Ballinger Beats Colorado City to Stay Perfect in District

COLORADO CITY, TX — The Ballinger Bearcats have had a knack for second-half comebacks this season, and they did it again Friday against Colorado City.

Trailing 14-13 at halftime, Ballinger posted a shutout over the final two quarters to rally for a 34-14 win.

Ballinger improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in district to remain tied atop the standings with Sonora. Colorado City fell to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in district.

Ballinger wasn't even picked to make the playoffs by Texas Football before the season began, but the Bearcats have been proving that wrong in a big way. They're now very much in the conversation for a district title. 

"It's been awesome," Ballinger head coach Bryan Gayoso said of the start to the season. "I brag on this group of seniors all the time, but they deserve it. That group of 15 seniors has just been waiting for this year to prove what kind of football team that we can have, and they're just out to prove themselves every single week."

Ballinger was coming off a last-minute win last week over then-undefeated Forsan, and this week felt like a classic trap game on the road over a much-improved Colorado City team.

Sure enough, Colorado City scored late in the first half — then converted its two-point try — to take a 14-13 lead into the break.

But Ballinger’s defense was outstanding in the second half, coming up with a critical stop after Colorado City reached the Bearcats’ 11-yard line on the opening drive of the third quarter.

Ballinger then drove 89 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, and the Wolves' offense never seriously threatened again.

Ballinger put the game away with two fourth-quarter TDs.

"We knew we were going to get Colorado City's best shot. They've got a good football team, and we knew we'd get their best game," Gayoso said. "We were slow getting going in the first half, and we had to regroup at halftime and concentrate on doing what we do and clean up some little mistakes."

Interestingly, Ballinger scored all five of its touchdowns on the ground, which you wouldn't expect from a team known for its passing attack.

Quarterback Wyatt Clemens had the first two TD runs, while Malachi Bentley had the next two, and Brody Wilde ran in the last one.

The only downside from the game was Clemens was ejected in the final minutes after getting into a verbal altercation with a Colorado City defender. It was Clemens' second unsportsmanlike penalty as the game became chippy down the stretch. A Colorado City player was also ejected.

Because of Clemens' ejection, he will have to sit out the first half of next week's game.

Ballinger will host Christoval next week, while Colorado City will visit Forsan.

Colorado City had perhaps the play of the game Friday when Davin Lara hauled in a pass with one hand and took it 58 yards for the Wolves' first TD of the night.

Colorado City's Brandon Lee then had a 9-yard TD grab on a fourth and goal to put the Wolves on top 14-13 with 3:53 left in the second quarter.

But Ballinger's defensive pressure began getting home in the second half, resulting in several sacks of quarterback Ace Mejia.

Meanwhile, Ballinger's rushing attack found a lot of success, highlighted by a 58-yard run by Bentley that set up his 11-yard TD run on a fourth-and-1 with 5:29 left in the third quarter.

Bentley finished with 12 carries for 121 yards.

Clemens was 22-of-36 passing for 207 yards, and he added nine carries for 42 yards.

 Hunter Kresta had six catches for 93 yards. Wilde had eight catches for 62 yards.

Ballinger 34, Colorado City 14

Ballinger   6   7   7   14 — 34

Colorado City   6   8   0   0 — 14

First Quarter

B - Wyatt Clemens 3 run (kick failed), 5:08 remaining 

C - Davin Lara 58 pass from Ace Mejia (kick blocked), 3:33

Second Quarter

B - Clemens 7 run (Brody Wilde kick), 6:39

C - Brandon Lee 9 pass from Mejia (Mejia run), 3:53

Third Quarter

B - Malachi Bentley 11 run (Wilde kick), 5:29

Fourth Quarter

B - Bentley 5 run (Wilde kick), 7:25

B - Wilde 7 run (Wilde kick), 2:04