Bangs Drops Stunning Shutout on Ballinger

BALLINGER, TX — The Bangs Dragons ended an eight-game district losing streak Friday with an emphatic 48-0 shutout win on the road over Ballinger at Bearcat Stadium.

It was a matchup of 3-2 teams to kick off District 5-2A Division I play, and it looked on paper like it could be a competitive one.

But Bangs scored on its first offensive play — a 38-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Withers to Connor Bible to kickstart a 28-0 lead by halftime.

Jayden Robinson then returned the opening kickoff of the second half 90 yards for a TD to erase all doubt. 

"Their hard work and determination and preparation throughout the week, it's one of the best in the state," said Bangs second-year head coach Colton Buzzard, a former San Angelo Central assistant. "These kids love to be up at the field house. I've got to kick them out sometimes.

"I mean, we're just a family, and that's showing and it's paying off. They just trust each other and trust the coaches, and man it's just been awesome to see it come to life."

Dragons running back Cason Tidwell had 15 carries for 189 yards and four touchdowns to lead Bangs’ offense.

He credited his blockers up front for making his job easy.

"The line did so well tonight. I feel like I could have just walked through and scored," Tidwell said. "They blocked so extremely well, and I'm so grateful to have the linemen I have."

Overall, Bangs churned out 314 yards on the ground. The Dragons threw only six passes, but they were effective as Withers completed four of them for 105 yards.

For Ballinger, the Bearcats saw the return of quarterback Kyson Burleson from a torn ACL suffered last spring during track season.

It was a tough landing spot for Burleson against a much-improved Bangs team, and he wasn't able to provide the Bearcats' offense the boost they were hoping for.

He finished 7-of-15 passing for 128 yards, highlighted by a 54-yard pass he launched to Hunter Kresta.

As was the story of Ballinger's night, however, the Bearcats fumbled on the very next play to end the scoring threat.

Ballinger produced 246 yards of offense, but the Bearcats made too many costly mistakes, including a pair of fumbles.

Bangs' defense also stepped up each time it needed to, making five stops on fourth down.

Ballinger's rushing attack was led by sophomore Trey Lopez, who turned six carries into 62 yards. Senior Braden Belk had eight carries for 50 yards.

Friday's game was an important one for both teams' playoff chances, especially in a district with state powers Hamilton and De Leon. Four playoff spots are up for grabs, and two would seem to be locked up by those teams.

If Bangs can find another win over the next four weeks, the Dragons will likely be back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

"I told the guys at the beginning of the year our plan was to get in the playoffs and play on Thanksgiving," Buzzard said. "They believe that, and we believe that, and their parents believe that, and that's why we're having success. I can't be any more proud of this community and how they've came and backed us and backed everything we've been doing."

Bangs won only two games each in 2024 and 2023, but this year's season felt different, Tidwell said.

"The way Coach Buzzard just coached in the offseason like completely changed out mindset," Tidwell said. "Before, we've kind of been like, 'OK, we're Bangs, we lose, right? But he changed our mindset completely, and we know we can go win games."

For Ballinger, the Bearcats had overcome some key injuries to win three of their last four games before Friday's setback.

They'll need to regroup and earn wins over Coleman and Hico in the season's final weeks to punch their ticket.

Bangs will play at Hico next week, while Ballinger will visit Hamilton.

Bangs 48, Ballinger 0

Bangs   15   13   13   7 — 48

Ballinger   0   0   0   0 — 0

First Quarter

BAN — Connor Bible 38 pass from Hunter Withers (two-point conversion successful), 8:01 remaining

BAN — Cason Tidwell 60 run (Tidwell kick), 3:59

Second Quarter

BAN — Tidwell 23 run (kick blocked), 9:42

BAN — Tidwell 1 run (Tidwell kick), 2:43

Third Quarter

BAN — Jayden Robinson 90 kickoff return (Tidwell kick), 11:48

BAN — Tidwell 17 run (kick blocked), 1:14

Fourth Quarter

BAN — Eliseo Rivas 7 run (Tidwell kick), 8:41