‘Cats run wild, deal Falcons second loss

Abbotsford dropped its second straight game last Friday, falling at home to Edgar 40-7. The visiting Wildcats amassed nearly 400 yards of offense while holding the Falcons to under 200 and used several big plays to pull ahead in the second and third quarter.

After a tough loss at Marathon the week prior, Abbotsford hoped to get back on track at home. Edgar was also looking to avenge their only loss of the season after losing their homecoming game against Colby. With both teams looking to bounce back after starting their seasons 4-0, the scene was set for the clash between the two Marawood opponents.

It was a night of big gains for the Wildcats and the scoring started with one of the night’s longest. Edgar running back Karter Butt took advantage of some early defensive miscommunication and worked his way through Abbotsford’s defense for a 74-yard touchdown. The Falcons were able to hold on the two-point conversion attempt, but still found themselves down 6-0 early.

The home team responded on offense, pushing the ball downfield before punching it in on a one-yard run by quarterback JV Castillo. The Falcons’ effort on Edgar’s two-point conversion came into play as Irvin Aguilera nailed the extra point. This gave Abbotsford the lead, 7-6, and, unlike when they had given up early points to Marathon the week before, they had managed to bring themselves back into the game.

On six of Butt’s eight rushing attempts, the Falcons held Edgar’s top rushing weapon to just seven yards. However, on the other two attempts, Butt broke free. The second came on Edgar’s second scoring drive, where the running back scored a touchdown from 20 yards out. The Wildcats reclaimed the lead, going up 12-7 after another failed two-point attempt.

As the second quarter progressed, the situation for the home team only worsened. A 70-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 45-yard touchdown pass put Edgar up 26-7 going into the second half. Two more long Wildcat touchdown passes in the third quarter, one for 50 yards and another for 85, put the game on ice and left the Falcons on the wrong side of a lopsided scoreboard for the second week in a row.

Abbotsford managed to grind out 181 yards on the ground, but it took them 50 rushing attempts to get there and with only 15 yards passing, the offense struggled to put together full drives. Running lanes were tight for the second week in a row and the Falcons’ backs had little room to maneuver. The big run plays that had fueled their high scoring endeavors in their non- conference games were once again absent.

Castillo led Abbotsford on the ground, collecting 75 yards on 13 attempts and scoring the Falcons’ sole touchdown. Christian Fuentes added 50 yards on 18 carries and Jacob Hirsch and Emilio Escalera had an identical stat line, both recording six touches for 17 yards.

The Falcons were a combined one for eight on passing attempts. Castillo had one completion to Evan Reis for 15 yards, but failed to find his intended target on his other six throws. Irvin Aguilera also attempted a pass, but it fell incomplete.

Failing to get off the field on third and fourth down, especially in long distance situations, haunted the Falcons’ defensive efforts, much like their game against Marathon. When asked what adjustments his team would need to make on the defensive side of the ball, head coach Knapmiller cited confidence and making sure players are in the right place at the right time.

“We finally got two interceptions the last two games but also gave up big time plays on third and fourth down,” Knapmiller said. “Some of it might be ability, but a lot of it is focus and preparation.”

Fuentes led the team in tackles with seven, followed by five from Noah Schraufnagel and four by Daniel Davila. Reis picked off Edgar quarterback Teegan Streit for his first interception of the season.

Abbotsford will play its homecoming game this Friday, September 30 against Auburndale. The Eagles are technically 7-0 including the forfeit they picked up from Wild Rose and are tied for first place in the Marawood conference. They are coming off a 5022 victory over Marathon last week. The game is to start at 7:00 p.m.