Six different Bearcats reached the Bearcat Stadium end zones Friday night and a total of eight players figured into the scoring in a 46-14 win over Hackett to open Conference 3A-1 play.
It was quarterback Jace Washburn getting it started with a 40-yard scoring run less than two minutes into the game for a 6-0 lead.
Just 1:12 later Rhett Nietert was in the end zone with a defensive score, picking up a fumble and rumbling 48 yards for a touchdown. A two-point try failed keeping it a 12-0 lead with 9:01 to play in the first quarter.
Hackett (2-2, 0-1) crossed midfield on the ensuing possession but were quickly back on their side of the field after a Dylan Todd sack and eventually punted.
Starting from their own 21 on their second offensive possession, the Bearcats (2-2, 1-0) scored in just four plays. Dax Goff got his first carry of the night to start the drive and gained 10 yards.
After a holding penalty on a one-yard gain by Washburn, Goff got 13 more, then finished the drive with the remaining 50. Oliver Loaeza added the point after for a 19-0 lead.
Goff would carry just three more times in the game and finished with 103 yards to lead an offense that ran for 426 yards and totaled 457 a year after torching the Hackett defense for 616 yards and 75 points.
Before the lengthy first quarter ended – there were 13 accepted penalties and one set of offsetting infractions – the Bearcats had the ball back.
But the second quarter began with a second-and-26 after a loss on a fumble, but recovery.
Ray got seven yards and Conner Lentz was given his first carry on third down and took it 52 yards for a touchdown and a 25-0 lead.
That marks the fourth straight game the sophomore has scored.
When Matt O’Bar and Seth Wilson made a stop for no gain on a fourth-and-two and the Bearcats had the ball back at their 45 with 8:47 remaining in the first half.
The Bearcats then took to the air with Washburn hitting Nietert twice in three plays for 19 yards.
Sandwiched between the completions was a run by Ray, who later capped the drive with a 15-yard run to become the fifth player to reach the end zone. It was 32-0 with a Juan Moreno extra point.
Ray (shown) ran a team high 12 times and gained 82 yards, all by halftime.
Farris Danes forced a fumble on the kickoff but Hackett retained possession long enough for three plays and punted again.
The Bearcats would strike again before halftime. A 63-yard drive started with Washburn hitting Dakota Mattson for 12 then running for 19.
Goff finished the drive with the final 10 yards for his second touchdown to make it 39-0 after Moreno kicked his second extra point.
The Bearcats forced another punt to start the second half then, with Nietert under center and Garrick Barr, Colter Fisher, and Clayton Loftin running the ball, were at the Hackett 12 going to the final quarter.
It was fourth down when the quarter started and the Bearcats had Moreno attempt a 29-yard field goal but it was wide left.
Hackett would then rack up 155 yards in the final quarter scoring on passes of 29 and 56 yards, which accounted for more than half of the passing yardage surrendered on the night.
The longer of the plays came with 1:03 left in the game.
The Bearcat possession between the two scoring tosses saw Nietert and the Bearcats drive 76 yards in just five plays with Chase Shelton scoring his first high school touchdown on a run of 45 yards. Loaeza got his second PAT to make it 46-7.
The Bearcats will be on the road this Friday at West Fork. The Tigers are 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in conference play after Friday’s 38-8 loss at Mansfield.
Goff ran for a school record 307 yards against the Tigers in 2022.
SIX BEARCATS SCORE TOUCHDOWNS IN CONFERENCE OPENER
