Wildcats hope to dictate plays against Karnes City

Wildcats hope to dictate plays against Karnes City Deirdre Alexander Wed, 08/28/2024 - 21:31 Image

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  The line consisting of Colton Rogers, Xavier Naranjo, Trent Foerster, and Manuel Macias moves toward the line of scrimmage, (missing is sophomore Gunnar Hughes). PHOTOS BY DEIRDRE ALEXANDER

  The line consisting of Colton Rogers, Xavier Naranjo, Trent Foerster, and Manuel Macias moves toward the line of scrimmage, (missing is sophomore Gunnar Hughes). PHOTOS BY DEIRDRE ALEXANDER

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The Yorktown football team will travel to play their season opener against Karnes City on Friday, Aug. 30 with kickoff set at 7:00 pm.

Seven offensive and six defensive starters from the team that finished 1-9 overall and 1-5 in district play return for the Badgers this season.The Badgers are slated to finish eighth in District 153A Division II, which includes Poth, Cotulla, Dilley, San Antonio YMLA, Stockdale, Natalia, and Nixon-Smiley, according to Dave Cambell's Texas Football magazine.

Key players for the Karnes City squad include WR/DB Coby Lamza and OL/DL Jathan Alvear. Both seniors will be two way starters. Running back Israel Soto and quarterback Colten Perez are other important players. As sophomores, both juniors were able to gain valuable experience on the field.

The Badgers haven’t produced a winning season in almost a decade and the Wildcats have zero intentions of allowing them the opportunity to put a tally in the win col-umn on Friday. Yorktown’s defense will be spearheaded by senior defensive end Richard Flores, the team’s sack leader. The Badgers will also have to contend with Cameron Willis who topped the leaderboard in tackles. Transfer senior Rylan Rau will also cause havoc for Karnes City.

The Wildcats will be debuting a hurry-up style offense that is fast paced, using a flurry of plays to push the defense into their own corner and prevent them from counterattacking. Running the hurry-up is about more than simply dictating tempo, it’s about dictating matchups. On the offensive side, Calvin Duprie, a recent addition to the team, will be used as a running back while Brody Metting will try locating wide receiver Matthew Olguin. Rau will be utilized at tight end. Yorktown’s strength will be a more athletic and agile offensive line than previously. The line consists of left tackle Gunnar Hughes, left guard Xavier Naranjo, center Colton Rogers, right guard Trent Foerster, and right tackle Manuel Macias.

Historically, the clash between the Wildcats and Badgers has only taken place twice. The series is tied at one, with Yorktown winning 33–20 in 1939 and Karnes City narrowly winning 36–33 in their latest matchup in 2007. Although the Badgers and Wildcats haven't faced off frequently or even recently, this new contest is sure to not disappoint.