The Nocona Indians were not the biggest tribe on the field Friday night as they lost their bi-district football game Friday night in Mineral Wells against Comanche.
Nocona had their opportunities late in the game after digging themselves a hole early, but Comanche ultimately won 42-30 to end their season.
Early on it did not look good for the home Indians. After driving down and getting themselves a challenging, but makeable 42 yard field goal, a penalty made the kick even harder and Nocona came away with nothing on their opening drive.
Comanche’s run first attack out of the Wing-T, forced into a three and out on their first drive, got things going in a big way by breaking a 57 yard touchdown run to go up 7-0. An interception by the road Indians at the end of the first quarter spelled trouble for Nocona heading into the second quarter.
Comanche methodically ran the ball bit by bit down the field as they scored on their next two drives early in the second quarter to go up 21-0.
The game seemed like it was threatening to get out of hand before Nocona’s offense, who was dormant after their opening drive, started to move the ball with better execution. They drove the ball into Comanche’s red zone where quarterback Carter Horn ran up the middle on a draw from two yards out to cut the score to 21-7 at halftime.
Needing to carry over that momentum to the second half, Nocona’s opening drive looked stalled as a penalty put them in a third and twenty. Horn dropped back and threw the ball deep to the outside and found Hunter Fenoglio, who got behind the corner for a 56-yard touchdown catch. It cut the lead to 21-14 and made it seem like, even with a bad start, the game was winnable for the home Indians.
Unfortunately, Comanche answered. A block in the back brought a kickoff return for a touchdown back, but the ball was still deep in Nocona’s territory. The road Indians offense kept groove up as they ended up scoring from eight yards out to make it a two score 28-14 game.
The home Indians immediately responded as Tyler Richards found a gaping hole on one of their first plays of the series and outran the Comanche defenders for a 74-yard touchdown run. The missed extra point made the score 28-20.
Following the score, Nocona pooch kicked the kickoff to not allow another big return, but Comanche mishandled it and the home Indians recovered the ball. Unfortunately, Nocona could not take advantage of the great field position to score a touchdown, but Fenoglio did make a 38-yard field goal to cut the lead to 28-23 heading into the fourth quarter.
Sill, the road Indians ever steady offense kept rolling as Comanche drove the field and scored on a seven yard run to go back up two scores 35-23. Nocona would not give up as it drove down the field as everything was working offensively at this point. Horn scored again on a two-yard draw to make the score 35-30 midway through the fourth.
There was enough time for at least one more possession if the defense could just get one more stop, but Comanche’s offense kept their level of consistency on point till the very end. The road Indians again drove down the field and scored on a short seven yard run to go up two scores 42-30.
With 2:49 left in the game, Nocona needed to score fast and recover an onside kick if they wanted a chance. They scored on a run that was called back on a hold Coach Brad Keck says he is still looking for on film, but they moved down the field completing big pass plays as they drove all the way down to Comanche’s 14 yard line with a little more than a minute left.
Unfortunately, a free rusher came around the right side and blindsided the quarterback, who fumbled the ball and the road Indians recovered it to ice the game. The ever fighting Nocona Indians who never gave up all season finally saw the writing on the wall as time ran out on their season.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.