By Raymond Linex II

AXTELL – Trying to keep pace in District 21-1A, Wortham worked its game-plan to near perfection Friday. If the Bulldogs could add one thing to that, though, it would have been to get out of Axtell healthy.

That didn’t happen.

The Bulldogs rolled over the Longhorns, 28-6, in a game that at times didn’t appear as close as the scoreboard.

Close early, Wortham (5-4, 3-2 in 21-1A) scored twice in the second quarter, and again in the third to salt away the Longhorns (3-6, 1-4). But in trying to put the final seconds away, Wortham’s Cameron Price was injured and eventually carted off on a stretcher, taken to a local hospital.

It put a damper on an otherwise glowing performance for the Bulldogs.

“Best-case scenario, it’s a high ankle sprain, worse-case a broken tibia,” said first-year Wortham coach Jerry Young.

Price had gained 13 yards for a game-icing first down with 42 seconds left, putting him over 100 for the game, one of two Bulldogs to do so. But he immediately reached for his right ankle while writhing in pain.

Price had scored in the second quarter on 3-yard run to make it 14-6 after the second of four Corey Price extra points, and the Bulldogs never looked back. Jake Jones rushed for 195 yards and the final two touchdowns from 26 and 34 yards.

The Bulldogs ran for 339 yards total, ran 58 plays (only one pass) and controlled the tempo of the game. It’s been that type of contest that Young has favored since taking over.

“I thought we did what we came out to do,” Young said. “We controlled the clock, and we gave up one big play when they had a mismatch on us.”

Wortham had five first half possessions, and only the clock and a dropped pass on a fake punt stopped the Bulldogs.

They needed only seven plays to go up 7-0 on a Chris Perez 6-yard run, and after forcing Axtell to a three-and-out, the Bulldogs went for a fourth down from punt formation at their own 30. Jones took a step, pulled up, then lofted a pass to a wide-open Cameron Price, easily covering the three yards needed for a first.

The ball slipped through Price’s hands, though, and Axtell made Wortham pay, but did it the hard way, completing a 20-yard touchdown pass on fourth and 11 to 6-foot, 7-inch Jay Helleck on a fade pass.

Outside of that scoring drive, Wortham’s defense played well, allowing 169 yards and limiting the Longhorns to nine first downs.

Wortham’s next drive was a little more Wortham-like: 13 plays, covering 83 yards in 5 minutes, 16 seconds. Four different Bulldogs had carries, with Price carrying from 3 yards out on third and goal.

Jones, who had 108 yards at the half, scored the final Wortham touchdown of the first half with 5:24 left in the half on a 26-yard sweep around right end. He juked Axtell’s Keith Lindsay in the backfield, then outran three others to the pylon.

Axtell answered with a 13-play drive that stalled at the Wortham 20 with 40 seconds left. It included three of the Longhorns’ four first-half first downs, one by penalty, and two big sacks totaling 23 yards in losses. Brad Lidge had the first, and was in on the second with Vernon Busby and Spencer Thorton.

Wortham has a shot at the playoffs, and faces Hubbard next week. An Italy win over Dawson would have favored Wortham, but that didn’t happen Friday. Nevertheless, Young says nothing is clear cut for the final playoff spot in 21-1A.

“There are all kinds of scenarios,” he said. “We don’t have to have a win (against Hubbard).”

Wortham 28, Axtell 6

Wortham 7 14 7 0 — 28

Axtell 6 0 0 0 — 6

First Quarter

W — Chris Perez 6 run (Corey Price kick), 8:25

A — Jay Helleck 20 pass from Jonathan Smart (run failed), 2:41

Second Quarter

W — Cameron Price 3 run (Corey Price kick), 9:19

W — Jake Jones 26 run (Corey Price kick), 4:55

Third Quarter

W — Jones 34 run (Corey Price kick), :53

W A

First downs 17 9

Rush-yards 57-339 19-61

Passing yards 0 108

C-A-I 0-1-0 13-31-1

Fumbles-lost 3-0 1-0

Punts-avg. 1-36 3-34

Penalties-yards 5-40 4-30

INDIVIDUAL

Rushing — W: Jake Jones 23-195, Cameron Price 13-101, Chris Perez 11-58, Manton Capers 2-3, Brandon Lansford 4-(-3), Chris McDaniel 1-0, Team 3-(-15) A: Jacob Kubitza 6-25, Brandon Bordovsky 4-21, Jonathan Smart 8-12, Josh Reynolds 1-3.

Passing — W: Jones 0-1-0 0 A: Smart 13-31-1 108

Receiving — W: none. A: Jay Helleck 3-40, J. Pat Martin 1-21, Heath McGee 5-21, Josh Reynolds 2-7, Kubitza 2-19.