'A well-rounded team': Bowie finds impact plays all over the field in win against Austin High

Bowie defensive lineman Cade Venable (90) rushes the passer during the game against Austin High School at House Park on Friday, Sep. 25, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman) Yards weren't easy for star Bowie running back Rhys Moreno to find Friday night.

>The senior, averaging more than 220 rushing yards per game heading into the Bulldogs's District 26-6A opener against Austin High, rarely ran more than a yard beyond the line of scrimmage before he was swarmed by maroon jerseys. But when Bowie needed to seal the win at House Park, they put their star at quarterback for a play.

>Moreno received the snap in the shotgun, ran up the middle, shrugged off a tackler and scored a touchdown that put Bowie up by 25 points midway through the fourth quarter. That score capped off a solid 14-carry, 78-yard and two rushing touchdown performance for Moreno, putting him at 15 rushing scores for the season.

Bowie running back Rhys Moreno (20) celebrates a touchdown during the game against Austin High School at House Park on Friday, Sep. 25, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman) While the 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back didn't post his usual gaudy statistics, a Bowie team (4-1, 1-0) team eyeing a district title proved it's not reliant on one player, showcasing an explosive passing game, a dominant defensive front and a potential momentum-swinging special teams in a 31-3 win over the Maroons (0-4, 0-1).

>"We have an elite defense, and our offense is elite too," Moreno said. "A well-rounded team, and ready to play ball."

Bowie's passing attack, special teams stand outTwo plays into Friday's contest, it seemed like Moreno could be in store for his fourth 200-yard rushing performance of the season when he broke to the outside and outran the entire Austin High defense for a 73-yard score. However, a flag negated the touchdown.

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>The drive flamed out and Austin High got points first on a 41-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. But the ensuing kickoff was returned to the Maroons' 33-yard line by Cooper Medeiros. Three plays later, a 3-yard Moreno touchdown run gave the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead and a 6-yard rushing score from Deuce Brown, a quarterback primarily used in running packages Friday, pushed the lead to 11 late in the second quarter.

>Austin High had a chance to cut the lead to eight on a field goal as the half ended, but the kick was blocked.

>The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the second half when quarterback Connor O'Dea tossed a 36-yard touchdown to Evan Dranguet with 6:44 remaining in the third quarter. In the fourth, the pair connected on a 50-yard pass to set up Moreno's second score that iced the game.

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>O'Dea flashed a strong arm, completing 8 of 17 passes for 168 yards and the touchdown to Dranguet, who finished with five receptions for 157 yards. The first-year starting quarterback has thrown eight touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 62.2% of his passes this season.

>"It's confidence," O'Dea said when asked how he's grown throughout the season. "Knowing I got the guys, I got the O-line, I got the running back."

A three-headed monster on Bowie's defensive lineAs Bowie's offense found its stride, the defense ensured the Maroons' offense was silenced. The defensive line trio of Hendrix York, Cade Venable and Marrell Hinton set the tone, spending much of the game in Austin High's backfield.

Bowie defensive lineman Marrell Hinton (99) sacks Austin quarterback Alijah Jablon (11) during the game at House Park on Friday, Sep. 25, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman) "Those guys just have fast motors, and they're tough players, they're smart," Bowie coach Jeff Ables said. "Those three defensive linemen are really good players for us. So I was really proud of the way they played tonight."

>Bowie forced two turnovers in the final seven minutes of the game: an interception from Isaiah Segura, which he returned 32 yards to the 11-yard line to set up a 26-yard D.J. De La Pena field goal for the game's final points, and the Bulldogs also recovered a fumble on the next drive.

>Bowie was far from perfect. Penalties hurt the Bulldogs early, O'Dea missed a couple of throws and Moreno said the team needed to be more productive on first downs. Still, the team played well enough to win its third straight game for the first time since the beginning of the 2024 season.

Bowie quarterback Deuce Brown (10) runs the ball in for a touchdown during the game against Austin High School at House Park on Friday, Sep. 25, 2026 in Austin. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman) Crucial games ahead for BowieAbles always aims for his teams to be in the hunt for a district title. Friday was a solid first step, he said.

>"Our kids always play hard. Whenever we play, they're going to play hard. I was really proud of the way they played in all phases of the game," he said. "Now, did we make some mistakes? Sure, yeah we did, and we got to get those cleaned up."

>Bowie grabbed the final playoff spot last year in a district with Lake Travis, Westlake and Dripping Springs. In February, UIL realignment pushed Lake Travis and Westlake out of the district. So far this season, the Bulldogs, along with Hays and Dripping Springs, look to be the top teams in 26-6A.

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>Bowie has a bye next week before it hosts Hays on Oct. 8. Eight days later, the Bulldogs will take on Dripping Springs, a team it lost to by seven points a year ago. Moreno, who eclipsed 1,600 yards last year and already has 961 this season, believes Bowie has the capability to win both matchups. The Bulldogs just need to execute at their potential.

>"It feels great to start off 1-0 (in district), but at the end of the day we still have a job to do," the captain said. "We have a goal of winning a district title; that starts (with) taking it game by game and making a statement on that field, rather than just going out there and going through the motions."

Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at 'A well-rounded team': Bowie finds impact plays all over the field in win against Austin High.