BLINN FOOTBALL POUNDS TEXAS COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN COLLEGE 65-6
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
Caleb Cooper ended the first offensive series of Saturday night’s game with an interception, and in the process, effectively ended Community Christian College’s night.
The takeaway by the Blinn College freshman defensive back gave the ball to the Buccaneers’ offense, and the hosts went on to score early and often in a 65-6 non-conference victory over the Spartans at Cub Stadium in Brenham, Texas.
“I was really pleased with our operation on the field tonight and how we executed the up-tempo pace we want to at which we want to play,” Blinn head coach Ryan Mahon said. “I was pleased with our discipline; we made very few errors and committed only a handful of penalties. That’s the type of improvement you want to see from game one to game two.”
Blinn (2-0) blanketed Community Christian with 34 first-quarter points and didn’t take its foot off the gas until the game was well in hand. The Bucs led 51-0 at the half.
Freshman running back Jordan Hayes got the scoring started for Blinn when he spun into the end zone on a 4-yard carry. The ensuing PAT by sophomore kicker Matt Velasco made it 7-0.
Hayes scored on a 7-yard scamper later in the quarter for a 14-0 edge.
Freshman quarterback Jack Emerson hooked up with sophomore wide receiver Tracy James Jr. on a 2-yard pitch-and-catch to make it 21-0.
Emerson tossed his second TD of the quarter when he hit freshman wideout Braylen Harris for a 28-yard score and a 27-0 cushion.
The first-period outburst concluded with a 5-yard trot into the end zone for Hayes.
Freshman QB Nathen Lewis took the reins of the Blinn offense early in the second quarter and promptly kept the scoreboard humming with a 41-yard TD pass to freshman receiver Travaris Turner-Smith.
Lewis struck again when he hit James Jr. on a 16-yard scoring toss to make it 48-0.
A 29-yard field goal from Velasco just before the intermission capped the first-half scoring.
In the second half, freshman QB Gunner Nelson threw a 19-yard TD pass to Harris and added a 36-yard TD pass on the run to freshman receiver Kyrell Sheffield in the game’s final minute.
The Spartans picked up their lone score of the game on a TD pass in the fourth quarter.
Blinn’s defense played its first game under new defensive coordinator Danny Palmer, and Mahon said he was encouraged by the unit’s performance.
“We left the first-team defense on the field for a while tonight by design; the best way to get them comfortable in the new scheme is by giving them reps,” Mahon explained. “Right off the bat, we saw guys out there who knew what they were doing, and they were playing fast. Knowing where to go and what to do when you get there, is a big part of understanding any type of scheme, and I was really happy with how our guys put the plan in action tonight.”
The non-conference portion of Blinn’s schedule concluded with Saturday’s victory, and the Bucs will now turn their attention to Southwest Junior College Football Conference foe New Mexico Military Institute. The two teams face off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Cub Stadium.
“The re al season starts for us now,” Mahon said. “Seven days from now, we’re going to take the lessons we learned from these first two ballgames into a big matchup with NMMI. It’s the biggest game of our season because it’s our next game, and the goal is to go 1-0.”