Texas High has few answers against Mesquite Poteet

By Johnny Green
MESQUITE, Texas—Answers were hard to come by in all three phases of the game for Texas High at Memorial Stadium Friday against Mesquite Poteet.

The end result was a 55-10 loss to Poteet, dropping the Tigers to 0-3 in District 7-5A, Division I play and 3-4 overall.

Offensively, the Tigers never got anything going against Poteet, while defensively they couldn’t corral Pirates running back Seth McGowan (10 carries, 185 yards, 3 touchdowns) for the second straight year.

The kicking game was perhaps more futile. The Tigers missed one field goal and had another blocked and returned for a touchdown. And short punts in the first half set Poteet up with short fields resulting in touchdowns.

On the positive side, senior running back Tracy Cooper cracked the 1,000-yard rushing barrier with 124 yards on 23 carries, and junior quarterback Zane Dodson performed well in a backup role, completing 6 of 14 passes for 81 yards, including a 29-yard scoring strike to Kobe Webster for the team’s lone touchdown in the third quarter.

Except for two first-half turnovers and the punting problems for Texas High, the final statistics were similar. Poteet outgained the visitors 321-239, but the Tigers had the edge in first downs 15-14. But the Pirates played error-free football in improving to 2-0 in league play and 3-3 overall.

As in last week’s first-half debacle against McKinney North, most of the damage by Poteet was inflicted in the second quarter, the Pirates scoring four touchdowns for a 42-3 halftime advantage.

But they had plenty of help. For instance, McGowan’s second of three first-half TDs was set up by a 7-yard punt, and his 43-yard run on 4th-and-2. His third score came with 1:05 left on the first play after a 23-yard punt out of the end zone to the Tiger 32.

In between those two touchdowns the Pirates got a 68-yard return of a blocked field goal attempt by Diego Mata-Chavez after a Tiger drive stalled at the MP 18, and a 6-yard pass from Jaylond Police to Tristian Golightly with 2:20 remaining. That came on the sixth play after Bryce Hamilton recovered a fumble at the THS 36.

Poteet scored twice in the first quarter, Golightly grabbing a 7-yarder after Police nailed T. J. McCollum for a 47-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage, and McGowan bolting 13 yards after Stephen Kirk’s 43-yard pass interception return.

The Tigers’ only points came on Oscar Hernandez’s personal-long 44-yard field goal with 2:23 left in the quarter. The Tigers drove 48 yards in seven plays before being stopped.

Poteet’s two second-half touchdowns came on McGowan’s 62-yard burst through the middle in the third quarter and a 30-yard pass from McCullom, who moved to quarterback, to Raymond Austin with 11:17 left in the game.

Other than Webster’s touchdown catch, the only other Tiger threat in the second half ended on a 40-yard field goal attempt that fell short.

Texas High 3 0 7 0 0 — 10
Mesquite Poteet 14 28 7 6 — 55

FIRST QUARTER
MP-Tristian Golightly 7 pass from Jaylond Police (Matthew Duarte kick), 10:35
MP-Seth McGowan 13 run (Duarte kick), 6:00
TH-Oscar Hernandez 44 FG, 2:23
SECOND QUARTER
MP-McGowan 3 run (Duarte kick), 8:39
MP-Jeremiah Anukem 68 return of blocked field goal (Duarte kick), 4:11
MP-Golightly 6 pass from Police (Duarte kick), 2:20
MP-McGowan 32 run (Duarte kick), 1:05
THIRD QUARTER
MP-McGowan 62 run (Duarte kick), 5:42
TH-Kobe Webster 29 pass from Zane Dodson (Diego Mata-Chavez kick), 2:27
FOURTH QUARTER
MP-Raymond Austin 30 pass from T. J. McCollum (kick fails), 11:17