FROST – Apparently, when gold and blue collide together it makes red as the Italy Junior High played a hard-hitting football game against the Frost Polar Bears in their district opener.

Both teams fielded a mixture of 7th and 8th graders in their lineups with each team moving the ball early. However, fumbles and punts by both sides led to a scoreless 1st quarter.

After an Italy fumbled punt, with 6:55 left in the 2nd quarter, Frost had a 1st and 10 at Italy’s 30-yard line. Two plays later, Polar Bear Robert Worley(3) runs 27-yards for the first score of the game. Italy’s Eric Carson(2) foiled the conversion but the damage was done as Frost took a 6-0 lead with 5:08 remaining in the half.

Italy then fumbled the kick return but Carson recovered a Frost fumble on the next play. Unable to move the ball with 2:55 left, and faced with a 4th and 18 from their own 28-yard line, Italy’s John Byers(54) punted it away for the Gladiators.

Frost started their next possession on Italy’s 43-yard line but a false start backed the Bears to the 48. On the next play, however, Worley struck again for Frost with a 48-yard touchdown sprint. Frost added the 2-point conversion given the Polar Bears a 14-0 advantage, 1:59 to go before halftime.

After Frost kicked to Italy, three runs by Carson gave Italy a 1st and 10 on the Frost 30-yard line with 0:30 on the clock. On the next play, Carson was tackled in bounds and the clock ran down to keep the score 14-0 in favor of Frost at the break.

Italy was forced to punt again on their first possession of the 2nd half. On the first offensive play for Frost in the 3rd quarter, a pitch to Worley put 6-points more on the board for Frost to make the score 20-0, 5:08 left in the 3rd.

Frost kicked to Italy and a quarterback keeper to the left by Carson, followed by a carry from Cody Medrano(28), gave Italy a 1st and 10 at the Frost 20-yard line. An offensive holding call on Italy backed the Gladiators to the 30, but Carson ran for a touchdown on the next play to make the score 26-6, 1:59 left in the 3rd.

On the next possession for Frost, it looked as if the Frost quarterback, Ryne Ritterbach(12), was headed for another Polar Bear touchdown. Italy safety, Cody Boyd(32), made a touchdown saving tackle to temporarily keep Frost off the board. The run gave Frost a 1st and 10 at Italy’s 30-yard line with 1:38 left in the 3rd quarter.

Worley looked as though he might score again on the next play but Italy’s #20, caught Worley from behind at the 1-yard line, 0:58 left in the 3rd. Ultimately, both defensive plays turned in by Boyd and #20 were in vain as Polar Bear, Ritterbach, ran a keeper up the middle to make the score 26-6 with 0:31 to go before the 4th quarter.

Italy’s J. Byers recovered an onside kick by Frost but Italy was unable to take advantage of the good field position.

The 4th quarter rolled by with neither side adding any more points and the game ended with Frost winning the hard-fought district opener 26-6.