Round Rock shuts out Belton for first time – Austin American-Statesman
The Round Rock defense bolted down Belton, holding the hometown Tigers to just seven first downs and 93 yards of offense in a 35-0 Dragons victory at Tiger Field on Friday night.
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Belton (1-1) was coming off a season opening win over Georgetown, but the Dragons kept the Tigers off balance all night. The defense notched five sacks and an additional nine stops for losses or no gain. A blanketing secondary held quarterbacks Ty Brown and Slade LeBlanc to 8-of-24 passing, and the Dragons picked up three turnovers, with fumble recoveries by Ansel Nedore and Tavori Donaldson and a fourth quarter interception by Leonard Moore. Most tellingly, Round Rock (2-0) held Belton to an 0-for-12 night on third down conversions, leading to seven punts, four turnovers on downs, and just one successful fourth down try.
The Dragons also started five first-half possessions at midfield or in Tigers territory.
“We’re proud of our defense tonight,” head coach Jeff Cheatham stated. “The D has two good games under their belts. We still have to clean up some things in all phases but 2-0 is a great start.”
The defense set the tone early, holding the Tigers on downs at midfield when Carter Wagner tackled Brown one yard shy of a first down.
Trayvian McCoy-Gay rocketed down the sideline on the next play for a 49-yard gain, and quarterback Mason Cochran then banged in from one yard for the first of his three rushing touchdowns.
Later in the first quarter, McCoy-Gay converted a third-and-15 with a 24-yard touchdown run past the left pylon.
PJ Powell stopped Mason Ramm on the ensuing kickoff at the Belton seven yard line. Nedore recovered a fumble on the three on the next play, and Cochran carried the ball in from there for a 21-0 lead with two minutes left in the first.
Round Rock bottled up Belton at its own four early in the second quarter, and took over at the Tigers’ 32 after a punt.
Cochran followed his blockers for a 25-yard keeper around left end and absorbed a late hit penalty in the end zone.
Belton’s defense notched two turnovers in the second, as Connor Whitman picked off Cochran and Donovan Thompson fell on a fumble at the Dragons’ 38. But the Tigers could not advance the ball, and LeBlanc’s 56-yard field goal try with a tailwind fell just left and short of the uprights.
The Dragons managed one more score with the first half nearly expired, as Dylan Burk connected with Mason Schuler for a 33-yard strike with seven seconds left before halftime.
That proved to be the game’s final score, as the teams combined for six punts and seven first downs in the second half, along with a combined 1-of-13 passing.
Belton got as close as the Dragons’ 25 in the fourth quarter but lost the ball on downs.
McCoy-Gay led all rushers with 18 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown, while Cochran added 16 rushes for 47 yards and three scores.
Schuler made all three catches for the Dragons for 39 yards and a score. Bryan Henry (22 yards) and Seth Morgan (19 yards) each had three receptions for Belton.
The Dragons have beaten Belton three straight times in a series that the Tigers still lead 13-9. Belton shut out Round Rock the first time these teams played in 1931, and in five of the first six games, while this is the first time the Dragons have held Belton scoreless.