Texas High improves postseason hopes by whipping Wylie East, 40-13

WYLIE, Texas––Texas High took care of business Friday against Wylie East, but more lies ahead for the Tigers as far as the postseason goes.

As expected, Texas High routed last-place Wylie East, 40-13, at Wylie ISD Stadium. Now the Tigers must defeat West Mesquite in next week’s regular-season finale at Tiger Stadium.

The winner of that game likely will make the playoffs, even though West Mesquite lost to Sherman Friday night to fall into a three-way tie with the Tigers and the Bearcats for the final playoff spot. However, Sherman finishes the season with John Tyler, leaving the Bearcats underdogs.

“All I know is we have to beat West Mesquite,” said Tigers coach Gary Stanford. “We don’t want it to come down to a three-way tie and come down to a points comparison.”

Friday’s win did clinch at least a .500 regular season for Texas High, which won its second straight to improve to 5-4, 2-3 overall. Wylie East finished the season at 2-8, 0-6.

Texas High unleashed its best running game of the season with senior Tyrell Miller posting his career-first 100-yard effort with 111 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. He had a 3-yard scoring run with 8:31 left in the game, and sophomore Braylon Stewart boosted 36 yards for a score after a fumble recovery at the 7:52 mark. Stewart had 87 yards on just four carries, setting Miller’s TD with a 49-yard jaunt.

“We played a lot better in the second half,” Stanford said. “We missed a few things in the first half, but we did enough to hold a two-score lead. I thought the fourth-down stop there in the second quarter just set the tone for the rest of the game.”

East had driven to the Tiger 7-yard line with the score 14-6, but was hit for a 7-yard loss on fourth down.
Rian Cellers passed for two fourth-down touchdowns, including a 12-yarder to Kobe Webster in the third quarter that made it 28-6.

Texas High’s 21-7 halftime lead was not a thing of beauty. Before Cellers’ 23-yard scoring pass to Clayton Smith with 29 seconds remaining, the Tigers had gone 3-and-out four of five possessions after Miller raced 38 yards for a touchdown the first time the visitors had the ball.

Except for a 48-yard pass play for a touchdown, the Tiger defense held Wylie East at bay. That included a fourth-down stop at its own 7 midway through the second quarter. The Raiders managed only 19 yards rushing on 17 attempts. They were held to five completions in 14 attempts for 113 yards.

Miller, who entered the game after starter Tracy Cooper was injured slightly on the Tigers’ first play, carried five times for 53 yards, including the game’s first score on a cutback play off left tackle.

It would be nearly a quarter’s length of time before the Tigers scored again, Cellers capping a 5-play, 77-yard drive after the fourth-down stop with a nifty 37-yard scamper, eluding several would-be tacklers on the way.

Texas High’s final TD that ended on Smith’s TD catch near the end zone on 4th-and-8, followed a punt that set the Tigers up at their own 41 with just over two minutes to play. A wide-receiver pass from Webster to Cooper for 42 yards put the Tigers in position for Cellers’ TD toss.

The Raiders’ only first-half score came on Cade Adamson’s 48-yard heave to Luke Bumpas that completed a 5-play, 72-yard march with 2:21 left in the half. However, the PAT kick failed leaving the Tigers on top, 7-6.

Texas High 7 14 7 12 — 40
Wylie East 6 0 0 7 — 13
FIRST QUARTER
TH-Tyrell Miller 38 run (Diego Mata-Chavez kick), 8:31
WE-Luke Bumpus 48 pass from Cade Adamson (kick failed), 2:21
SECOND QUARTER
TH-Rian Cellers 37 run (Mata-Chavez kick), 10:01
TH-Clayton Smith 23 pass from Cellers (Mata Chavez kick), 0:29
THIRD QUARTER
TH-Kobe Webster 12 pass from Cellers (Mata-Chavez kick), 1:09
FOURTH QUARTER
TH-Miller 3 run (kick failed), 8:31
TH-Braylon Stewart 36 run (kick blocked), 7:52
WE-Xavier Smith 72 pass from Brett Miller (Erick Bustillos kick), 7:27