The Jr. High Dublin Lion teams rang the victory bell again after beating the Merkel Badgers in away games Thursday, Oct. 6
7th Grade
The Dublin 7th Grade Lions moved to 1-0 in district after shutting out Badgers on the Merkel field 30-0 on Thursday. (They are 4-1 for the season.)
The Lions were at 16-0 at half time, but got a slow start according to coach Shawn Bradford.
The Lions rushed back in the second half, scoring on several possessions in the second half, thanks to Kyler Gaitan, Joe Salinas, Jacob Marrett.
“This was one of the best games that our 7th grade team has played,” said Bradford. “We still made some mistakes but the improvement is immense.”
“The defense played lights out and did not give up a score,” added Bradford. “They were flying around all night and our linebackers played especially well.”
“The offense played really well,” said coach Tyler Sattler. “We were able to move and pass the ball on the badgers. Our offensive line had an outstanding game.”
Offensive standouts include Kyler Gaitan, Joe Salinas, Jitse DeBoer, and Westin Rollins. Defensive standouts include Joe Salinas, Jacob Marrett, Kyler Gaitan, and Bryan Ortiz. The Lions will play at home this week taking on the bulldogs from Millsap.
8th Grade
The Dublin 8th grade Lions defeated the Badgers 36-0.
The team is now 1-0 in district play and has an overall record of 2-2-1.
“The Lions played outstanding with scores from several Lions,” Bradford said. Jayden Deleon, Ruben Bustillos, and Nate Melendres all scored.
The Lions had control of the game from start to finish, overcoming several holding penalties.
“They performed well and executed when we needed the first down,” said Bradford. “Defensively, the Lions were dominant.”
Lions defense kept the home team from crossing the 50-yard line for the majority of the game.
“The offense... had to overcome some adversity in the beginning of the game, but they handled the pressure well,” said Sattler. “We were firing on all cylinders.”
“We had some big stops tonight and we were flying around,” said Bradford. “We had several tackles for loss. Offensive standouts include Ruben Bustillos, Nate Melendres, and Jayden Deleon. Defensive standouts include Xavier Lopez, Riley Kemp, and Juan Elicerio.”
The Lions will play Millsap at home on Thursday.