By Russell Slaton
russell@themonitor.net

MABANK–Two fourth-quarter touchdowns to get the Mabank Panthers back within 3 points of North Lamar Sept. 4 wasn’t enough in a five-touchdown fourth quarter as North Lamar one-upped Mabank with three touchdowns of their own to grab a 47-24 victory, spoiling Senior Night for Mabank.
Down 27-10 entering the fourth quarter, Brody Ingram lofted a 49-yard touchdown pass to freshman Fredrick Aldridge 1 minute, 12 seconds into the final frame of the game. The scoring catch marked Aldridge’s first touchdown as a Mabank varsity football player.
A North Lamar running back fumbled the ball near midfield on his team’s ensuing possession, which was recovered at the North Lamar 48-yard line by Mabank’s Reid Davis, just 47 seconds after the Ingram-Aldridge touchdown connection.
After the fumble recovery, Ingram hit Aldridge again for a 35-yard pass to bring Mabank to North Lamar’s 5-yard line. Two plays later, Ingram found another freshman, Skylan Lewis, with a desperation pass under heavy North Lamar pressure. Lewis’ 5-yard touchdown reception and the Jackson Pochobradsky extra-point kick had Mabank within a field goal, at 27-24, with 7:41 left in the game.
North Lamar then bled 4.5 minutes off the clock on their next drive, which culminated with a 35-yard touchdown run. After stopping Mabank at the North Lamar 17-yard line, the team from Paris, Texas (now up 34-24) North Lamar tacked on an 80-yard touchdown run with 1:07 remaining in the contest (botching the extra point attempt) to go up 40-24, then added a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown with 42 seconds left to cement the North Lamar 47-24 victory.
North Lamar had led 14-7 at halftime, with Jaedyn Thompson’s 32-yard touchdown run accounting for Mabank’s score.