BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
FORT WORTH – Benbrook dominated the time of possession during its 21-14 victory over FW Dunbar to open district play on Friday night at Clark Stadium.
The Bobcats (6-0, 1-0 in 4-4A D2) are having their best start in program history – which began in 2016.
During Benbrook’s inaugural season in 2016, the Bobcats went winless at 0-10. The following season, they went 2-8. The 6-0 start is a first for the team and it’s the fourth time in nine seasons they have cleared five wins.
Senior running back Brady Gordon scored on a 20-yard touchdown run during Benbrook’s opening drive, but the Bobcats led 6-0 after the extra point was missed. Benbrook went 58 yards in six plays and killed nearly three minutes. QB Brennan Barton hit Kade Cross for 14 yards to convert a third down and then Barton and Lucas Jackson connected for a 30-yard gain two plays later following a 7-yard sack from Dunbar.
Dunbar (2-4, 0-1) answered just two plays on the ensuing drive.
Running back Ja’Marion Garrett returned to the lineup and his first carry went for 74 yards as he broke loose up the middle and evaded several defenders. The Wildcats led 7-6 with 8:26 left in the opening period.
Benbrook had two long drives – one in both halves – that ended in zero points.
But both ate up a combined 14 minutes.
During the Bobcats’ second possession, they ran 12 plays and started at their own 16 and got as deep as the Dunbar 27. They rushed it nine times and completed one pass attempt, but three holding penalties plagued that drive.
However, their defense forced an ensuing three-and-out.
The Bobcats would close out the half with back-to-back touchdowns.
Barton threw passes of 23 and 30 yards to Jackson and Cross and three plays later Carlos Harris punched in the score from the 1. After a failed two-point pass, Benbrook led 12-7 with eight minutes to go in the quarter.
Then the Bobcats killed six more minutes on their next scoring drive.
Barton threw passes of 10, 14 and 9 on consecutive plays – the last being a 9-yard touchdown to Cross, who went up and caught it near a defender that just broke the plane.
After the kick, Benbrook led 19-7 at the intermission.
Following a Dunbar punt to begin the third quarter, Benbrook ran 10 plays and gained 53 yards – getting as far as the Wildcats’ 27-yard line. But again, penalties hurt the offense, which had to settle for a punt.
Two straight flags and three total turned the drive into a third-and-32.
Dunbar took advantage when Garrett scored on a 64-yard touchdown run on the next play from scrimmage to help the Wildcats pull within 19-14 at the 1:41 mark of the third quarter. The Wildcats then got the ball back after forcing a punt, but two plays in a bad snap got into the end zone and Benbrook picked up a safety to extend its lead to 21-14.
Dunbar had one more chance after recovering a fumble with five minutes remaining.
The Wildcats ran 10 plays and got to the Benbrook 33 before back-to-back incompletions turned the ball over on downs – giving the Bobcats the victory formation and win.
Benbrook held the ball for more than 34 minutes compared to Dunbar’s 14 minutes.
