By Buddy Holman Assistant Football Coach Special to The Beacon
Fight. Resilience. Determination. Family. These are just a few of the words to describe the 2022 Cordell Blue Devil football team. Friday night, the Devils traveled to Merritt to take on the Oilers in the second of three non-district matchups. Once again, the Devils went in under-manned, but that did not stop them from putting up one of the better offensive performances of this young season. They gained valuable experience and showed that “never quit” attitude that this young team is starting to become known for.
These young men are facing disadvantages all around the field, but they do not see it that way. They do not complain. They go out and do their job to the best of their abilities. Their hard work in practice last week paid off as they were able to put up better numbers offensively than the week before. Junior quarterback Danny Corbin completed 9 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown before going down right before the half. He ran the ball hard and took quite a few shots before he was forced from the game. Senior back JD Maddox took over for Corbin and controlled the offense the rest of the game. He was able to put up 35 yards through the air on two completions as the Devils ran the ball for the majority of the second half. JD was the leading rusher on the night.
One of the bright spots of the evening was Junior Gage Miller, as he was able to make his season debut. It was a very successful start for him. He led the Devils in receptions with six catches for 114 yards and the lone touchdown. Miller was also able to add 24 yards rushing to his numbers on the evening. Junior receiver Jordan Wood and JD Maddox also contributed the reception yardage. Defensively, the Devils were able to make a few things happen. Sophomore Kadon Rivera was able to record a fumble recovery and JD Maddox was the leading tackler with eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and he also recorded a sack. Danny Corbin recorded six tackles as well. The defense gave up 146 yards through the air.
Moving on to this week’s contest, the Blue Devils will be welcoming Burns Flat-Dill City to town for the 2022 home opener. While talking to head coach Cody Gilmore, he said, “On film, they are big up front and are athletic at the skill positions.” Kick off for Friday night is slated for 7:00. This week’s dress up theme will be CAMO! We hope to see you there!