Yuma High School’s football team has experienced both ends of the spectrum in the first two games of 2024.
The Outlaws have a 1-1 record as they enter their bye week. Their next game is September 20 in their home debut against Torrington, Wyoming.
“(The bye week) is hard to manage,” coach Kelly Seward said. “You have to keep your edge, but you have to get your body right. We have to find a balance to keep the edge and stay healthy.”
Yuma opened its season with a 33-6 loss at Imperial, Nebraska. It was a one-score game until the Chase County Longhorns pulled away starting later in the third quarter.
The Outlaws rebounded with a dominating 50-7 win against Roaring Fork, last Friday night in Carbondale.
Seward said the Outlaws have tweaked the offense this season, and spent last week breaking it down.
“We worked on a lot of stuff up front,” he said. “The coaches did a real good job breaking everything down. We slowed things down for the kids. You have to walk before you can run.”
The North Central Conference flexed its muscles again last weekend. Wray ran over Goodland, Kansas, 56-21, Limon beat Flatirons Academy 35-14, Wiggins won 27-12 at Meeker, and Holyoke rolled Glenrock, Wyoming, 45-0. Burlington had its second straight bye week.
While Yuma is off this week, Burlington is at Goodland, Wray hosts Scott City, Kansas, Holyoke hosts Colby, Kansas, and Wiggins hosts Highland. Limon also is off this week.
Yuma’s offense did churn out 276 total yards, including 241 on the ground.
However, it was the Yuma defense that had a memorable evening. Roaring Fork running back Kenny Riley completed 10 of 32 passes for 185 yards, but the Outlaws came up with five interceptions. Jonathan Thomson came up three, including two he returned for touchdowns. Jesus Gordo and Tanner Himes had the other interceptions.
Roaring Fork’s run game was limited to 67 yards.
“When you can create five turnovers, you take that,” Seward said.
Daden Beauprez got the scoring started with a two-yard run in the first quarter. Thomson followed in the second with a 23-yard run, then ran in the 2-point conversion for a 14-0 lead. Marvin Duarte followed a short time later with a three-yard touchdown run. The extra point was no good. However, Adrian Carranza scored on a two-yard run, and Thomson ran in the 2-point conversion for a 28-0 lead.
The Outlaws almost threw the first-half shutout, but a personal foul helped a Roaring Fork to stay alive, capped by Riley’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Noll right before halftime.
However, Yuma quickly put away the game in the third quarter.
Thomson got the first of his pick-sixes with 40-yard return. Carranza capped the next drive with a 16-yard touchdown run, and Thomson ran in the 2-point conversion for a 42-7 lead. Thomson then capped the scoring with a 29-yard interception return, and ran in the 2-point conversion for a 50-0 lead.
The JV players then got some playing time in the fourth with the running clock.
Thomson led the ground attack, which averaged 6.3 yards per attempt, with 114 yards on 13 carriers. Beauprez ran seven times for 45 yards and a touchdown, Christian Thomson 39 yards and a score on five carries, Carranza 26 yards and two touchdowns on three carries, Duarte 14 yards and a TD on six carries, and Jose Mario Ross five yards.
Thomson completed two of his four passes for 35 yards. David Covarrubias had one catch for 26 yards, and Ethan Nadow one for nine yards.
Thomson led in tackles with a total of six, while Duarte was in on four, Ross three, David Gaytan three, Carranza three, James Brandner three, Covarrubias two, Iann Duran two, Christian Munoz two, and Nadow, Dallas Brunk, Cooper Blach, Brodie Kallweit, Chris Wario, Gordo, Jesus Rodriguez, Reyli Trejo, Giovanni Segura and Himes one each.
“I like this team even after the Week 1 loss,” Seward said. “…We’re tough and that’s what I love about them.”