BANGS — The Bangs Dragons opened the season with a commanding 42-7 home victory over the Class 3A Division II Dublin Lions on Friday night, giving first-year head coach Colton Buzzard his first win with the program.
The victory was Bangs’ first season-opening win since 2021, according to the game report. The source headline describes it as the program’s first Week 1 victory since 2020, creating an inconsistency in the reported background. Regardless of the year cited, the Dragons controlled the game from start to finish.
Bible leads Bangs’ offensive surge
Bangs generated 495 yards of total offense, including 333 yards on the ground. Connor Bible was the leading producer, rushing for 107 yards and three touchdowns while also catching a 44-yard touchdown pass.
Jaxon Duncan added 87 rushing yards, and Trapper Estess contributed 62 yards on the ground and scored a touchdown. Through the air, Ryder Duncan completed 8 of 10 passes for 156 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Weston Hardin caught four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Carson Hardin had four receptions for 37 yards, while Duncan added a 13-yard reception.
Alqorum anchors defensive effort
Ryan Alqorum led the Dragons defensively with 18 tackles, including three tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Duncan and Rooster Laughlin each finished with 11 tackles. Duncan recorded two tackles behind the line of scrimmage, while Laughlin had three tackles for loss.
Bradley Hinton and Kason Klutts recorded nine tackles apiece, and Estess finished with eight. Weston Hardin also intercepted a pass and made four tackles.
Haskell next at Memorial Stadium
Bangs will remain at Memorial Stadium next week for the second of three consecutive home games to begin the season. The Dragons will host Haskell, which enters at 0-1 after an 80-62 loss to Stamford.
For Bangs, the matchup will provide another opportunity to build on an explosive opening performance that featured four touchdowns from Bible, production from multiple offensive contributors and a defense that forced turnovers while keeping Dublin to one touchdown.