Coltyn Fulton’s big night leads Tascosa past Monterey

By any metric, Monterey’s defense did enough Friday night to hang around with one of the most difficult teams to prepare for in West Texas. The Plainsmen were disciplined against the triple-option, stayed in their lanes, and forced the Tascosa Rebels to earn nearly every yard.

Except when Coltyn Fulton had the ball.

The Rebels’ senior quarterback was a one-man wrecking crew, slicing through Monterey’s front seven with vision, patience, and explosiveness that few high school defenders can match. Fulton rushed for 224 yards on just 15 carries, setting the tone for Tascosa’s 35-21 victory in a District 2-5A Division I showdown at Lowrey Field.

His performance wasn’t just about numbers—it was about timing. Each of Fulton’s big plays seemed to arrive at the perfect moment, stopping Monterey’s momentum cold or breaking open what had been a tight, physical game.

After a deadlocked 14-14 first half, Fulton and the Rebels erupted for 21 unanswered points, using a combination of tempo and physicality to overwhelm a Monterey defense that had held strong early. Fulton’s 36-yard run on the second play of the half ignited the drive that ended with Reese Cabe’s 15-yard touchdown run. Then, facing 3rd-and-14 two series later, Fulton scrambled for 32 yards to keep the drive alive, leading to a short Traeson Elliott touchdown.

And just when Monterey seemed to be holding on, Fulton broke free again—this time for 56 yards—to set up Tendrick Sargent’s 9-yard scoring run that gave Tascosa a commanding 35-14 lead with under six minutes left.

The Rebels finished with 389 rushing yards, the kind of ground dominance that has defined Tascosa football under head coach Ken Plunk. The formula was familiar: punish defenses with the option, force mistakes, and let Fulton’s decision-making steer the attack.

For Monterey, the game was a tale of two halves. The Plainsmen executed their game plan to perfection early, chewing up clock with long drives and capitalizing on limited Tascosa possessions. Their opening touchdown—a 15-play, 94-yard march capped by Deuce Moore’s 10-yard run—gave them an early 7-0 lead and plenty of confidence.

But the Rebels responded instantly. On the very next snap, Fulton sprinted around the right edge for a 53-yard score to tie the game, setting the tone for the kind of explosive plays that would haunt Monterey all night.

Quarterback Jonah Reed did his best to keep the Plainsmen in it, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns, including a perfectly placed strike to Cam Taylor just before halftime that tied the game at 14-14. But in the second half, Reed rarely had time to throw. Tascosa’s defensive front collapsed the pocket, forcing hurried throws and limiting Monterey’s running game to just 44 yards total.

While Monterey showed flashes of the balanced attack that produced back-to-back wins earlier this month, the Plainsmen couldn’t sustain drives when it mattered most.

Meanwhile, Tascosa looked every bit like a playoff contender, improving to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in district play. Fulton’s poise, power, and precision were the difference, proving once again that in the triple-option, one great decision-maker can make all the difference.