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The Columbus Cardinals traveled to Smithville on Friday where they defeated Cameron Yoe 48-14 to win the Bi-District Championship.
“It was a good first step in the playoffs so we will enjoy tonight and then get back to work and get ready for the next game,” Cardinals head coach Matthew Schobel said.
To start the game the Cards received the opening kickoff and that turned into Adam Schobel finding Elijah Usher for a 38yard touchdown to open the scoring. Leading 7-0 the Cards kicked the ball back to Cameron Yoe and they fumbled the ball on the kickoff and Jack Schobel jumped on top of the loose ball.
This set up a 19-yard pass from Schobel again to Usher to go up 14-0 in the span of three minutes.
“I was very pleased with the first half as a whole, it was a good first drive for us and they made a mistake on special teams, and we capitalized on it,” Schobel said. “Great job by our special teams to get us the ball back and we were able to answer with a short field.”
Offensively the Cards could not be stopped and defensively they were just as strong. The Cards posted a shutout in the first half and forced two more fumbles on the defensive side of the ball.
The Cards defense forced a few turnovers in Friday’s game, but the Cards offense had a few fumbles of their own that Schobel said they need to clean up before the next round.
“We put the ball on the ground a few times and as you get deeper in playoffs you cannot do that against those teams so it will be a point of emphasis this week,” Schobel said.
The Cards had three total fumbles, one of which came from Adam Schobel, but his dad and head coach said he has a good punishment for him.
“He’ll definitely have a few more chores to do around the house,” Matthew Schobel said with a chuckle and a grin.
Even with the fumble Adam Schobel had a great night under center completing 10 of his 13 passes for 243 yards and six touchdowns. Of those six touchdowns four of them were hauled in by Camdon Pitchford who had an unbelievable night.
“I have never had a game like that in my life,” Pitchford said. “I don’t usually break them free like that but tonight, it was something different, must have been the weather.”
The Cards are also starting to get healthy and get some guys back from injury and Pitchford said it is a major boost to the locker room.
“It’s nice to have people come back, it always sucks to see them go down but having them come back is always nice,” Pitchford said.
The Cards have officially punched their ticket to the Area Championship game where they will face Westwood at A&M Consolidated High School on Friday, Nov. 22, in College Station, TX.
