The Wortham Bulldogs trailed 16-14 at the half but allowed the Frost Polar Bears a 28-point burst and took the opening game of district play at the Tundra on Friday night.
The Bulldogs moved the ball offensively, but second half turnovers and big plays put the game out of reach.
On the second possession of the game on a rapidly moving clock with running teams, sophomore running back Ramon Manrriquez took the sweep 35 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Antoni Alvarado added the two-point conversion for the 8-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Wortham had their second possession of the night that extended into the second quarter. Interim quarterback K.J. Jackson hit Chance Latham with a nine-yard pass and Jackson converted on fourth down inside the Polar Bear forty-yard line. It took the Bulldogs 12 plays, but the offense punched into pay dirt on a Riley Baker one-yard run. Jackson added the conversion run and tied the game at 8-8.
Midway through the second quarter, the teams exchanged big scoring plays. First, the Polar Bear defensive back David Alexander picked off a pass at the four-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Manrriquez took the ball on the sweep broke several tackles and then broke away on a 94-yard run for the go-ahead touchdown. Alvarado added the conversion run for the 16-8 lead.
It took only two plays for the Bulldogs to answer. On second down inside the 20-yard line, Jackson took the pitch and picked up his blocking. He raced down the far sideline for the 85-yard touchdown. The try for two failed and the Polar Bears still led 16-14 at the half.
Wortham took the ball in the second half and stalled out and Brandon Coker’s punt was downed at the Frost seven-yard line. The Polar Bears needed eleven plays to reach the Bulldog 25-yard line but the Wortham defense turned them away on fourth down and sent the offense back onto the field.
Wortham was forced to punt and this time it was Manrriquez that made the highlights. He took the punt and ducked a tackler and run through the Bulldogs on a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. He also added the conversion run and the Frost lead extended to 22-14.
The Bulldogs fumbled on the first play of their next possession and Frost would add another touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Manrriquez added a 33-yard run one minute into the final quarter for a 30-14 lead.
Manrriquez added his fourth touchdown on a 69-yard run and the Polar Bear special teams put the final stamp on the night. As the weather worsened, Coker had his punt blocked and picked up by Jose Vargas and he was tackled at the one-yard line. Vargas got the call on the touchdown run and the point after set the final score at 44-14.
Frost will travel to Hubbard to face a Jaguar team that was defeated by Dawson 28-13. Wortham returns to the historic rock wall of Bulldog Stadium and they will take on defending Division I champion Mart on Friday night. The Bulldogs are undefeated against the Panthers at home with a 19-6 win over the Panthers in 1929 and they will face Mart for the first time since 1930. It will be Pink Out night in Wortham in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
