Kids Fall to Defending State Champs

Turnovers on 3 of their first 4 possessions put the Goat Island in an early 21-0 hole on Friday night against the Nashville Bearcats. The Kid miscues allowed the defending state champion Bearcats to jump out to an early lead, and Goat Island never challenged them afterward.

Sophomore Running Back Vic Juarez (20 rushes for 70 yards and a touchdown) fumbled on the games second play to setup the Bearcats first touchdown. The pattern repeated itself on the next possession as Quarterback Josh Farmer’s pass was intercepted on second down. It only took the Bearcats 5 plays to score again, making the score 14-0.

The two teams traded punts before Farmer threw another interception. This one gave the Bearcats the ball at the Kid 48 yard line. Nashville ran 8 straight running plays before scoring to extend their lead to 21-0. Farmer led the Kid offense to a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter, but the damage had already been done as the Bearcats took a 35-14 lead to the locker room.

“Those guys are defending state champs for a reason, and they showed it tonight. Said coach Andy Rice after the game. "I think it’s been 7 years or something like that since they’ve lost a regular season game. You can’t turn the ballover against a team like that, but that’s exactly what we did.”

The Kid offense added another score in the third quarter on a 9 yard pass from Farmer to Tight End Paul Luther, but Nashville scored three more touchdowns in the quarter to build a 56-20 lead after the third period.

“The defense needs plenty of work. We really showed our youth on that side of the ball tonight” added Rice.

Farmer lead the kids with 178 yards passing and two touchdowns to go along with the pair of interceptions. He also added 36 rushing yards on 8 carries, while Luther caught 4 passes for 46 yards. Goat Island finished the game with 290 yards of total offense while Nashville rolled up 436 yards, including 390 on the ground. The loss dropped the Kids to 1-1 for the season. Goat Island will continue their longest road trip of the season on Friday night when they travel to Kiowa Bay to begin Coastal Bend League play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00PM, and the game will be aired on 108.1 across Goat Island.

GITX Football - 2010 Season Preview

Last Year

The 2009 edition of Kid Football picked up where the 2008 team left off, with another 5-5 record. It was the 7th time in 8 years that Andy Rice’s team finished with a 5-5 record. Rice enters the season with a 33-31 record in conference games and a 41-39 record overall. His tenure at Goat Island has been similar to that of his predecessors - lots of wins at home, and almost none on the road. The Kids have only lost 3 home games under Rice, but have only won 4 away from Rogers Stadium.

Outlook

Coach’s in the Coastal Bend League expect Goat Island to repeat their 2009 performance, picking them to finish in 5th place with a 4-4 conference record. Depth should be less of a concern this season, with the roster standing at 31 players, 7 more than last year. The depth will held the Kids, but a young defense will have a hard time backing up a talented offense.

Who To Watch

The Kid offense is expected to be more explosive than years past. The starting Quarterback will be Josh Farmer, who appeared in 6 games last year as a sophomore, throwing for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns. He will be joined in the backfield by sophomore running back Vic Juarez, who rushed for 1300 yards and 19 touchdowns last year for the Jr. High team. The offensive line will be anchored by Senior guard Gary Steelman, who earned all conference honors in 2009.

Defensively the Kids will be lead by Senior free safety John Treat, who finished with 4 interceptions and 63 tackles last year. Fellow senior Ty Owens (5 sacks, 20 QB hurries) will headline a young defensive line. The defensive unit was the Kids weak point last year, with their 5 losses coming by a total of 136 points. 

Quoting Coach Andy Rice.

“The offense should be the most explosive we’ve ever had here. Josh has a stronger arm than any kid I’ve ever coached. The young running back (Juarez) has the ability to break a big run on any given play. We’re going to have a big play offense, and we’re going to put some points on the board. “

“The defense, on the other hand, really needs to step things up. Outside of 3 or 4 guys it’s a very inexperienced bunch. Those kids are going to have to get tough, and do it fast.”

“Personnel issues aside, this season is going to be like any other here on Goat Island. We have to find ways to win a couple ballgames on the mainland. It’s been our Achilles heel the whole time I’ve been here, and really since this program was started. We have great fans and atmosphere at Rogers Stadium, but we have to find a way to take that mentality on the road with us.”

2010 Schedule

Sept. 3 Rivertown

Sept. 10 @Nashville

Sept. 17 @Kiowa Bay*

Sept. 24 St. Marks*

Oct. 1 @Appletown*

Oct. 8 Folly Beach*

Oct. 15 @Cotter*

Oct. 22 CC Christian*

Oct. 29 @Hemingway*

Nov. 5 Ferry Pass*

*Coastal Bend League Game. 

You can find updates on every GITX football game on our facebook page, where the score will be updated at the end of each quarter.