GARDEN CITY – The Garden City junior varsity football team won a 46-38 shootout last Thursday over the Permian Basin varsity Renegades.
Preston Dehlinger put Garden City on the board first with a 34-yard touchdown run. Alan Luna converted the kick fo an 8-0 lead.
Dehlinger would get the ball back for the Bearkats with a fumble recovery, but it was a short possession as they fumbled it right. The Renegades took advantage of the fumble with a touchdown drive.
Garden City would fumble the ball away again, but luckily the defense stood strong this time stopping the Renegades in the red zone on downs.
Blain Walts broke loose for a big run setting up Carson Goodwin 13-yard touchdown pass from Levi Easterling. Luna added the kick pushing the lead to 16-6.
Permian Basin would add seven points to its total but Garden City answered with a
Dehlinger 35-yard touchdown run and Luna kick to go up 24-13.
The Renegades would answer late in the first half with another touchdown to trail at halftime 24-19.
Garden City’s defense would open the second half with a 4-n-out, which allowed Goodwin to run in a 20-yard touchdown. Luna converted the kick and the Bearkats lead was now 32-19.
On the ensuing onside kick, Walts came up with a big hit and Easterling recovered the loose ball.
A handful of plays later and Dehlinger found the end zone again and Luna added another kick to go up 40-19.
Early in the fourth quarter the Renegades would score their first touchdown of the half. The joy was short lived as Garden City answered with a Dehlinger 39-yard touchdown run.
Permian Basin would score a couple more times in the fourth quarter after starting defensive end Fabian Espinoza went out with an ankle sprain. The offense took a patient approach and killed the clock securing the 46-38 victory.
Coming up big on the defense were linemen Nathan Balcazar, Hector Almazan, and Espinoza and linebacker Dehlinger.
Big time offensive players were linemen Balcazar, Almazan, Jared Lopez, and Luiz DeLuna.
The junior varsity Kats are 5-2 on the season.