By Stephanie Zwick
Photos by Kirsten Tacha
https://limonsports.smugmug.com/2026-Football/Byers-9-18
The Friday night lights of Sept. 18th’s football game in Byers, had the Limon Badgers quickly showed the Byers Bulldogs how difficult the transition back to 1A can be after several years in eight-man football. Facing last season’s state championship team only amplified the challenge, and Limon demonstrated from the opening kickoff why it is such a difficult force to contain.
Byers deferred to the second half, putting the ball in Limon’s hands first. Liam Yoder returned the opening kickoff 37 yards to give the Badgers strong field position, then added 9 yards on the next two runs. Camdyn Tacha gained 5 yards and a first down before quarterback Joe White picked up a couple more on an option keeper. White then connected with Macael Berry for a 48-yard touchdown pass. Roberto Sontay’s extra point gave Limon a quick 7-0 lead.
Byers returned the kickoff and began at its own 25-yard line. A 9-yard completion moved the Bulldogs forward, but the next pass slipped through the receiver’s hands. The drive stalled, and Limon took over after the punt.
Yoder immediately went back to work with a 20-yard run and a first down. Brady Trim followed with an 11-yard gain, and Tacha added 15 more as the Badgers rapidly moved downfield. After Yoder gained 6 yards, Tacha broke off an 8-yard touchdown run. The extra-point attempt was no good, leaving Limon ahead 13-0 with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter.
Byers managed only a 5-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, with Trim making the stop. Parker Harris halted the next play, and Ben Carr followed by sacking the Bulldogs’ quarterback. Byers punted, but the ball struck Yoder and the Bulldogs recovered. Limon’s defense responded immediately: Carr, Tacha and Carlos Nunez combined for a 2-yard loss. Byers converted a short pass for a first down, but Berry and Nunez then combined for a 5-yard sack. Riley Davis added another stop before Byers punted into the end zone.
Yoder gained 7 yards, but a false-start penalty erased much of the progress. He carried again for 9 yards, and Tacha added 5 yards before the first quarter ended.
Early in the second quarter, Harris broke loose for 55 yards to give Limon excellent field position. Yoder then added 26 yards and a touchdown. Sontay’s kick was blocked, but the Badgers extended their lead to 19-0.
Byers began its next possession at its own 14-yard line. Dillon Rockwell made an early stop for Limon, and Carr added another sack. An incomplete pass forced a short punt out of bounds, giving the Badgers the ball at the 28-yard line.
White narrowly missed Rockwell on a pass attempt, and Yoder gained 2 yards before another incompletion forced Limon to turn the ball over on downs. Byers tried to establish its running game, but Yoder made the stop after a 20-yard gain. Carr pressured the quarterback and then redirected to the runner. When the Bulldogs tried the middle again, a crowd of Badgers stopped the play. Byers punted, and Yoder secured the fair catch after initially bobbling the ball.
Limon returned to the ground game. Tacha gained 5 yards, Yoder added 15, and Tacha picked up 13 more before a holding penalty pushed the Badgers back. Limon recovered a bad snap but lost significant yardage. Tacha regained some of it on the ground, but a long pass fell incomplete and the Badgers were forced to punt.
Byers gained 8 yards on the ground before several Badgers brought the runner down, although Limon was called for offsides. Another short run produced 2 yards. The Bulldogs then went to the air, and Grant Masterson intercepted the pass for Limon.
Yoder broke free for 25 yards, and Tacha followed with 14. White then connected with Rockwell for a 32-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was successful, pushing Limon’s lead to 27-0.
Byers started at its own 30 after the kickoff but made little progress before halftime arrived with Limon firmly in control, 27-0.
Byers received the second-half kickoff and started at its own 26-yard line. Limon’s defense held the Bulldogs to no gain, and Carr broke through for another sack on a play that also drew a flag against Byers. Nelson Sontay then made a strong stop to force a punt, which the Badgers tipped.
Yoder ran for 15 yards, then Harris took the ball 24 yards for a touchdown. Sontay converted the extra point to make the score 34-0.
After the kickoff, Byers began at its own 25. Yoder and Sontay combined for the stop, but a short completion and a 6-yard run moved the Bulldogs forward. Limon pushed Byers backward on the next play. A long completion advanced the ball before Rockwell made the tackle, and he broke up another pass on the following attempt. Byers completed its next throw but was called for holding. Another pass was stopped by White, yet the Bulldogs eventually reached the end zone. The extra point made the score 34-7, with Limon still firmly in front.
Yoder returned the kickoff 15 yards. Harris gained 3 yards, Yoder added two more 3-yard runs, and Tacha picked up 4 yards for the first down. Rockwell took over at quarterback after White was injured during the previous defensive series. Yoder gained 6 yards, Tacha added 10, and Harris was held for no gain as the third quarter ended with Limon leading 34-7.
Rockwell opened the fourth quarter with a 35-yard quarterback run for a touchdown. Sontay’s kick was good, extending the Badgers’ lead to 41-7 with 11:04 remaining.
Carter McCormick stopped the Byers returner, and the Bulldogs gained 2 yards on the next play. Under heavy pressure, the Byers quarterback threw an incomplete pass with no receiver in the area. Limon players appealed for intentional grounding, but no flag was thrown. A bad snap on the next play gave the ball back to the Badgers.
Harris gained 3 yards, Tacha added 10, and Harris finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Sontay’s extra point made it 48-7 as the clock continued to wind down.
Byers’ kickoff return gained only 5 yards before Stockton Wanaka made the stop. A fumble followed, and Rockwell recovered it and returned the ball 22 yards. Harris then scored on a 6-yard run to secure the 54-7 victory with 2:38 remaining. Rather than attempt an extra point or two-point conversion, the Badgers knelt on the ball, choosing not to add to an already decisive lead.
Byers tried to move downfield in the remaining time, but Limon’s defense held firm. The final seconds expired with the Badgers completing a 54-7 win over the Bulldogs.