The Ropes Eagles took on the Sterling City Eagles this past Friday in Snyder for their bidistrict round of football where the Ropes Eagles won 65-12.
Ropes was the first team on the board in the first quarter with a two-yard run and a made twopoint conversion to make the score 8-0, Ropes leading.
The Ropes Eagles defense stepped up to get a stop as the offense got the ball back and this time punched the ball in from oneyard out to make the score 16-0 after another made two-point conversion.
Sterling City was finally able to get on the board at the end of the first quarter with a two-yard run and failed two-point conversion to cut into the Ropes lead 16-6.
The game got rolling in the second quarter with Ropes taking over the game on all sides of the ball.
Ropes scored at the start of the second quarter with a 22-yard pass and a good kick to make the score 23-6.
They then had a 82-yard punt return go for them on special teams to extend their lead 31-6.
Then shortly afterwards the defense got in on the scoring action with a 69-yard fumble return and a pick-six to make the score 44-6, closer to the end of the half.
Sterling City finally put together a drive on the Ropes defense with them capping it off with a eight-yard pass to make the score 44-12, going into the halftime break.
Coming out of the halftime break Ropes held Sterling City scoreless in the rest of the game while having another three touchdowns of their own go for them, two in the third quarter and their final touchdown in the fourth.
The two touchdowns in the third quarter were from a 19-yard pass and a 19-yard run with both made PAT’s.
Ropes’ final touchdown of the game was from a three-yard run to give them their first playoff win of the season 65-12, moving onto the Area round of the playoffs.
Kade Franklin led the Ropes Eagles with 166 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions on the night.
Ryland Kieth led Ropes in rushing with 11 carries for 114 yards and one touchdown. Mason Marmolejo had another seven carries for 33 yards and a touchdown, Kaden Riker had five carries for 18 yards, Zayden Pittman had two carries for 17 yards and Kade Franklin had three carries for eight yards and two touchdowns.
Leading the Ropes Eagles in receiving was Reese Williams with three catches and 82 yards. Marmolejo had two catches for 44 yards and one fumble, Trak Crow had one catch for 21 yards and one touchdown and Kolter Dockery had one catch for 19 yards and one touchdown.
The Ropes offense was rolling as they had 356 yards of total offense with 166 passing yards and 190 on the ground.
The team only had one turnover with it being a fumble while their defense forced five turnovers, three interceptions and two fumbles in their contest.
The leading tackler for the Eagles was Victor Saenz with 20 total tackles and one forced fumble. Kanon Buckner had 15 with one fumble recovery, Riker had 14 tackles with five pressures, Crow had 12 tackles with one PBU (pass break up), Reid McCaleb had 11 tackles, Elijah Flores and Brady Bryan both had 10 tackles, Pittman, Dockery and Fowler all had eight tackles a piece, Branson Simental had seven tackles, Mike Sanchez had six tackles, Tyler Harbuck and Reese Williams both had four tackles a piece and Kieth, Gabe Sanchez, Maddux Sierra and Mike Williams all had two tackles each.
Simental, Pittman and Armando Melton all had an interception in the team’s game, along with Bryan and Buckner having a fumble recovery in the Ropes Eagles big win.
The Eagles move up to 10-1 on the season as they get ready to take on the Farwell Steers this Friday for the team’s Area round of playoffs in Sundown at 7 p.m. as the visitors.