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Classic Battle of #1s

Victoria Advocate

photo: 2016 matchup, Victoria Advocate

Dewitt County Rivalry: Best Game in the State?

Looking for a titanic matchup for week two?  Look no further than Yoakum at Cuero. The Dewitt County Rivalry has been going on between these two squads for over a century!

The Yoakum Bulldogs check in at #1 in Lone Star Gridiron’s 3A Division I rankings while the Cuero Gobblers claim the #1 state ranking in 4A Division II.

This will be a rematch of one of the better games we attended last season where Cuero won a defensive slug fest 14-7, and will likely be one of the best games we see live this season.  Another intriguing aspect is Terry Bennett and I all but picked both Yoakum and Cuero, on our Sideline to Sideline Pre-season Finale Prediction Show, to make it Arlington for the State Title Game in their respective divisions.

The Bulldogs are coming off a season opening win over Hondo 33-0. The defense once again flexed their muscle in limiting the Owls to five first downs and a mere 107 yards of total offense. Henry Enoch ran for 72 yards and two touchdowns behind a solid offensive line while receiver Jordan Moore hauled in four catches for 101 yards while scoring two touchdowns, one on a kick return and the other on a fumble recovery. Cuero’s opener with KIPP Generations was canceled because of the Harvey disaster so the Gobblers could possibly have some rust to remove in the early stages of the game.

Yoakum QB Hagen Garvin, who transferred from Ballinger, threw for 107 yards against Hondo last week but QB Holden Lauer, who earned 2nd Team All-District honors in 2016, could have his hand in leading the offense as well.

Whoever Coach Bo Robinson chooses to go with under center will have two dynamic receivers in Josh and Jordan Moore, who are big time threats from anywhere on the field. Cuero will look to counter the Moore threat with defensive backs Keiran Grant (5’11, 175), Cole Toller, and Jordan Whittington (6’1, 185).  

Yoakum running back Henry Enoch is about as good as any back in South Texas and will run behind arguably one of the state’s best offensive lines led by guard Joey Dominguez (5’11. 290) and tackles Conner Brandt (5’11, 245) and Silas Robinson (6’5, 300).  The Cuero defensive front will have their hands full but look for defensive tackle Bradley Perez and linebackers Claveon Patton and John Rodriguez (5’9, 200) to make things difficult for the Yoakum running game.

Offensively, the Gobblers will look to QB Drew Riemenschneider to lead the explosive Gobbler offense after passing for over 1500 yards in 2016. Among the biggest concerns for Yoakum defensively will be containing Cuero receiver Jordan Whittington, who had almost 800 yards receiving 400 yards rushing last season. The Bulldog defense can expect a heavy dose of Gobbler running back Keiran Grant (5’11, 175) who is one of the quicker running backs in South Texas.

Everything that gets a football fans juices flowing, speed, quickness, athleticism, and strength in the trenches, will be on display in Cuero, Texas Friday night. This game will likely come down to who is able to limit mistakes, and the great equalizer which is DEPTH.   Look forward to seeing everyone at Gobbler Stadium Friday!  Gentleman, please shake hands and come out fighting...

by Grant Goodwin
grantandterry@lonestargridiron.com

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