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It was a night of clicking on all cylinders for the Bastrop football team Friday, Sept. 19.
The Bears rolled to a 60-11 win over the Crockett Cougars, improving to 4-0 for the first time since 2009 and 1-0 in District 12-5A-Division II play. That season, Bastrop finished 9-2 and captured a district championship.
Senior utility player Gary Jefferson powered the Bears’ offense with 74 rushing yards and three touchdowns on all three of his carries. Bastrop wasted no time setting the tone, as senior linebacker Tiki Hola returned a fumble for a touchdown to open the scoring at 7-0.
Jefferson added a 2-yard rushing score on the next possession, capping a long drive to make it 14-0.
The Bears’ defense kept the pressure on, forcing a second fumble that was recovered by Bastrop. The Bears capitalized again when junior utility player Isaiah Arnold punched in a 3-yard rushing touchdown, and junior wide receiver Zac Wilkinson converted the two-point try for a 22-0 lead.
Crockett managed a field goal midway through the second quarter after a defensive stop, but Bastrop quickly answered. Junior wide receiver Dallas Crescenzo broke free for a 21-yard rushing touchdown to give the Bears a 29-3 halftime advantage.
Bastrop continued to dominate after the break, outscoring the Cougars, 31-8, in the second half. Junior quarterback Weston Nielsen delivered a flawless performance, completing all seven of his passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Nielsen came into this game coming off his best performance of the season throwing for over 400 passing yards, and nine total touchdowns, being named the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week for class 5A high school football.
Crescenzo and Wilkinson each caught a scoring pass, with Crescenzo leading the team with 53 receiving yards. Senior running back Bryce Cosgrove added to the offensive outburst with a rushing touchdown, finishing with four carries for 19 yards.
Through four games, the Bears are averaging just less than 60 points per contest, showcasing one of the most explosive offenses in Central Texas. Bastrop will face a tougher challenge next week when it travels to Austin’s House Park Stadium to play McCallum on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m.
