Newcastle picks up consecutive shutout win

The Newcastle Bobcats have done it again. After suffering their first and only loss of the season a couple weeks ago, they’ve now won two games in a row, this one a 48-0 shutout of the Aspermont Hornets.

Through six games this season, the Bobcats have shutout the opposing team three times. The most points they’ve given up in a game excluding the loss is 18, and in that game the offense scored 72. Newcastle is winning on both sides of the ball and crushing opponents in the process. The Friday, Sept. 29 win over the Hornets was no different.

Most of Newcastle’s games this season have ended by halftime, as the Bobcats’ offense typically meets the 45-points lead requirement for ending the game in the first couple quarters. While this game lasted a tad longer, it still ended in the third quarter thanks to the team’s strong offensive performance.

Senior Ty Strawbridge got the scoring started on the defensive side of the ball when he scooped up an Aspermont fumble and returned it 17 yards to put his team up early. Newcastle’s seniors played a big role in the offensive outburst in this game as they scored five of the team’s seven touchdowns.

Strawbridge scored again not long after that on offense this time, as he carried a 48-yard run to the end zone for his team’s second score of the game. Fellow senior Isaac King got in on the offensive fun after that with an enormous 70-yard rushing touchdown and after the first quarter of play, Newcastle led 24-0.

Running 70 yards for a touchdown is already a long way to go, but King one-upped himself early in the second quarter when he scored on a 78-yard touchdown, nearly the entire length of the field. King later extended his consecutive touchdown streak by hauling in a pass from another senior, Julian Jimenez, and taking it 15 yards into the end zone for a score. At halftime, the Bobcats led 36-0 and looked dominant all around.

In the third quarter, the seniors gave way to a talented sophomore, London Martinez, who scored the team's final two touchdowns on runs of 19 yards and 21 yards to end the game at 48-0.

Strawbridge and King not only led the way on offense in this contest, they also played as stalwarts on defense. Each player recorded 11 tackles in the game, both tied for the team lead. Yet another senior, Jaren Beaver, had six tackles while Rylan Hinojosa and Gaidan Turner made four tackles each.

It was another complete game for Newcastle as the team moved to 5-1 on the season with one game remaining before district play. The Bobcats remain at home Friday, Oct. 6 to take on Victory Christian Academy.