No. 1 Mason Sets Up Playoff Rematch With Dominant Win Over Brazos

CONVERSE, TX-- The Mason Punchers looked like the no.1-ranked team in the state in a 52-14 win over Wallis Brazos at Judson ISD’s D.W. Rutledge Stadium Friday night despite allowing their second  highest point total this season.

Mason’s defense evacuated the air out of Brazos’ high-flying offense by holding them to 91 yards of total offense in the first half and 227 yards overall. The no-holds-barred defense also had an interception to their credit. Yet, they lamented allowing 14 points in a game.

Watch head coach Kade Burns:
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"We're kinda, like, stingy about that," senior quarterback and safety Otto Wofford said. "They came out in some stuff that we did not practice and they hit us on some big plays with it. We had some missed tackles here and there. But for the most part, we played pretty good. We know we wanna keep that number down."

The Punchers offense was as explosive as you’d expect from a team averaging more than 40 points per game this season. They posted 440 yards of total offense with junior fullback Klay Klaerner leading the charge.

The 190-pound back posted 150 yards rushing with two touchdowns. His good friend Wofford had 86 yards rushing, 50 yards passing and three total touchdowns. Backup QB Whitt Bierschwale had a pair of touchdown runs. One came in the first half and the second came with the game at hand in the fourth quarter.

Watch Mason Puncher Otto Wofford:
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That depth has been cultivated through the Punchers' dominance with the backups like Bierschwale getting fairly meaningful reps on the field.

"They get their reps in practice, they get in the second half of games here in the last six or seven weeks," head coach Kade Burns said. "It's about a confidence thing. They get in there and do their job because they know they've gotta be ready to play at any moment. And I think they did that tonight."

Watch Mason Puncher Fullback Klay Klaerner"
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Mason held a commanding 33-8 lead at the half before going three-and-out to start the third quarter. Brazos answered with a 27-yard run by Jaeden Ward, his second touchdown of the game, to make it 33-14.

Behind rushing touchdowns from Wofford, Bierschwale and Chandler Buntyn and a shutout down the stretch, Mason put the game away.

Mason (13-0) will face no. 9 Refugio in the regional final next week. Refugio prevailed over the Punchers in the 2017 Region IV final and knocked off Shiner Friday night to set up the rematch Friday, Dec. 7 at 3:30 p.m. in the Alamodome in San Antonio.

After the game, the Punchers didn't know with certainty who they'd play. For Klaerner, that didn't matter.

"Oh, we're ready," he stated simply.