By Caleb Adams

Leader Correspondent

 

BRIDGE CITY – The Bridge City Cardinals took out the Anahuac Panthers 13-6 in the Cardinals home opener of the season Friday night at Ward Stadium, giving first-year head coach Allen DeShazo his first win.

In what was a defensive showdown, the Cardinals (1-2) scored just enough in the first half to secure the victory Friday night.

Andy Lara was the workhorse for the Cardinals all night, putting up 118 yards on the ground throughout the game. His consistent runs are what gave the Cardinals the ability to outlast the Panthers (1-2).

Anahuac took advantage of getting the first possession with a long first play touchdown on Bridge City. Corenthos Hill ran, on what was a dead play in the backfield, for 64 yards and the touchdown. After the Cardinals blocked the extra-point attempt the score was 6-0 Panthers 11:36 left in the first quarter.

After that, the Cardinals clamped down on defensive the rest of the night.

Bridge City struck right back with a 70-yard drive, capped off with an Andy Lara touchdown from six yards out. The backfield of the Cardinals was on display this drive, with four different backs toting the leather. After the extra-point went through, the Cardinals took a 7-6 lead with 6:25 left in the first quarter and would never trail again.

Bridge City would lengthen their lead with a field goal late in the second quarter. After a tough drive on the ground, scrapping for yards, the Cardinals would settle for a 25 -yard field goal from Oscar Carranza as the Cardinals led 10-6 with two and a half minutes left in the half.

Carranza put another one through the uprights as the clock expires on the first half. Cardinal quarterback Cace Skinner set up the field goal attempt with a long 40-yard pass to Rylan Ply leaving just a second left on the clock. After the 32-yard Carranzafield went through, the Cardinals led 13-6 with a half of football left to play.

Both teams would go scoreless, though both came close to scoring at some point during the third quarter. A combination of fumbles from the mud and falling just short on third down plagued both the Panthers and the Cardinals.

The Cardinals wouldn’t need to score in the fourth, using their defense and run game to run out the clock and hang on to their lead as the Cardinals snared their first win of the 2018 campaign.

The Cardinals finished with 234 yards of total offense while the Panthers had 186, including a minus five yards passing.

Ply, who had the one catch for 40 yards, also ran nine times for 42 yards.

Hill finished with 70 yards on three carries for the Panthers while Tryone Wilson picked up 57 yards on 15 tough carries.

The Cardinals will remain at home next week as they will welcome in former district rival Silsbee. The Tigers will check in at 0-3 on the season after a tough 21-14 loss to Nederland Friday night. Anahuac will have its bye week next week and will open up 12-3A Division I play Sept. 28 at Kirbyville. Kirbyville fell to Corrigan-Camden 21-14 Friday.