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BASTROP — The visiting Tivy Antlers were riding high with an undefeated record going into Friday night, but the Bastrop Bears put an end to the hype with a dominant performance.
Led by Freshman quarterback Weston Nielsen, who recently received an offer from Oregon after his stellar week-four performance against Pflugerville, the Bears offense looked unstoppable in their 41-22 victory. The win improved Bastrop’s record to 4-2 on the season and 1-1 in district play.
Nielsen showcased his pinpoint accuracy on the opening possession, connecting with Keyshon Moore on a deep pass down the right sideline for a 67-yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, Tivy’s offense was in redzone territory after a big pass from Jaxson Kincaid to Carson Jones, but the Bears’ defense held tough to force a field goal.
The Nielsen-to-Moore show continued on the ensuing drive. First, Moore caught a pass on a short hitch route before turning on the jets to pick up a crucial third down. To cap off the drive, Nielsen lofted a gorgeous pass over the middle to Moore, who then dashed to the endzone for a 49-yard score. It was 14-3 with just a few minutes left in the first quarter.
The Antlers answered with a scoring drive of their own, highlighted by an impressive hurdle from Aidan Warwin to reach the Bears’ 14-yard line and scored on a sixyard pass from Kincaid.
Tivy looked poised to potentially take the lead on their next possession, finding themselves in the red zone once again. However, a big-time sack by Wesley Donner and a pass breakup by Jayden Riley put the Antlers in a fourth-and-21 situation. Tivy rolled the dice and went for it on fourth down, but Kincaid’s throw towards the front left pilon was off target, largely because of pressure from Donner.
The Antlers found themselves with another chance to score as the first half winded down. The Bears defense came up clutch, though playing sticky coverage to cause an incomplete pass on fourth-and-one.
Bastrop took over at Tivy’s 39-yard line with a little over a minute to play. A perfectly-timed screen pass to Bryan Pauley moved the chains on a third-and-long, setting up a 21-yard receiving touchdown by Jaelyn Gratten, who snatched the ball over a stretched-out defender’s hands and took it to the house. Bastrop held a 21-9 lead going into halftime.
The Bears carried their momentum into the third quarter. After the defense forced a quick punt, the home team was once again in scoring position thanks to some strong running by Ladainian Merino. Moore ultimately found the endzone for the third time with a 12yard rushing score.
Tivy ripped off a long rushing touchdown to answer, but the Bears offense continued to put up points. Early in the fourth quarter, Bastrop faced a third down deep in Antlers territory. Nielsen then made a highlight-reel play, rolling left to evade pressure before slinging the ball across the field to a wide-open Gratten in the endzone. The nine-yard score gave the Bears a commanding 35-16 lead.
The Bastrop defense continued to make stops, and Merino hammered the nail in the coffin with a little over minutes left, punching in a five-yard rushing score. The Antlers scored late, but it didn’t matter with the game out of reach at 41-22.
The Bears will look to climb the ranks in 5A-2 District 13 at 7 p.m. on Oct. 6 when they face the rival Cedar Creek Eagles at Bastrop ISD Memorial Stadium.
