Hoping to rise up as David, Class 2A, DII Meridian Yellow Jackets return home to host Dawson in District 10-2A, DII clash Thursday after falling in Wortham
MERIDIAN – Taking the field every week as the smallest 11-man football team in Texas, the Meridian Yellowjackets have faced their challenges head on from the opening kickoff in every game during the 2022 Texas high school football season. But being David forced to face Goliath every week can prove to be quite daunting.
Coming off a 49-0 loss to the Wortham Bulldogs, the Jackets will face yet another stout District 10-2A, Division II opponent when Meridian (0-2 in district, 0-6 overall) host the Dawson Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Thursday in Jacket Stadium. The Bulldogs (1-0, 5-0) will be coming off a 20-12 home win over Hubbard last Friday night.
“Dawson is very explosive offensively,” Meridian head coach Jim Kerbow said. “However, they don’t have the size we have seen the past three weeks. So, we feel that if we can play discipline football in the secondary and up front, we can be successful on defense. Offensively we feel that if we can get some wrinkles ironed out, we will be able to move the football effectively.”
After making some adjustments to the offensive lineup, the Jackets showed some signs of being able to become productive despite struggling against a quality opponent in Wortham (2-0, 5-1). With junior Brayden Wehmeyer calling the signals, senior Brady Taylor led Meridian with 48 yards rushing.
“Overall, we felt like our kids played hard against a very good football team,” Kerbow said. “Offensively, we moved some players around to different positions and changed up the scheme, which at times looked good against a stout Wortham defense.
“Brayden Wehmeyer stepped in at quarterback and ran the offense efficiently. Brady Taylor had some tough runs at the running back position. We feel like we found a scheme that we can successfully move the football.”
Starting strong last week, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 16-0 first quarter lead and built a 35-0 advantage by halftime. Defensively, freshman Jesse Scott led Meridian with 10 tackles, followed by Taylor with six as well as juniors Noah Alvizo and John Wyatt with five each, while sophomore Matt Jones grabbed an interception.
“Defensively, we felt that our kids played tough against a very stout offense,” Kerbow said.
Photos by WENDY OROZCO
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