Dragon's Win! 40-22 in First Game of the Season
The Cameron Dragons exploded for 40 points in their season opener against Kansas City Northeast. The Dragons played well on both sides of the ball, racking up 409 yards of total offense while allowing 256. Cameron quarterback Ty Campbell was 9-20 passing, for 152 yards and 4 touchdowns. Senior Nathan Nelson rushed 15 times for 106 yards, while senior Elliot Turner caught 5 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Kansas City Northeast began well, scoring the first touchdown of the game, putting the Vikings at an 8-0 lead. But Cameron bounced back, driving to the Viking 10-yard line before stalling. Both teams had TD runs called back by penalties, before TY Speer scored on a long run to make the score 8-6, Kansas City Northeast. The Vikings responded with a touchdown pass putting them ahead 14-6 before Cameron began assuming control of the game. The Dragons then scored 3 consecutive times, putting them ahead 24-14 at halftime.
Cameron and KC Northeast exchanged touchdowns to start the second half, bringing the score to 32-22, Cameron leading. From that point on Cameron began to dominate the game, leading to the final score of 40-22.
There was concern going into the game regarding KC Northeast speed, but the Dragons demonstrated equal speed and a swarming defense. Both teams had TD runs called back by penalties, and the Dragons were hurt by some untimely penalties and fumbles in some key situations but handled the setbacks very well.
Cameron is starting a number of sophomores, but has more experienced players in key positions and they seem to be forming into a cohesive unit. Mistakes were kept to a minimum and there were impressive plays on both offense and defense. The offensive and defensive line played well. Among those having their name called frequently were Ty Campbell, Ty Speer, Dalton Fuller, Eliot Turner, and Cameron Hedgpeth.
Coach John Kliewer’s comment after the game was that he was “happy for the kids and seeing all of their hard work pay off”. He added, “it was nice to get a victory and that it has been a while since seeing 40 points on the scoreboard”. Cameron’s next game will be next Friday, August 31st, at Kansas City East. Let’s support our Dragons and keep the momentum! Go Dragons!
