This is part 5 of a 6-part series. They won 132 games and three 2A state championships over the last ten years. They are the Refugio Bobcats.
Refugio has been a constant fixture in the 2A championship game since 2011. The Bobcats won state titles in 2011, 2016, and 2019, and were the runners-up in 2013, 2015, and 2017.
2011 Championship Season
The Bobcats went 15-0 that season, averaging 59 points per game on offense. They scored 70+ points three times, 60+ points three times, 82 points once, and 91 points once.
Refugio gained 8725 yards of total offense that season.
Their defense pitched four shutouts for a combined score of 267-0.
But they faced their toughest test of the season in the 2A championship game against Cisco. Refugio scored to start the 4th quarter and did not score again. But Cisco scored three times in the quarter, and Refugio was able to hold Cisco off for the hard-fought victory.
The Bobcats were led on the field by QB Travis Quintanilla. He passed for 3910 yards and 53 touchdowns that season. Against Cisco, Quintanilla passed for 372 yards and three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was named the 2A state championship game Offensive MVP.
By the end of his prep career, Quintanilla passed for 13,472 yards and 178 touchdowns.
RB Draigon Silvas rushed for 1 touchdown against Cisco. He rushed for 1650 yards and 25 TDs for the season.
RB Shiloh Wetsel also rushed for a touchdown. He also had 6 catches for 104 yards. His season totals were 1389 rushing yards and 25 TDs.
WR Cory Brown: 6 catches for 110 yards, 1 touchdown.
WR Lynx Hawthorne: 4 catches, 119 yards, 1 touchdown.
2016 Championship Season
The 15-1 Bobcats averaged 45 points per game (728 points scored). Refugio’s defense allowed zero points scored against them on six different occasions.
They met Crawford in the 2A state championship game. And it was another close game in the fight to hoist the hardware.
The Bobcats took a 13-6 halftime lead but were held scoreless in the 3rd quarter. They were 9 of 15 on 3rd down, but also had seven penalties for 65 yards (Crawford had ZERO penalty yards).
The victory came on the foot of Kicker Diego Gonzales when he nailed a chip shot 18-yard game-winning field goal with 0:08 seconds left on the clock to seal the 23-20 win.
QB Jacobe Avery was named Offensive MVP after rushing 116 yards and 2 TDs and passed for another score. Kobe Herring was named the Defensive MVP. He made 5 tackles, ½ sack, and 1.5 TFLs.
2019 Championship Season
The Bobcats averaged 50 points per game on offense as they rolled to an undefeated 16-0 championship season. They met Post in the 2A championship game.
Refugio held Post scoreless in the 2nd quarter and the entire second half. The Bobcats gained 15 first downs, held Post to less than 100 yards of total offense, and allowed Post to gain just 1 passing yard.
QB Austin Achoa was named Offensive MVP after he passed for 207 yards and rushed for 108 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Achoa finished the season with 3004 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.
On defense, the Bobcats recorded six tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, and 1 sack. Javon Williams was named the game’s Defensive MVP after he made 6.5 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and ½ sack.
Refugio Bobcats: Going into 2021
Head Coach Jason Herring will have a veteran team in 2021, welcoming back 16 starters from an 11-1 team of a year ago.
The players’ Coach Herring will be counting on include:
- WR/DB Jordan Kelley: 23 catches, 702 yards, 10 TDs. 553 yards, 11 TDs. 2 INTs on defense.
- WR/DB Antwaan Gross: 43 catches, 696 yards, 8 TDs. 2 INTs on defense.
- QB Caleb Hesseltine: 2130 yards, 25 TDs.
- DB Isaiah Avery: 92 tackles.
- DE Hayden LaFrance: 62 tackles, 16 TFLs
- DE Ty LaFrance: 67 tackles, 15 TFLs.
- LB JR Moore: 83 tackles
- RB Luke Meza
- DL Cadence Wills
Refugio opens the 2021 season on the road at Bruni on August 27th.
Tony Thomas is a freelance writer. He also writes about college football on his own site, www.thegridironnews.com.
Does Refugio make it back to the 2A championship game yet again in 2021? Comment below.
