Ulysses's Offense Exploded for 38 Points Against Abilene, Outburst Wasn't Enough
Cowboys Down Tigers 43-38
by Dennis Gonzales on November 06, 2015
Launch the media gallery 1 playerJames M. Dobson/GC Telegram
UHS Senior Ian Rudzik runs past an Abilene defender for a touchdown in the second quarter.Ulysses's offense exploded for 38 points in its KSHSAA 4A-1 regional championship game against Abilene November 6.
The outburst wasn't enough as Abilene rallied from a 30-29 fourth-quarter deficit to down the Tigers 43-38.
Ian Rudzik accounted for 36 of the Tigers' 38 points.
He ran for 224 yards on 27 carries and scored five touchdowns. He added six more points on PAT runs.
Rudzik's 57-yard first-quarter run gave Ulysses a 6-0 lead.
The TD led to one of seven lead changes.
Rudzik's second touchdown, a 95-yard punt return, knotted the score at 14 going into the second quarter.
With 39 seconds left in the second, his 10-yard run and PAT pushed the Tigers up 30-29.
Their final lead came on Rudzik's 41-yard rushing touchdown at the 2:41 mark of the third.
Abilene then rallied for 14 fourth-quarter points to secure the victory.
The Tigers' Abe Romero had 70 yards on the ground on nine carries.
Mario Rodriguez collected 39 yards on two rushes and Angel Sifuentes had two carries for 19 yards.
Launch the media gallery 2 playerJames M. Dobson/GC Telegram
UHS Senior Mario Rodriguez breaks a tackle for a big gain during the second quarter against Abilene.Ulysses ends its 2015 season at 8-2.