pictured is Brax Fisher, picture courtesy of Brad Anderson
The Abilene Cowboy football team finally got over the hump against Rose Hill Friday night. The Rockets swept Abilene last season and was 4-0 against the Cowboys dating back to 2004. Last year Rose Hill beat Abilene 16-12 in the regular season and then defeated the Cowboys 23-6 in the opening round of the playoffs. Friday night, Abilene got off to a fast start and cruised to a 33-13 victory. The Cowboys with the win, improved to 4-1 and are now atop the 4A West Standings. Rose Hill fell to 2-3 with the loss.
Friday will simply go down as the Brax Fisher game. The Senior was dominant. He finished the night with a school-record 11 catches for 203 yards, those numbers unofficial. He also caught 4 touchdown passes (4, 69, 35 & 1) which is also a record. Three of those touchdown catches came on 4th down. Fisher also had a pick-six, but unfortunately it was called back because of a penalty. Fisher was the Nex-Tech Wireless Offensive Player of the Game. Penalties were also part of the story last night, like the last trip to Rose Hill in 2009. Friday night, Abilene was called for 9 penalties but thankfully that was about the only thing that didn’t go right for the Cowboys.
Rose Hill fumbled the football on the second play from scrimmage at their own 15 yard line and it was returned for a touchdown by Senior, Keaton Hargrave. Abilene took a 7-0 lead just 51 seconds into the game and would not trail the rest of the night. Hargrave was the Nex-Tech Wireless Defensive Player of the Game.
The Cowboys started their first offensive series on the Rocket 49 yard line. Abilene would capitalize on the good field position 10 plays later on a 4 yard touchdown pass play from Senior, QB Stocton Timbrook to Fisher. The score came with 5:11 to play in the opening quarter to give the Cowboys a 13-0 lead.
In the 2nd quarter, Abilene broke the game open on a 4th & 2 play at their own 31 yard line. Timbrook connected with Fisher on a screen pass that covered 69 yards. Fisher got key blocks from Hargrave and Junior, Weston Rock to spring him loose. That score increased the Cowboy lead to 20-0 with 8:50 to play in the first half. Rose Hill finally got on the board with a 1 yard run by Keedrin Jones with 4:12 to play in the half to cut the deficit to 20-7.
The Cowboys opened the second half with more offense. Timbrook found Fisher on a post route on 4th & 8 for a 35 yard touchdown pass play with 9:50 to play in the 3rd quarter. Abilene converted on another 4th down for their final score. Timbrook found Fisher on 4th and Goal from 1 yard out with 10:37 left to play in the game. The Rockets finished the scoring with a Connor Wallis to Blake Struble 10 yard pass play with 8:03 to left to play.
Abilene will return home to face Circle on Friday. The Thunderbirds fell to 1-4 on the season with a 50-16 loss at Augusta on Friday. Circle defeated Abilene last season 40-0 and finished the year 8-3.
