Wake-Up Call: Yoe drops 10-3A opener to McGregor

In their final three games of the non-district schedule, Cameron simply had too many mistakes to pull out wins.  That trend did not change on Friday night in McGregor as the Yoemen turned the ball over four times and could not score from the 1-yard line on three occasions in a 31-25 upset loss to open 10-3A play.  

“I feel like they wanted it more than us tonight,” said Yoe head coach Tommy Brashear.  “They had the lead most of the night and that kept them up and we were never able to deflate it.”

Cameron (1-4, 0-1) outgained the Bulldogs in total yardage, 465 to 338, but it was the big, momentum swinging plays that proved to be the difference.    

That started early in the second quarter when Cameron had a second and goal from the one.  A quick pass from Yoe quarterback Zack Andress was intercepted by Tanner Ledesma and returned for an over 100-yard touchdown.  

“I saw the opportunity,” Ledesma said on the big play that put his team up 7-0.  “We have been working all summer for this moment and now we are 1-0.  This is real big for us.”

“We wanted four turnovers,” added McGregor coach Judd Thrash.  “If we get four, we’ll win.  This defense right now is playing lights out.  Coming into this game, they have given up only 14 points.”

Andress and the offense did get going shortly thereafter, with Iverson Westbrook hauling in a 5-yard pass and Kadrian Hammond taking in a 52-yard reception over the top for a pair of scores.  However, neither point-after-attempt was successful and it was the Bulldogs that held the 14-12 halftime advantage.

That would be the closest the score would get for Cameron, as McGregor running-back and Houston commit Jonathan Phenix proved to be too much to handle on this night.  His impact was first felt in the second quarter with a 76-yard scamper to keep momentum on McGregor’s sideline.  

To open the third, Bulldog signal caller Jared Lorenz found Phenix for a 39-yard pass to extend the lead to 21-12.   The biggest run of the evening came at the 9:18 mark of the fourth when Phenix broke through the line for a 94-yard run on a third and long, extending the lead to 31-25.  

“I was just trying to get the first down and I popped through, turned on the burners and was gone,” said Phenix.  

“He can fly,” said Thrash on the speed from the senior.  “He is a 4.4 guy and is a Houston commit.  Each week he gets better at running back and has not played there since 8th grade.”

Cameron did manage to stay close enough down the stretch to have a chance to win the game.  Westbrook scored on a 11-yard reception and then had a 1-yard run with 5:58 remaining to cut the game down to one possession.  

The Yoe defense did hold late, forcing a missed 44-yard field goal attempt.  That gave the offense one last shot from their own 27 with 1:58 showing on the clock.  

Andress had hit Garrett Roeder for a pass all the way to the McGregor 5, but the play was negated on a holding call.  On the final play of the game, Andress was pressured, hit and fumbled the ball.  

“I feel like our kids are playing too tight right now,” Brashear said on the overall performance.  “They are letting those previous three losses affect them.  The kids have to stop stressing and they just need to have fun and play.  They have to stop worrying and get out there and have fun.  

Coming into this game, Cameron had won the previous 12 meetings between the two teams.  This was the first win for McGregor since a 38-8 victory in 1970.  

STATS

Cameron Yoe

First Downs: 19

Rushing: 34-153

Passing: 23-38-2, 312 yards

Punts: 2-41.5

Fumbles/Fumbles Lost: 2-2

Penalties: 9-90

Individual

Rushing: Iverson Westbrook, 16-85; Zack Andress, 12-38; Nico Vargas, 4-14

Passing: Zack Andress: 23-28-2, 312 yards

Receiving: Iverson Westbrook, 10-116; Bryce Welsh, 2-86; Garrett Roeder, 4-62; Kadrian Hammond, 1-52.

McGregor

First Downs: 10

Rushing: 40-284

Passing: 5-8-1, 54 yards

Punts: 3-48

Fumbles/Fumbles Lost: 2-2

Penalties: 8-51

Individual

Rushing: Phenix, 13-220, Jared Lorenz, 12-40

Passing: Jared Lorenz, 5-8-1, 54 yards

Receiving: Michael Irons, 2-30