| Sports
Highlights ’Jackets lose to Panthers,
43-20
By Curtis Donovan
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–The visiting Mabank Panthers defeated the Kemp
Yellowjackets, 43-20, Friday.
The loss leaves the Jackets at 0-6 for the season and 0-2 in
District 13-3A play.
The win moves Mabank to a 4-4 overall record, and a 1-2 district
mark.
Beginning at their own 31, it took the Panthers only four plays
and a little more than one-and a-half minutes to open the
scoring with a 37-yard blast by senior co-captain Ryan Walker.
It looked like Kemp would strike back almost immediately as
sophomore Braxton Allison worked his way into the open field,
only to see quarterback, and fellow sophomore, Corey Watkins’
pass slip through his fingers.
Even with the disappointment, the ’Jackets moved the ball
briskly to the 22 before the three consecutive penalties pushed
them back to the 46, forcing a punt.
This time it took only two plays, a rush for 11 yards by Tanner
Marler followed by a 59-yard run by Walker, to put Mabank on the
board again.
Electing to go for the two-point conversion, Craig Austin hit
Marler to make it 15-0 with 3:07 left in the quarter.
Following an exchange of punts, Kemp took over at their own 31.
Senior Matt Kinney opened the drive with runs of 12 and 6 yards.
Jared Lane then added eight more as the ’Jackets began to
display their running game.
On the next play, Cameron Anderson contributed a gain of five,
followed by Watkins for four more. Five plays later, on fourth
down from the 24, Watkins hit Anderson at the 12. Anderson then
lateraled to Lane, who scampered down the sideline for the first
Yellowjacket score of the night.
Patrick Renfro’s PAT was good to put them on the board, down
15-7.
The ensuing Mabank drive was just as impressive as the first
two. Starting with a nine-yard gain by Trevor Chasteen, the
Panthers took six plays, including a run of 28 yards by Corey
Givens and 17-yard reception by Jacob Raney, before Chasteen
crashed in from the five to give the Panthers the 22-7 lead with
3:12 remaining in the half.
Kemp’s drive to open the second half was thwarted as they gave
the ball up at the 38 on a fumble.
From there it took just three plays, including a 15-yard
personal foul call against Mabank, before Givens rambled in from
the 24 to make the score 29-7.
The PAT by Kory Roberts was good. Roberts hit all five of his
PAT attempts on the evening.
Starting at the 24, Kemp once again began to move the ball
methodically downfield.
With Anderson, Kinney and Lane sharing the duties, the ’Jackets
moved to the 47, when Mabank senior linebacker Ezequiel Gonzales
scooped up a fumble at the 41 and ran all the way for the
touchdown.
Following the PAT, the score was 36-7 with 6:15 remaining in the
third quarter.
Beginning at the 39, Watkins promptly hit Allison for a big gain
of 29. The 15-yard penalty against the Panthers pushed the ball
up to the 17 as Kemp recovered their own fumble but, setting
them back to the 30.
Needing to get to the seven for the first down, Watkins first
hit Patterson for 12, then Jordan Freeman for 19 more before
calling his own number to crash in from the one for Kemp’s
second touchdown of the evening.
With 3:38 left in the quarter, Renfro’s PAT made it 36-14.
As had happened earlier, the Panthers came roaring back.
Starting with an eight-yard gain by Chasteen, they followed with
a 56-yard pass from Craig to Walker. Givens added 11 more before
Dillon Cathey crashed in from the five to give Mabank their
final score. With two minutes remaining, the Panthers were up
43-14.
Following Kemp’s punt, Mabank gave junior Rance Thorn a turn as
quarterback. He promptly hit Jacob Raney for gain of 15, then
was dropped in the backfield for a loss of four.
Givens’ rush for 19 set the Panthers up with a first and goal at
the six. From there the ‘Jackets held.
Taking over on downs from their eight, Kemp began to move
smartly down the field.
Lane opened with a 2-yard burst, then caught Watkins’ pass for
eight more before another by Lane before adding 21 more of his
team high 63 yards.
However, the drive stalled, and Kemp turned the ball over on
downs at the 23 only to cause and recover a fumble on the next
play, giving themselves a chance for one more score.
From the 25, Kyle Kimberling opened with a gain of eight. Four
plays later Brandon Stewart added 10 more to set the table for
Lane’s six-yard touchdown and the final score of the game.
During the game, Kemp Yellowjacket Jon Jennings sustained a
shoulder injury. He is undergoing treatment, and it is unknown
whether he will be available next week.
