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Chapel Hill ends Panther playoffs
Bulldogs dominate second half in 30-14 bidistrict
victory
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Chapel Hill quarterback Chris Mass fires downfield as Mabank’s Joey
Mendez (on ground) makes the tackle. Mass eluded the Panther rush long
enough to complete the pass, which stunned Mabank defenders late in the
first half and enabled Chapel Hill to kick a last-second field goal.
Also shown is Matt Skinner (17).
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
MESQUITE–Chapel Hill’s Bulldogs dominated the second half
Friday to knock the Mabank Panthers out of the playoffs.
Now 6-5, the Bulldogs will face the 8-3 Liberty-Eylau Leopards in the
area round of the Division I playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, at
Bobcat Stadium in Hallsville. Liberty-Eylau upset unbeaten and
top-ranked Gilmer 39-36 Friday.
Mabank finishes its season at 6-5, with a District 13-3A
tri-championship.
Building on a couple of big plays late in the first half – including a
42-yard field goal on the final play – the Bulldogs never let the
Panthers generate any kind of offensive momentum in the second half.
This was how the second half went for the Panthers:
• three plays and punt,
• three plays and punt,
• one play and interception,
• four plays and punt,
• six plays and interception, and
• three plays and interception.
Total – 20 offensive plays, 45 total yards, two turnovers.
In the meantime, the Bulldogs scored on three of their seven second-half
possessions – they went three-and-out to open the half and their final
possession was a kneel-down to run out the final 15 seconds.
Early on, it looked like the Panthers were going to be able to move the
ball effectively on the E.H. Hanby Stadium turf against the Bulldog
defense.
After an exchange of punts to open the game, the Panthers generated a
drive on their second possession.
Given decent field position at their 44, the Panthers marched 66 yards
in eight plays.
The key play was a third-down 33-yard pass from sophomore quarterback
Kolton Browning to Zach Costlow, which put the Panthers in scoring
position at the Bulldog 23.
Two runs by Chris Recio (14 carries, 36 yards) notched a first down at
the Bulldog 11, and on third-and-10, Browning found Matt Skinner for the
touchdown, with six minutes even left in the first quarter.
Montana Morse’s PAT kick made it a 7-0 Mabank lead.
Chapel Hill pulled off its first big play on the ensuing possession.
Facing fourth-and-two at the Chapel Hill 49, the Bulldogs lined up in
punt formation.
The snap went to blocking back Joseph Antley, and he found 6-5
quarterback Chris Mass (who had lined up as the left-side end)
downfield. Mass turned the 10-yard pass into a 51-yard scoring play,
breaking a tackle and motoring up the Chapel Hill sideline.
Landon Rodgers’ kick tied the score at 7-all with 3:52 left in the first
quarter.
A strong return by Davis Kiker to the Mabank 44 gave the Panthers
another good start, and the Panthers moved 66 yards in just four plays.
Recio (who had only two carries for negative three yards in the second
half) got the march going with a 15-yard scamper.
On third-and-eight at the Bulldog 39, Browning found Hayden Blair open
on the Chapel Hill sideline, and Blair converted for a touchdown.
Morse’s second kick gave the Panthers a 14-7 lead with 2:36 left in the
first quarter.
The Bulldogs fumbled twice on their next possession, once on the kickoff
when Wesley Patton attempted an ill-advised lateral, and on first down,
when Mass tried a pitchout and ended up falling on the ball for a loss
of eight.
Forced to punt, the Bulldogs gave the Panthers pretty decent field
position with a 20-yard kick to the Mabank 33.
Mabank put together one first down on a seven-yard pass to Costlow
(three catches, 43 yards), but stalled when a mishandled shotgun snap
had to be chased down by Browning for an 18-yard loss, all the way back
to the Panther 30, forcing a punt.
The Bulldogs punted right back when they went nowhere and a third-down
pass fell incomplete.
Mabank got a gift first down on their next possession when the Bulldogs
were offsides, negating a busted third-down play, and on the very next
snap, Browning found Norman Brady on the Chapel Hill sideline for a
23-yard gain to the Bulldog 45.
