If the 2025 season was a proverbial bingo card for both the Dimmitt and Highland Park football teams, a breathtaking ending might have been one of those boxes.
While both squads are a couple of weeks away from district play with the postseason further out, a thrilling finish happened sooner than expected.
The Bobcats and Hornets battled down to the wire, before Dimmitt converted a fourth and 10 into a touchdown to take an exciting 34-30 victory over Highland Park on Friday at Hornet Stadium in northeast Amarillo.
After converting on a previous fourth down, the Bobcats were again down to their final offensive play. From 30 yards away and with 40 seconds remaining, junior quarterback Kayden Carpio lofted a pass to senior receiver Frankie Cortez.
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Cortez beat out his opponent, reeled in the football and dove to the pylon for the go-ahead score.
Dimmitt head coach Jimmy Arias knew that Cortez’s speed could win the night.
“We had a nine route, a flag route and a slant route, hoping that the slant would take the safety, and he did,” Arias said. “That left (Cortez) one-on-one, and he was able to make the catch.”
Carpio, who finished going 10-of-22 for 126 yards and the game winning TD, gave credit to his teammates for making the big play happen.
“It was an all-around team effort,” Carpio said. “Our receivers were out there making plays, and our line blocked well. I just took the snap and threw the ball, right in the hands of (Cortez).”
Carpio also rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
Highland Park didn’t go down without a fight, though. The Hornets rallied back from a double-digit deficit not once, but on two separate occasions. With 2:24 left on the clock, senior running back Morgon Peace took the handoff from senior quarterback Josh Marler, found a gap and cut to the outside before striking paydirt from 17 yards out.
Even though the 30-28 lead didn’t last long, the Hornets’ resiliency drew praise from head coach Ty Stout.
“I can’t be more proud of the kids,” Stout said. “The group of guys that we have right now have gotten better every week. They’ve bought into the program. They are bought into what we’re doing. We made some silly mistakes, and that’s what beat us. I believe that we were the better team overall.”
Arias praised the Hornets for giving his team a tough battle.
“It was a great game,” Arias said. “Hats off to (Marler) and their defense. (Marler) is amazing. We kept them in the game the whole time, and we couldn’t move the football, running wise. At the end, (Carpio) was finally able to throw the ball and find some open receivers.”
Dimmitt is now off to their best start since 2016, improving to 4-1 overall. The Bobcats also equaled the amount of games won since 2022.
“It feels amazing,” Carpio said. “We did our jobs and we came out on top.”
The Bobcats will now gear up for a showdown with Slaton, set for 7 p.m. next Friday at Blake J. Boyd Memorial Stadium in Slaton. The Tigers (4-1) thumped Morton with a 55-16 final score on Friday at home.
“Slaton is ranked in the top 20 and is a traditionally strong program,” Arias said of the challenge ahead. “They have a really strong running game. We just have to be smart, not turn the ball over and try to stay in the game. We need to shorten the game up a little bit, and hopefully, we can stay in there and make some plays at the end.”
Highland Park dipped down to 2-3 overall, and will have a week to regroup and recover.
At 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, the Hornets will play host to West Texas High. The Comanches (4-1) walloped River Road with a 50-6 outcome on Friday at Comanche Field in Stinnett.
“We got to get healthy,” Stout said. “We’ve got to use (the bye) next week, and we have to use it the right way. We’re already studying as much as we can, and we’ll get some film on (WT High). We know what they have, and we know what we have. So, it’s just going to come down to grit and heart.”
“It’s going to be here at our place, so we need the community to come out and support us,” added Stout. “And, you know, let’s go steal one from them.”
Dimmitt started the game fast and furious, using a high-tempo offense to put the first points on the board.
With 9:51 left in the first quarter, junior Joaquin Arias scampered into the end zone from 16 yards out. The PAT attempt was unsuccessful, but provided the Bobcats with a 6-0 opening.
At the 11:43 mark in the second period, sophomore running back Octavio Arias fought through a whole host of Hornet defenders and took to the sideline before scoring a 57-yard touchdown. Carpio supplied the two points, extending Dimmitt’s lead to 14-0.
“We have speedsters,” Arias said of the fast start. “Our quarterback and running backs are fast, and we have to get to the outside (to gain yards and score points).”
The Hornets mounted their first rally, with Peace following his blockers into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown at the 8:12 mark. With a two-pointer from Marler to junior wideout Israel Arana, Highland Park trailed by six at 14-8.
Peace would then complete the rally, running the football to the crib from 44-yards out with 5:25 to go in the first half. Peace would end up with 214 yards and three TDs in 31 carries.
Less than halfway through the stanza, the game was tied at 14 points apiece.
“This was kind of a coming out party for him, of who he is as a football player and as a man,” Stout said of his running back. “He works hard everyday, he puts in the time and he never misses. He’s one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. The team rallied behind him, and it’s huge for us — as a confidence booster.”
Dimmitt was unfazed, responding in a hurry with a 70-yard touchdown run from Carpio with 5:12 left until halftime. With 2:26 left until intermission, Carpio rushed into the end zone from 24 yards out.
Going into the break, the Bobcats presided over a 28-14 halftime advantage.
“(The first score) was an outside run,” Carpio said. “Our line blocked well both times. (On the second score), I was able to cut inside and take it all of the way. Our offensive line was amazing. I love them.”
Returning to the field for the second half, Highland Park again put together a rally.
On their first possession, the Hornets marched down the field in a methodical manner, before Marler dialed his own number and scored an 11-yard touchdown. Marler also followed up by running in the two-point conversion.
HP made plenty of adjustments, which allowed the Hornets to get back into the game.
“We just took care of the outside run and shored that up,” Stout said. “We don’t have the biggest guys up front, but once they get their hands on you and start working, they don’t stop. The offensive line is our most important asset right now. They battled in the trenches and they won those battles.”
It took a while, but Peace was able to complete the comeback with his 17-yard touchdown run with less than two and a half to play. Marler then connected with Arana for the two-pointer, giving HP the lead at 30-28.
However, Dimmitt was able to seal the game with Carpio’s touchdown connection with Cortez with 40 seconds left. The Bobcats then forced a turnover on downs to seal the victory.
Cortez collected five catches for 88 yards to go along with his game-winner, while forcing a fumble on defense. Octavio Arias finished with his 57 yards and one TD, and compiled nine tackles. Junior Axel Constantino had a fumble recovery for the Bobcats.
Collectively, Dimmitt left the game with 411 total yards on offense.
For HP, Marler went 15-of-25 for 133 yards, while rushing eight times for 55 yards and one TD. Senior receiver Joey Williams caught three passes for 70 yards. The Hornets finished with a total of 407 yards of offense.
