Bobcats break through for 1st win of season

The Berryville Bobcats collected their first victory of the 2024 football season on Friday, Sept. 27, beating Huntsville 21-6 on Homecoming night at Bobcat Stadium.

“Being such a strong rivalry, there were some different and sometimes tougher adversity moments,” Berryville coach Macklin Chermak said. “And I think our kids handled those very, very, very well. We didn’t waver, kept fighting, stayed focused. I’m really proud of the kids in a lot of ways.”

Sophomore quarterback CT Hicks ran for one second- half touchdown and threw for another as Berryville scored twice in a two-minute span and turned a 7-0 halftime lead into a 21-0 margin midway through the fourth quarter.

Hicks’ 8-yard touchdown run on a third-down play with 8:52 remaining in the fourth quarter capped a 48yard drive after a Huntsville punt. Sophomore John Butler ran for 18 yards on the first play of the drive, and Hicks had a 13-yard run later in the drive to turn a second-and-15 into a manageable third-and-2. Butler converted with a 3-yard run to the 9 and Hicks scored two plays later. Val Trujillo’s extra point extended Berryville’s lead to 14-0.

“CT’s going to be a great quarterback,” Chermak said. “He doesn’t lose his confidence and doesn’t waver easily. He had a great game running the ball. He struggled a little bit throwing early. But it doesn’t faze him. He’s able to come back with confidence and make throws at the end of the game. He just did a phenomenal job.”

The Bobcats didn’t wait long to add to their advantage after Hicks’ TD run. Junior Cade Decker intercepted a Huntsville pass and Berryville took possession at the Eagles’ 46. Hicks ran for 15 yards on first down, then found senior Leland Kuhn for a 31-yard touchdown pass on the next play. Kuhn lined up in the slot to Hicks’ left and was left uncovered down the field.

“We were having a lot of success running the counter,” Chermak said. “So we were countering, countering, countering and then we ran a counter and just released Leland down the field, so their eyes were all going to the run and he was able to slide by them.”

Huntsville had two touchdown passes wiped out by penalties on its next possession but finally connected on one that counted, cutting Berryville’s lead to 21-7 with 3:22 left, but the Bobcats were able to run out the clock on their next possession.

“The defense did a great job all game,” Chermak said. “They let go of the rope a little towards the end there, when (Huntsville) got a little passing going. We weren’t communicating well that drive, but then locked back in and did well for the rest of the game.”

Berryville’s first two possessions ended with turnovers and the Bobcats (1-3, 1-0 4A-1) did not record a first down in the first quarter, but the defense stopped Huntsville (1-3, 0-1) on a pair of fourth-down tries inside the Berryville 30 and a 60-yard punt by Bobcats senior Decimus Ruiz flipped the field position and forced the Eagles to start their third possession inside their own 20-yard line. Huntsville failed to pick up a first down, and Berryville’s Russell Conard blocked the Eagles’ punt. Kobe Garcia recovered for the Bobcats at the Huntsville 7, and Ruiz scored from 3 yards out. Trujillo’s extra point gave Berryville a 7-0 lead with 11:02 remaining in the second quarter.

“The offense struggled,” Chermak said. “I think it was just the fact of it being such a rivalry that both teams are playing their hardest. I think it was just a matter of who was going to kind of give in first a little bit and I think we held on long enough for the offense to get going a little bit.”

The Bobcats won’t have long to savor the victory. Berryville faces road games against perhaps the two best teams in the conference the next two weeks, starting with a trip to Elkins on Friday, Oct. 3. The Elks, who beat the Bobcats 62-7 last season, are 4-0 this fall and are coming off a 45-20 victory last week over Gentry. Elkins is averaging more than 49 points a game this season.

“We’ve got three or four games that are going to be real tough and it’s going to measure our character, a lot,” Chermak said. “Are we going to show up and do the best we can to get better each week or are we going to throw in the towel right away? As of Friday, we had a good talk after the game and it seems like we’re going to go and put the work in and get better every week.”