The drive stalled when Bulldog fullback/linebacker Fred Suell sacked
Browning (the first of four sacks) for a loss of eight, forcing a punt.
With time running out, the Bulldogs began an improbable march, helped
along by a couple of almost unbelievable plays.
A reverse by Marquis Warren went up the Chapel Hill sideline for 36
yards before Brady could shove him out of bounds, setting the Bulldogs
up at the Mabank 41.
A holding penalty backed up the Bulldogs, but on third-and-long, Mass
scrambled away long enough to find DeKerrian Cooper over the middle for
a nine-yard gain.
The outstanding play by Mass – who was actually in the grasp of Panther
defensive lineman Joey Mendez and falling as he threw – stunned the
Panthers.
In contrast, Mass’ fourth-down conversion pass to Warren for 13 yards
was a routine effort.
With two seconds left in the half, Rodgers nailed a 42-yard field goal
effort to close the halftime margin to three points, 14-10.
The second half opened just like the first half, with an exchange of
punts.
Mabank got the worst of the exchange, as a Chapel Hill bounce made
Brady’s kick a 17-yard effort, and gave the Bulldogs very good field
position at the Panther 47.
Chapel Hill took nine plays – seven runs and two pass attempts – to move
in for the go-ahead touchdown.
Runs by tailback Matthew Tucker (19 carries, 86 yards and two touchdowns
in the second half) and Suell (eight carries, 30 yards, one touchdown in
the second half) keyed the march.
Tucker punched in from two yards out to cap the drive, and Rodgers’ kick
gave the Bulldogs a 17-14 lead with 4:15 left in the third quarter.
A second straight three-and-out by the Panther offense gave the Bulldog
offense the opportunity to put a second straight scoring march together.
This time, the Bulldogs moved 58 yards in nine plays, all on the ground.
Key plays in the march included a 12-yard run by Tucker on the first
play, a six-yard third-down run by Suell (dragging three defenders on
the way), a 12-yard reverse by Warren, and an 11-yard run by Tucker to
set up a first-and-goal at the Panther 8.
Tucker got the touchdown from three yards out, and Rodgers’ PAT kick
gave the Bulldogs a two-possession lead, 24-14.
Mabank’s offense, which hadn’t looked so good in the second half, went
absolutely nowhere on their third possession.
On first down, Browning was sacked and fumbled, but Panther Alan Ott
recovered for a loss of five, and on second down, Mass picked off
Browning’s pass at the 35 and returned the theft to the Panther 22.
Mabank’s defense stiffened, however, and a fourth-and-three plunge by
Tucker came up a yard short at Panther 13.
Browning got the Panthers out of the hole with a 10-yard pass to
Skinner, but his next three passes were all incomplete, forcing a punt.
Given very good field position at midfield, the Bulldogs took eight
running plays to move 50 yards for the score.
The key play in the march was another reverse, this time with Cooper
carrying the ball, as Brady again saved a touchdown with a tackle at the
Panther 3.
Suell punched in from a yard out for the score. Rodgers’ PAT kick was
wide left, but the Bulldogs were up 30-14 with just 2:46 left to play.
With the Bulldogs playing deep on defense, the Panthers put together a
couple of first downs on short throws underneath, coupled with a
seven-yard pass-interference penalty against Chapel Hill.
On first-and-10 at the Mabank 48, Browning was picked off again, this
time by Tony Riley, and the Panthers got a 15-yard late-hit penalty
tacked on.
Not that it mattered. All the Bulldogs wanted to do was run some clock,
and they did that.
Even though Samuel Spencer nailed Warren for a loss of eight on fourth
down, the Panthers were down to just 41 seconds of playing time.
A holding penalty against the Bulldogs gave the Panthers a new set of
downs, and Browning found Justin Fontenot along the Chapel Hill sideline
for a gain of 25, down to the Bulldog 16.
