The Gold-Burg Bears wrapped up the football program’s first district title on Friday night.
The Bears beat fellow Montague County team Forestburg 46-0 by mercy rule at halftime on senior night.
Gold-Burg came into the game confident after beating fellow district teams Trinidad and Fannindel by a combined score of 108-13.
The young Longhorns came in with a small hope of still making the playoffs if they could pull the upset and if the other district game played that night also went their way.
Forestburg’s first two drives did not go anywhere. Gold-Burg capitalized with two successful touchdown drives, one with Jayton Epperson completing a short pass to Aidan Foster and the other capped off by Jayon Grace scoring on a 14-yard run.
The Bears then recovered the onside kick. A few plays later Gold-Burg hit Kolton Whitaker on a 28-yard touchdown catch to put the Bears up 22-0.
The Longhorns next drive went backwards before turning the ball over on downs. Gold-Burg took over in Forestburg territory and capitalized as Kani Grace scored on a short run to start the second quarter and make the score 28-0.
The Longhorns had their most successful offensive drive of the game next as quarterback Jesus Sanchez completed some passes and Jeremiah Perez ran the ball hard. Forestburg got down inside the Bear’s five-yard line and had several shots at scoring a touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Longhorns, they just could not punch it in as they turned the ball over on down at the four-yard line.
Gold-Burg then took all of that momentum Forestburg had gotten and stomped on it as Jayon scored on the Bears next play on a 76-yard run to go up 34-0.
The Longhorn offense could not get that same magic going on their next possession, turning the ball over near midfield.
Gold-Burg then scored a few plays later as Epperson connected with Whitaker on a 31-yard touchdown to make the score 40-0.
With less than three minutes to play, the question for the Bears became if they would be able to score once more before halftime to end the game.
Forestburg was trying to move the ball through throwing the ball, but an errant pass went into the hands of Gold-Burg’s Jack Henry. He returned it 60-yards up his sideline for a touchdown, having to leap over a fallen Longhorn to get there.
The touchdown made the score 46-0 with only 41 seconds left. The Longhorns tried the desperately move the ball fast by throwing the ball, handing the ball over to their only senior Braxton Osteen who could throw it deep.
Gold-Burg’s defense did not allow Forestburg to go far as time expired and the game ended due to the 45-point mercy rule kicking in.

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