PREVIEW: Ozona and Sonora Go to War in District Opener

OZONA- The Sonora Broncos and the Ozona Lions are matched up for their first district game this Friday in Ozona.

The Broncos are coming off a beatdown of the Harper Longhorns a couple weeks ago where their quarterback played nearly a perfect game going 9/10 for 165 yards and two touchdowns. The running game went wild for 334 yards and three scores. The Lions are coming off a big win against the Miles Bulldogs where their quarterback did play a perfect game where he went 11/11 for 250 yards and three scores and the running game put up two touchdowns.

Sonora (4-1) vs Ozona (2-3)

Sonora and Ozona fans couldn’t have gotten a better matchup to start district play. The Sonora Bronco have been playing very good football and currently have a three-game win streak. Quarterback Jaime Buitron has gone 39-63 for 735 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions. Buitron has some wheels as well and has run for 663 yards and eight scores. Running back Hunter O’Banon has gone for 89 carries for 691 yards and five touchdowns. Edgar DeLuna hasn’t always gotten recognition but has 14 touches for 361 yards and three scores. He led the team in tackles last year and is doing so this year with 73 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss.

Speaking of the Bronco defense, this group has nine intercepions and senior Darian Reyes has three of those. The team has 21 passes defended, five caused fumbles and three fumble recoveries. They haven’t gotten to the quarterback but opposing signal callers have felt pressure as Sonora has 25 quarterback hurries on the season. Ozona quarterback Hudson Fowler is one guy you’ll have to make uncomfortable, or he’ll shred the defense.

In the Miles game, Fowler was perfect throwing 11 for 11 for 250 yards and three touchdowns against a good Bulldog team. The running game has produced for the Lions as the team has 973 yards and nine touchdowns. Logan Fay, Dusty Smith, Logan Thompson, Rigo Treto, and Matthew Daniels have 962 yards between them. Max Everett, Smith, and Daniels have done the most damage outside and have 234, 141, and 303 yards respectively. Those three also put up all 11 touchdowns through the air this year

On the other side of the ball, Ozona’s Daniels has 42 total tackles including five for a loss and Treto follows his numbers with 27 total tackles, 21 of those being solo tackles. The Lions only have two sacks but have four interceptions and five fumble recoveries.
Both Sonora and Ozona have played a pretty good pre-district schedule with the Broncos taking on Coahoma and Eldorado. Ozona has played Wink, Mason, and Miles. The Broncos held teams to under 12 points a game and have scored an average of 34 each week. Ozona has given up more points, playing Mason and Wink will do that, with an average of just over 32 per game and have scored an average of 31 points a game.

Other district matchups this week:

Anthony (4-1) vs Christoval (2-3)

Anthony will make the trek to Jack Pardee Stadium to take on the Christoval Cougars. The Wildcats are 4-1 behind excellent quarterback play out of Angel Solis. The Cougars dropped two games to Mason and Brady and will be hungry for a win. Running back Ketcher Joiner has 603 yards and four touchdowns, Offensive weapon Cayden Carpenter has 359 yards rushing and receiving and three scores.

Reagan County (3-2) vs Forsan (4-1)

The Forsan Buffaloes have a herd of running backs that have produced nearly 2,000 yards on the season. The workhorse, Kevin Kilgora, has 589 yards and six scores. Forsan doesn't put the ball in the air much but when you move the ball to the tune of 239 yards a game on the ground, why change? They've controlled games so well they only give up about 12 points a game. The Owls have a balanced attack and are only giving up about 16 points a game. Sophomore quarterback Jarrett Brown has put up 419 yards but has over 200 yards rushing. AJ Avalos has 229 yards and two scores.

All of that being said, Ozona seems to have found their stride at the right moment and are sure to give Sonora a hard time when the Broncos travel about a half hour west and take on the Lions. Watch COVER1 for score updates, interviews, and highlights at around 4:00, 8:00, and 10:00 p.m. only on San Angelo LIVE!