Yoemen struggle in battle with Tigers
The Yoemen left the Bell in Rockdale on Friday night, Oct. 2, following the 66th edition of The Battle of the Bell. Rockdale won the game 42-9.
The Yoemen went into the game seeking their third straight win in the series, but struggled against the Tigers for three quarters Friday.
The defense couldn’t stop the Tiger’s running back Cam’Ron Valdez, who torched the Yoe defense for over 130 yards rushing.
The first quarter of play ended tied at six, but the Yoemen just couldn’t catch the Tigers offense the rest of the game.
Valdez got the first score of the game when he took the ball 39 yards to the end zone after Yoe quarterback Zane Zeinert threw an interception to end the Yoemen’s first drive and the Tigers took over at the 10. The point after kick failed to put the Tigers up 6-0.
The Yoemen answered with a score of their own after Pharrell Hemphill took it into the end zone on a 7-yard run with 6:03 left in the first quarter. The point after kick failed and the score was tied at 6.
Rockdale would score two more touchdowns in the second quarter. Valdez took it in on a 30-yard run and wide receiver Kesean Raven caught an 8-yard pass in the end zone from quarterback Kobe Mitchell.
Yoe’s Jesse Martinez would add a field goal late in the second for a score of 20-9 going into halftime.
The Yoemen came out to receive the ball and take it all the way back to the 33 yard line only to fumble and give the Tigers the field position to add another touchdown. The Tigers would get the two-point conversion to make the score 28-9.
The offense stalled in the second half recording only four first downs.
The Tigers would add two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to end the game 42-9.
The Battle of the Bell series still remains solidly in Yoe favor with a 44-22 advantage.
The Yoemen will try to regroup against a resurgent Academy team at Yoe Field this Friday night. Game begins at 7:30 p.m.
STATS
Yoe: First downs – 9; Rushes/yards – 20 for 58; Passing yards – 55; Passes – 8-23-3; Punts – 5 for 37.6; Fumbles/Fumbles lost – 2-1; Penalties – 5 for 35
Rockdale: First downs – 19; Rushes/yards – 5 for 232; Passing yards – 116; Passes – 9-14-0; Punts – 3 for 42; Fumbles/Fumbles lost – 2-1; Penalties – 8 for 75
Yoe: Rushing: Zane Zeinert 6 for 20, Phabian Bynaum 6 for 2, Keshon Johnson 3 for 16, Pharrell Hemphill 4 for 15, Zakorian Spikes 1 for 5; Passing: Zeinert 8 of 24 for 51 with 3 interceptions; Receiving: Spikes 2 for 6, Jaidyn Sanchez 3 for 35, Hemphill 1 for -5, Randy Flores 1 for 4, Kason Goolsby 1 for 15
Rockdale: Rushing: Kobe Mitchell 15 for 42, Cam’Ron Valdez 28 for 128, Kesean Raven 7 for 38, Davion Scott 5 for 24; Passing: Mitchell 9 of 14 for 116 yards; Receiving: Raven 4 for 40, Anthony Dansby 3 for 44, Valdez 2 for 32