for another 35 yards, and his first-half touchdown pass.
Sam Oakland pitched in seven carries for 60 yards and Lee McMooain had four catches for 48 yards to lead the Ro-Hawks.
Trey Atchley had 123 yards on 11 carries and Anderson finished with 74 yards and a score on 15 carries for Blanco.
Up next: Both teams continue District 13-3A-I play next week. Randolph goes to Llano on Friday with a 7 p.m. kickoff, while Blanco hosts Marion, also Friday at 7 p.m.