Kimberling, who played limited time against Mabank, is still
recovering and is considered a “day-to-day” decision.
Mabank reported no significant injuries, and the minor injuries
some players have sustained are healing. “We’re healthy,” Mabank
head coach Jimmy Cantrell said.
“We were a little slow executing defensively in the first half,”
Kemp head coach Greg Anderson said. “We got in a deficit and
couldn’t close the gap.”
Anderson expressed how pleased he was that his team never gave
up, and how, even though getting tired, they played better in
the second half of the game.
“We gave up some easy first-half points, the game should have
been much closer,” he added.
Cantrell was pleased with the way his Panthers played. “We
should play like that every week,” he said. “We played a very
good game offensively, but defensively we’ve got to give respect
to opponent’s passing game and trick plays.”
The Yellowjackets now turn their attention to the 3-0 hosting
North Forney Falcons.
“We have confidence going into the game since we beat them last
year,” Anderson said. “They are the same group of kids for the
most part.”
“They are very talented and coached well,” Anderson said. “This
game will be a matter of being physical up front.
“We will have to execute better in the first half,” Anderson
added. The Panthers will travel to Crandall this week to face
the Pirates.
“Crandall runs a lot of two-back plays, and are average at
passing. They prefer to run,” Cantrell said. “They have a very
good offense and a lot of guys back from last year.”
“It should be an interesting game,” Cantrell commented. “We just
do not want to play on the road like we did in Kaufman. We do
want to play on the road like we did in Kemp.”
In District 13-3A, the playoff scenario simple for both Mabank
and Kemp – they both need to win the last two games.
Kemp is still mathematically in the playoff picture, but will
need help from other teams to make a playoff spot. Mabank is
hoping for Kaufman and North Forney to win.
’Dogs lose first game of season to
Grandview, 35-3
By Sam Epps
Sports Editor
EUSTACE–The Eustace Bulldogs were handed their first loss of the
season by the visiting Grandview Zebras Friday.
At the end of the game, however, football wasn’t at the top of
anybody’s mind. During post-game congratulations, Eustace
Bulldog senior Billy Key collapsed on the field.
As players and coaches gathered around him, he complained of
being unable to breathe.
Trainers and coaches tended to him, loosening his pads and
trying to calm him as an ambulance was on its way.
Monitor Photo/Sam Epps
Eustace Bulldog tight end Josh Dunn (25) catches a deep pass
despite being double covered. The visiting Grandview Zebras
handed Eustace its first loss of the season, 35-3, Friday.
He was taken to ETMC-Athens and held overnight for
observation.
No obvious reason for his shortness of breath was found, and he
was back at school Monday.
There will be more tests performed on Key, and the likelihood of
him returning to the field was unknown as of Monday.
There were no other injuries reported in the game, short of
common bumps and bruises, Eustace head coach Brian Herman
reported.
In the game, the Zebras took control early and maintained the
lead throughout the game.
Eustace’s only score came in the second quarter on a 36-yard
Kyle Purselley field goal to make the score 7-3.
Eustace gained 308 yards rushing in the game. Grandview gained
298 yards on the ground. Both teams had 12 first downs in the
game.
Eustace quarterback Jordan Foote completed two of four pass
attempts for 46 yards, but also threw one interception.
Eustace also lost three fumbles in the game.
Tight end Josh Dunn led Eustace receivers with 29 yards, and
Tyler McWilliams caught one for 14 yards.
Tyler Folsom led the ground game with 130 yards on 17 carries.
Blake Ward followed with 111 yards on 22 carries.
Jacob McCarter ran for 37 yards on 12 carries, and Foote added
21 yards on four carries.
“They (Grandview) have so much speed and size,” Herman
commented. “We didn’t take care of our business.”
With the loss, Eustace is in second place in District 6-2A DI
behind Grandview.
In order to qualify for a playoff spot, Eustace needs to get a
win over Maypearl this week.
The following week they will play Dallas Life Oak, and that game
could determine who finishes second place, and who takes third.
Maypearl took second place in the district last year, and
defeated Eustace 48-3.
This year, however, they haven’t won a game.
Maypearl has been shut out completely in four games, and in the
other four games have a combined 54 points scored.
“They have very low numbers this year,” Herman said, speaking of
the number of players on the team. “So they don’t have a lot of
consistency.”
Herman noted, however, that the lack of consistency could play
to Maypearl’s favor, as the Bulldogs won’t really know what kind
of game Maypearl will play.
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