Football Game Preview: De Leon Bearcats vs. Ballinger Bearcats

De Leon will venture away from home to take on Ballinger at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. De Leon will be strutting in after a win while Ballinger will be coming in after a loss.

De Leon is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Coleman: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Bearcats blew the Bluecats out of the water with a 58-0 final score. That 58 point margin sets a new team best for the Bearcats this season.

Heston Jobe was his usual excellent self, throwing for 240 yards and four TDs while picking up 11.4 yards per attempt, and also punching in one touchdown on the ground. He is becoming a predictor of De Leon's success: when he posts at least three passing touchdowns the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Adan Salinas, who rushed for 67 yards and a pair of scores.

De Leon didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Trenton Zmeskal and Colt Schwertner. De Leon received some extra help from Bryce Burkeen, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Ballinger's offense. They were outmatched by Hamilton and fell 61-0. The Bearcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Ballinger now has a losing record of 3-4. As for De Leon, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season.

Everything came up roses for De Leon against Ballinger when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 55-13 victory. In that contest, De Leon amassed a halftime lead of 28-7, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.