After playing Royse City and losing 36-9 last Friday (September 20) on Homecoming at Prim Stadium, Wildcats Coach Greg Owens said they are his favorite now to win the district championship. Coach Owens was on KSST and Cable Channel 18’s Saturday Morning Coach’s Show last Saturday. Coach Owens later amended his statement to say either the Bulldogs or Ennis may claim the district championship when all is said and done. Coach Owens said Royse City gave us fits. He was impressed with the two Bulldogs’ move-ins from Lancaster, Ketron Jackson, a receiver and Ahmon Petty-Dozier, a running back. Coach Owens also mentioned the Bulldogs’ crafty QB Tyson Oliver and the slashing running back Bryce Martinez. But he says the guy that really makes them go is nose guard Jamie Cortez. Coach Owens said he destroyed the middle and made it a frustrating night for the Wildcats’ offense. Coach Owens said the Wildcats defense played really well but just ran out of juice. He said he was proud of the Wildcats for their fast start. Two things kept the Wildcats in check. They had an interception on a deflection down near the goal line and Choc Sims 95-yard kickoff return was nullified by a holding call. Coach Owens called the game a real physical battle. He said the bottom line was that the Bulldogs were just better than the Wildcats. Coach Owens also said Royse City’s Peyton Petroff, the head coach’s son, is a good football player and he said small Bulldogs’ linebacker John Krump would be playing anywhere in college if he were 6-foot-2. (He’s 5-foot-8). Coach Owens said his kickers, Brandon Zavala and Osiel Lopez, did a good job for the Wildcats. He said the Wildcats have some work to do on punt protection. They had a punt blocked. He pointed out that all effort matters. He said it was other defenders in people’s faces that resulted in interceptions by Kylan Wade and Chase Haney. Defensive end Cameron Kaufert rushed a passer who made a poor throw that was picked by Wade. Wade applied pressure on the Haney interception. He said the coaching staff is seeing small positive things on tape. Quarterback Kaden Wallace threw a TD pass to receiver Landry Meskimen. Bryant Sanchez had a big running play. Sims made good yards on a swing pass. Still Coach Owens said those things did not result in a win. He added there was still a long way to go in district play. He said he was ready to start winning.
