Hooker had to start their season on the road on Friday, and it wasn't the start they were hoping for. They fell just short of the Sunray Bobcats by a score of 30-28. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Bulldogs came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 51st in Oklahoma, while the Bobcats are ranked 246th in Texas).
Hooker lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Kleat Martens, who threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 53 yards. Justin Palacios handled things on the ground, rushing for 92 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Hooker's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Trace Duncan. He didn't just play on offense: he also made four total tackles and defended four passes in addition to snagging two interceptions. Aydan Woolridge was another major factor on D, making 13 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Sunray to victory, but perhaps none more so than Armando Lujan, who threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and also punched in a rushing score. Dawson Bennett was Lujan's top target, picking up 137 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Hooker will be defending their home-field for the first timethey go up against Guymon at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hooker will be looking to keep their four-game home win streak dating back to last season alive. As for Sunray, they will face off against Abernathy at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
