The Bowie Jackrabbits lost at Pilot Point on Friday in the classic game of two halves format.
The Bearcats won 52-21 after holding only a 24-21 lead at halftime.
The Jackrabbits got things going first as quarterback Colby Miller found fullback Devin Melton for 17 yards and a touchdown to put Bowie up 7-0.
Pilot Point responded as Asten Kirby returned the kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was missed so the Jackrabbits led 7-6.
Still in the first quarter, Miller threw the ball up to Ryder Richey, who came down with the ball in between two defenders and raced to the end zone to complete a 41-yard touchdown catch. The extra point extended the Jackrabbits’ lead to 14-6.
Before the quarter was done, the Bearcats capped off a drive as Ish Harris scored on a short run. Pilot Point converted the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14-14 heading to the second quarter.
The Bearcats took their first lead of the game as Harris scored on a 28-yard run to go up 21-14. Bowie’s offense started to struggle after its hot start to the game as plays failed to get made like they were in the first quarter.
The Jackrabbit defense provided a spark as Richey picked off a tipped pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 21-21. With the half winding down, Bowie felt good heading into locker room with the score tied.
Unfortunately, Pilot Point executed one final drive before halftime. The Bearcats drove down deep into Jackrabbits territory. With a few seconds left Pilot Point made a 31-yard field goal to take a 24-21 lead, leaving a bitter taste in the Jackrabbits mouth.
Still, if Bowie could continue to play like it did in the first half it would have been in position to win at the end. The team knew a good start in the third quarter would set the tone for the rest of the game.
Instead, the second half was all Bearcats. Pilot Point scored on its first possession to take the lead to 30-21. The Jackrabbit’s offense continued to struggle despite moving the ball some running the ball. Unfortunately, those big plays in the passing game did not happen in the third or fourth quarter.
Once the Bearcats offense started rolling, Bowie’s defense had trouble slowing it down as they passed for three touchdowns before the game was over. Pilot Point scored 28 points in the second half as it extended its lead to where people forgot how close the game had been in the first half. The Bearcats won 52-21.

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