Bulldogs Rebound With 28-7 Road Victory Over Plowboys

The Stamford Bulldogs overcame five turnovers and eight penalties to defeat the Roscoe Plowboys Friday night at Plowboy Field to even their record at 2-2. The Plowboys fell to 0-4. The Bulldogs took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed. 

The Dogs got on the scoreboard first as QB Mason Mueller finished off a 35-yard drive that included overcoming a holding penalty and a loss of 13 due to a high snap. Before his scoring run Mueller converted a fourth-and-16 play when he connected with Slayden Young on a 19-yard pass play that moved the ball to the Roscoe 21. Mueller skirted the end for the touchdown on the next play. Alek Hernandez made the PAT kick to set up a 7-0 Bulldog lead.

The Bulldogs forced a three-and-out. The snap bounced back to Braxton Smith and Young’s rush got to the punter and the subsequent punt was about to die at the Roscoe 44, which was a negative two yards. However, Mahsyn Alvarado alertly scooped up the ball before it was whistled down and returned to the Roscoe 33. Stamford used eight plays to find the end zone again. The scoring play was a 15-yard run by Mueller on a fourth-and-four play. Hernandez again converted the PAT and the Dogs had a 14-0 lead.

Blue’s defense forced another punt, but disaster struck. Aiden Sarmiento misplayed the punt and #35 recovered at the Stamford 28 for the Plowboys, (I apologize for not naming the player, but he does not appear on any roster I can find.) Roscoe moved the ball to the Bulldog 16  before a fourth-down pass went off the hands of the intended receiver.

Stamford took over and seemed to be moving with ease with passes for 16-yards each to Hernandez, who was wearing Brayden Jimenez’s #5 jersey to represent his fallen teammate. Josh Andruch added two runs up the middle totaling 20-yards down to the 33 in Plowboy territory. Roscoe brought pressure and forced the Bulldogs into a fourth-and-12 play. Young tried to pass on a fake punt but #35 for Roscoe picked off the ball and returned it 34 yards to the Stamford 14.

The Plowboys went nowhere on the drive and the football turned over to the Bulldogs. Stamford gained 28 yards – 13 on a pass play and 15 on a penalty – to move out to the 43-yard line. Mueller found Levi Vahlenkamp for a 14-yard play, but Roscoe tacklers stripped the ball and Kyle Martin recovered for the Plowboys.

Roscoe went on a 57-yard scoring drive for their lone touchdown of the night. Braden Long ran for five and then one yards before the 2:00 time out. Senior QB Jace Arnwine found Aidan Brown open for a 16-yard gain after the time out. Martin caught a 10-yard pass three plays later and received a big hit from C’Nai Whitfield for his trouble. After Arnwine was forced to throw the ball away because of Wade Wright and others, Arnwine found Gleaton open for a 28-yard scoring play. David Villa’s extra point cut the score to 14-7 at halftime.

The Bulldogs received the second half kickoff but were unable to move the ball. Young’s punt from the end zone went straight up and bounced back to the Stamford goal line. Roscoe took over at the Bulldog 28, but four incomplete passes turned the ball back to the Bulldogs.

Stamford mounted a promising drive with runs by Mueller and Young and a one-handed grab by Hayden Strand. Rushes by Mueller and Young pushed the ball to the Roscoe 27 with  first down. Young got the call but tripped early in his run and had to use his free hand for balance which allowed a Plowboy defender to knock the ball loose.

The Plowboys took over at the Stamford 19 and went on a 13-play drive almost exclusively on the ground. Long was the workhorse, carrying nine times in a row before a pass completion of three yards. Alvarado hit Long for a short gain before a pass for Martin fell incomplete. Arnwine tried a pass on fourth down, but it dropped too low for either his receiver or the Stamford receiver to make the catch.

Stamford took over with just enough time left in the third quarter to run one play. The Dogs mixed passes and runs to move into Roscoe on a 10-yard pass to Young. Strand got free in the middle and the completion from Mueller was good for 25 yards. Young got the score two plays later on a 20-yard pass and ran down the Stamford side line. Hernandez put up his third point of the night for a 21-7 Stamford lead with 8:42 left in the game.

The Roscoe deep backs couldn’t handle the bouncing kickoff, so the Plowboys were stuck just outside their own 10-yard line. Disaster struck on the next play when Arnwine and Long didn’t mesh on the handoff and the football dropped to the ground. A Stamford defender was there to recover for the Bulldogs at the Roscoe eight-yard line.(Two interior linemen were going for the ball, and I wasn’t able to read the number of the player who made the recovery, only the lineman who didn’t.) Andruch scored on the next play and Hernandez kicked the PAT. It took just 31 seconds between Stamford scores.

Roscoe took the kickoff and moved into Stamford territory one more time but two incomplete passes at the 20 set up fourth down. Arnwine scrambled for yardage, but Stamford defenders stopped him short.

Stamford took over at their own 18 with the intention of running out the clock if not scoring again. Runs by Baylor Flow earned 14 yards and Mueller added another 15 as the clock stopped for the 2:00 time out. After the time out Flow was stopped for no gain on third down to bring on Young who punted 47 yards. A dead ball penalty against the Bulldogs moved the football out to the Roscoe 19 for one last ditch effort by the Plowboys. Fittingly for Roscoe the game ended on a run by Long.

The 28-7 victory brings Stamford’s record back to even at 2-2. Roscoe drops to 0-4. Stamford will host 3-1 Henrietta next week for Homecoming. Roscoe will travel to New Home.

Stamford  14  0  0  14 - 28   

Roscoe         0  7  0    0  - 7  

S – Mason Mueller 21 run (Alek Hernandez kick) 5:50

S –  Mueller 15 run  (Hernandez kick) 1:23

R –   Carter Gleaton 28 pass from Jace Arnwine (David Villa kick) 0:42

S – Slayden Young 20 pass from Mueller  (Hernandez kick) 8:42

S – Josh Andruch 8 run (Hernandez kick) 8:13

LC – Fleming 3 run (Fleming run) 2:58

                         Stamford  Roscoe

First Downs         19            12

Rushing Yards   36-165  25-60

Passing Yards      152        107

Total Offense       317        167

Comp-Att-Int    14-20-1  15-38-0

Punts                    2-36      4-17.25

Fumbles-Lost       4-4         1-0

Penalties-yards   8-75      10-92

Stamford: Mason Mueller 12-90, 2 TDs; Josh Andruch 5-31, TD; Slayden Young  12-25 20; Baylor Flow 5-16; Alek Hernandez 1-16; Team 1-(-13). Roscoe: Braden Long 17-64; Fernando Ramirez 1-3; Braxton Smith 3-1; Jace Arnwine 2-(-1); Carter Gleason 1-(-1); Team 1-(-6).

 Stamford: Mason Mueller 14-20-1, 152 yds, TD. LCHS: Roscoe: Jace Arnwine 15-38-0, 107 yds, TD.

Stamford: Slayden Young 6-66, TD; Hayden Strand 4-43; Mahsyn Alvarado 1-16; Levi Vahlenkamp 1-14; Alek Hernandez 2-13. Roscoe: Aiden Brown 2-37; Carter Gleaton 3-37, TD; Braden Long 3-11; Kyle Martin 1-10; Julian Herrera 1-9; Mason Alford 1-5; Jayton Boston 2-2; Braxton Smith 1-0; Fernando Ramirez 1-(-4).