The Columbia Roughnecks enjoyed a season-high in points and rushing yards in a game in Friday’s 43-28 win over Yoakum at Griggs Field in West Columbia.
Friday’s performance bested the Roughnecks’ efforts in their loss to Bay City the week before. Against Yoakum, Columbia racked up 453 yards on 54 carries.
Friday’s win marked the program’s 496th. If the team wins its next three games, the Roughnecks will have an opportunity to earn win No. 500 against rival Sweeny on Oct. 18 at Bulldog Stadium.
The Roughnecks trailed, 14-6, at the end of the first quarter, but the team tied the game with a Grant Thrasher touchdown run and Dassi Abdullah converting the two-point conversion with 7:00 left in the second quarter. Yoakum regained the lead, but quarterback Cade Thoe’s sneak in the final 26 seconds of the first half and two-point conversion gave the team a 22-21 halftime lead.
The Roughnecks rode the momentum into the second half when the team outscored Yoakum 21-7 in the final 24 minutes.
Thrasher’s third touchdown of the night and the team’s third two-point conversion extended Columbia’s lead to 30-21 with 6:12 to play in the third. After the Bulldogs pulled within two, Abdullah’s score extended the Roughnecks’ lead to 37-28 to end the third, and the junior back’s second touchdown of the game made it a 43-28 game with 2:54 to play.
Thrasher led the charge with 168 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Abdullah ran 19 times for 150 yards and two scores. Korbyn Faulkner rushed for 105 yards on five carries, and Thoe rushed for a touchdown. Thoe was 3-of-4 passing for 87 yards.
Thrasher and Hunter Burch each tallied eight tackles. Burch and Ian Stewart each recorded a sack, and Thrasher had a forced fumble. Braden Gilliam added seven tackles, a pass defensed and two forced fumbles, and Kriztopher Alvarez added six stops.
The Roughnecks (2-2) will host Wharton on Friday on homecoming night at Griggs Field.
Pioneers rout Lee in district opener: Iowa Colony raced out to a 21-0 first quarter lead and never looked back in the Pioneers’ 63-14 win Friday in the team’s inaugural District 9-5A, Division 2 game against Baytown Lee.
Iowa Colony led 21-0 in the first quarter courtesy of quarterback Carson White’s 5-yard touchdown run, a 34-yard connection between White and Antoine Martin Jr. and a White-to-Martin touchdown pass from 10 yards out.
Lee closed the deficit to 21-14 in the second quarter before White threw his third touchdown pass, this one to Jayden Warren, to extend the lead to 28-14 at the half. Iowa Colony outscored Lee 35-0 in the second half to pull away. The Pioneers have outscored opponents by an 81-0 margin in the second half of games this season.
The team tallied 509 yards of offense. White was 17-of-21 passing for 247 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Aaron Tenner led the Pioneers’ run attack with 86 yards on nine carries. White, Jayden Felder, Denim Barnes and Mikah Woods each reached the end zone. Woods rushed for 51 yards on four carries.
Martin caught three passes for 55 yards and two scores, while Jacody Miles had four receptions for 55 yards and Warren had three catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
Haydon Caston finished with a team-high 12 tackles, 11 solo, one tackle for a loss and an interception. Jarvis Solomon and Darren Brown each had two passes defensed. Chandler Love rounded out the secondary with nine stops.
Iowa Colony turns its attention to state-ranked and District 9 favorite Randall. The No. 10-ranked Lions (4-0) will meet the Pioneers at 7 p.m. Friday at Freedom Field.
Danbury drops 1st game: The Danbury Panthers had their first blemish on their impressive 2024 season Friday when they lost 27-7 to St. John XXIII.
The Panthers (3-1) mustered 164 yards of offense, including 52 through the air. St. John finished with 211 yards.
Quarterback Jase Reioux was 9-of-21 passing for 52 yards and three interceptions. Chris Warren was the team’s leading receiver with 84 yards on 20 carries. Reioux scored the team’s lone touchdown on the ground. He has 28 yards on nine carries.
Danbury travels Thursday to Bloomington (1-3). Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
Jake Dowling is the sports editor for The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0161.
