REFUGIO, Texas — The London Pirates (1-1) hoped to break their pattern playing the Refugio Bobcats (2-0). Refugio has dominated the last two meetings winning 39-6 in 2022 and 55-10 in 2023.
Some things just stay the same and that's how Refugio put the Pirates in brig for KRIS 6 News Game of the Week, winning 64-7.
London had all the energy to start the game. The first play from scrimmage, Pirate's Alex Manning unloaded a pass to Aiden Salinas down the sideline for a huge gain. They would turn the ball over on downs.
However the Bobcats gave it back a few plays later when Ray Lewis coughed up the ball deep in Pirates territory.
Manning went to work again, dropping a dime to wide-open Jeremiah Leos down the opposite sideline. He beat his defender with ease and ran in for an 87-yard touchdown. Pirates took the early 7-0.
That lit a fire under the Bobcats. Lewis rebounded to carry the rock 21 yards for the score, leaving them at a tie game.
It didn't last long. The Refugio kick-off pinned the Pirates inside their own 10-yard line. A false start pushed them further back. Then a low snap that hit the ground doomed Manning. He was hit by Refugio's Javonte Lewis and Jason De Los Santos and thrown out of the end zone for a safety.
The Bobcats didn't let up after that. Enter Jordan King, where his 17-yard run made the it 16-7.
London didn't help themselves. Manning threw three interceptions, two of them from the five yard line. Laytyn Garza took the first interception on a lofted ball down the middle of the field.
Kolton Taylor picked off Manning on the next possession.
The following play, King activated beast mode and sprinted 81-yards for his second touchdown.
23-7 Bobcats. The first quarter lasted over 50 minutes.
To start the second quarter, Refugio would then score on their next three possessions, keeping the pressure on London.
Zander Willis scored on a short run. King got his third touchdown on a 34 yard scamper. Then Kelan "The Gunslinger" Brown was able to get in on the action throwing a dime of his own to Garza for a 46 yard catch and score
Just like that, it was 37-7 Refugio.
Bobcats were still not satisfied. In the final three minutes of the half, Lewis scored again weaving 39 yards downfield.
On the kick-off Brown took some power off and the ball landed on the Pirates 30 where the Bobcats were able to fall on it.
Refugio would score again on the play of the game just before halftime. Brown dropped back, had excellent protection and rifled it to the end zone. A diving Parker Taylor caught the ball in the back of the end zone.
Refugio's next game is a tough one at Edna, who is ranked in the top ten of Division 3A. That game is on Sept. 13.
London will also take on Edna later in the year as the two teams will square off in district play. Up next for London is a home game against Tuloso-Midway on Sept. 12.
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