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ORANGEFIELD – Physically man-handling Anahuac in the trenches on both sides of the ball, the Orangefield Bobcats opened their 2021 football campaign in fine fashion Friday night at home by roughing up the Panthers 46-13.

The Bobcats amassed 517 yards of total offense, including 482 yards on the ground on 52 carries.

They also had a trifecta in the backfield as Cameron Dischler, Gavin Perry-Koci and Hunter Ashworth all went over 100 yards on the night.

Dischler dashed for 157 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries. Perry-Koci zipped for 140 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries while fullback Hunter Ashworth bulldozed his way to 105 yards and two scores on 17 totes. Bobcat quarterback Brayden Parker completed 2-of-3 passes for 35 yards.

The Bobcat defense held the Panthers to 221 total yards.

Quarterback Marcos Curiel completed 8-of-16 passes for 113 yards.

Landon Corbitt led the Panther ground game with 51 yards on 10 carries while Christian Sanchez had 50 on 14 carries.

The Bobcats (1-0) scored on all four of their first-half handles as they held a commanding 27-0 lead at the half.

Orangefield piled up 263 yards in the first half, 255 of it coming off 28 carries as the Slot-T was humming. Meanwhile, the Bobcat defense bowed up, limiting Anahuac (0-1) to 83 total yards in the half.

The Bobcats wasted no time on their first series as they powered their way down the field on a 13-play, 80-yard drive after holding the Panthers to a three-and-out.

Dischler chewed up 36 of the yards on four carries while Ashworth and Gavin Perry-Koci combined for 44 yards on eight carries.

Dischler had a big 17-yard jaunt to the Bobcat 48 and Perry-Koci followed with a 14-yard dart to the Panther 38. Orangefield bruised its way to the Panther 6 on six carries that ate up 32 yards and Dischler, who had 131 yards on nine carries in the half, capped off the drive that chewed up 6:03 off the clock by going six yards off right tackle for the score. The point-after kick failed but the Bobcats snared a 6-0 lead with 4:20 left in the first quarter.

Anahuac back Christian Sanchez coughed up the ball at the Panther 48 on the next series and the Bobcats made them pay four plays later. Dischler had a 29-yard run that got to the Panther 17 and Ashworth gashed one up the middle for 11 more. Ashworth was not through as scored on a six-yard run off the left side. Dischler ran in the two-point conversion to make it 14-0 with 1:23 in the first quarter.

After a punt snap went over the head of Anahuac punter Sanchez’ head, the Bobcats got the ball at the Panther 48 with 9:01 left in the half. Two plays later, Dischler got loose down the right sideline and outsprinted the Panther for a 47-yard touchdown gallop. Ty Butler drilled the extra-point, making it 21-0 with 7:49 in the half.

Orangefield dampened the sails of the Panthers again to finish off the half as the Bobcats went on a nine-play, 77-yard march that chewed up 4:25 off the clock.

Perry-Koci, who had 36 yards on four carries in the half, broke loose for a 19-yard jaunt on the series and Tyler Shearin had a huge 18-yard scamper that got to the Panther 12. Ashworth, who had 62 yards on 10 first-half totes, bruised his way through Anahuac defenders for a 10-yard run to the 1 and he finished it off with a one-yard touchdown off right tackle. The point-after failed but the Bobcats led 27-0 with 1:26 in the half.

Sanchez had 44 yards on 10 carries for the Panthers. Quarterback Landon Corbitt rushed for 30 yards on six carries. Corbitt and backup QB Curiel combined to complete 4-of-7 passes for 25 yards.

The Bobcats kept plowing to start the second half as they took the first series and marched 89 yards in just six plays.

Perry-Koci scorched the Panthers on a 49-yard dart off the left side that got to the Anahuac 40. Three plays later quarterback Brayden Parker scooted around left end for a 18-yard keeper. Two plays later Dischler found the end zone again on a eight-yard touchdown run off left tackle to push it to 33-0 with 10:06 in the third.

Sanchez finally out the Panthers on the board when he took the ensuing kickoff right up the middle for a 75-yard touchdown, trimming it to 33-7 with 9:51 in the third.

However, the Bobcats kept on churning.

On their series the Bobcats navigated 78 yards in six quick plays.

Perry-Koci had a big 17-yard gallop and Parker hit Brayden Babineaux on a nice swing pass on the right side that ended up going 27 yards to the Panther 6. Dischler found the end zone to his liking again as he capped it with a six-yard touchdown up the gut to make it 40-7 with 7:31 in the third.

The Bobcats pushed it to 46-7 with 6:06 remaining when Perry-Koci finished off a three-play, 48-yard drive with a nifty 27-yard touchdown dart around the left end.

The Panthers got on the scoreboard again with a late seven-play, 70-yard drive. CUriel hit Johnathan Ashley with a 38-yad pass to the Bobcat 11 and two plays later Garrett Dye barreled his way in for the score from 11 yards out to make it 46-13 with 3:09 left.

The Bobcats will hit the road next week to face Woodville.