However, when Browning tried the same play to Fontenot again, Chapel
Hill’s Skylar Jackson intercepted in the end zone to end Mabank’s last
possession and their season.
Kemp girls take third at Cayuga
Monitor Staff Reports
KEMP–The Kemp Lady Yellowjackets captured third place in the Cayuga
Invitational tournament Saturday.
Now 4-2 on the season, the Lady ’Jackets were scheduled to travel to
Scurry-Rosser Tuesday, and are scheduled to host Edgewood Friday, Nov.
24, with a 10 a.m. freshman contest opening a three-game slate.
Next Tuesday, Nov. 28, the Lady ’Jackets will host Mineola, with a 5
p.m. freshman contest kicking off a three-game slate.
At Cayuga Saturday, the Kemp girls defeated Canton junior varsity 56-46
for the third place trophy, taking the lead for good in the second half,
when they outscored the Lady Eagle JV 31-19.
Sarah Smith was named to the All-Tournament team.
Alex Valentine led the Lady ’Jackets with 13 points, while Ashley
Zellmer and Ashley Darby each scored 10 points, and both Smith and Kate
Donovan scored eight points each.
Meagan Lacy scored five points and Brittany Simmons chipped in two
points.
Kemp opened the tournament with a 53-48 win over the hosting Cayuga Lady
Wildcats, led by Smith with 16 points.
Also, Simmons had 10 points, Zellmer scored eight points, Lacy had
seven, Valentine had five, Darby four and Donovan three.
In the second round, the Lady ’Jackets fell behind Normangee Lady
Panthers early, 22-5, and were never able to make up the deficit.
Normangee, out of District 25-1A, went on to a 55-38 win, sealing the
victory by hitting nine free throws in the final quarter.
Valentine led the Lady ’Jackets with 10 points, Zellmer and Darby both
had eight points each, Smith had four points, and Donovan, Brittany
Simmons, Brandy Simmons and Lacy all scored two points each.
LSHSRA event held in Mabank
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–The Lone Star High School Rodeo Association hosted its Nov. 11
rodeo at Andrew Gibbs Rodeo Arena in Mabank. Area high school students
competed in rodeo events.
In bulls, Booter Haas of Eustace High School placed fifth.
Brandon Grissom of Kemp High School placed second in chute dogging.
In poles, Kelsey Busby of Mabank High School placed sixth. Cassie
Sparkman and Bethany Norman, also of Mabank High School, along with
Nicole Harrison of Kemp High School, also competed in poles.
Bobby Montgomery of Malakoff High School placed second in boys ribbon
roping, and Kody Durham also of Malakoff High School placed sixth.
Sparkman won the barrels competition, while Harrison placed 10th.
Montgomery and Durham competed in team roping.
Upcoming Games
Boys' Basketball
Nov. 28
MHS @ Van
KHS @ Fairfield
EHS @ Quinlan-Ford
Nov. 30-Dec. 2
Cedar Creek Lake Shoot-0ut
(Mabank)
Kemp Invitational
(Kemp)
Dec. 5
MHS vs Rains
KHS vs N.Dallas
EHS @ LaPoynor
Dec. 7-9
KHS @ Fairfield tourn.
EHS @ Great ET Shoot-out (Brownsboro)
Dec. 12
MHS vs Terrell
KHS vs Royse City
EHS vs Quinlan-Ford
Dec. 14-16
MHS @ Sabine tourn.
Dec. 15
KHS vs Kerens
EHS @ Edgewood Girls' Basketball
Nov. 24
KHS @ Edgewood
Nov. 28
MHS vs Royse City
KHS vs Mineola
EHS @ Van
Nov. 30-Dec. 2
MHS @ Wills Point tourn.
EHS hosts tournament
Dec. 1
KHS @ FW Christian
Dec. 5
MHS vs Cross Roads
EHS @ LaPoynor
KHS @ Canton
Dec. 7-9
MHS @ Commerce tourn.
KHS @ East Texas Shoot-out
EHS @ East Texas Shoot-out
(Brownsboro)”
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