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Class is in Sessions: Late touchdown run seals Mesquite victory over West
BY Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com
Mesquite (4-0) got a strong second-half performance from running back Junior Sessions to defeat Plano West (2-2), 49-35, Friday night at Clark Stadium.
Sessions, a senior running back, had runs of 42 and 61 yards after halftime, with the latter sealing the victory with 1:36 left. He finished the game with 16 carries for 140 yards and two scores.
"They have a really tough run defense with big physical people in there, but [Sessions] kept banging in there and late in the game he made some big runs," said Robbie Robinson, Mesquite head coach. "Junior is a good back and he had a really good effort tonight."
Trailing, 27-21, West took the lead on a 1-yard run from junior Auston Anderson.
West's defense stepped up and forced a quick punt, which was muffed by senior Austin Copeland at his own 23. Several Skeeters players swarmed to the ball, with junior Charles Grant coming away with the recovery and setting up his offense just outside the red zone.
Two plays later, Sessions was in the end zone.
"To beat a team you have to eliminate mistakes and when you get opportunities you have to take advantage of them," said Mike Hughes, West head coach. "I thought our kids played hard tonight and that they fought for four quarters. We had a chance at the end, but had the turnover. Against a team like that we cannot turn the ball over.
"We have to look at the big picture -- we got better tonight."
Robinson praised his team's effort and said he was proud that they didn't go "belly up" when West took the lead late in the third.
He said his team has been working on creating turnovers every day in practice and tonight that work paid off in the form of a three turnovers: a fumble, muffed punt and interception.
West got off to a quick start when senior quarterback Travis Korry kept the ball on a zone read and moved 59 yards for a score six minutes in to give the Wolves a 7-0 lead.
However, as he would all night, Mesquite quarterback Alex Cooper had an answer.
Cooper, who completed his first 13 passes, quickly got the Skeeters on the board when he found Dezmon Jackson for a 28-yard score. Less than three minutes later, Cooper was at it again as he hit senior receiver Rashard Higgins down the right sideline for a 70-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Wolves sophomore running back Sotonya Jamabo evened up the score at 14 with a 1-yard run midway through the second quarter, but Mesquite added a field goal and a touchdown before the half to go up 24-14.
West's offense was led by Korry, who carried the ball 16 times for 121 yards, while also completing 15-of-30 passes for 279 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
"I'll have to look at the tape, but I thought [Korry] played well," Hughes said. "I think he is going to get better each game. He is still healing up from an (ankle) injury."
Senior Zac Gideo led the Wolves' receiving corps, catching five passes for 114 yards and a touchdown -- a 33-yarder late in the fourth that brought the Wolves within a touchdown shortly before Sessions' 61-yard run.
Jamabo, who ran for 135 yards last week against South Garland, finished the game with 75 yards on 15 carries and one touchdown.
The Skeeters got big performances from several players, but none were bigger than Cooper's three touchdowns through the air. The senior signal caller completed 23-of-33 passes for 303 yards. He also ran the ball 12 times for 50 yards. Cooper's favorite target was Higgins, who caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. Senior wideout Dameon Gamblin also hauled in seven passes, finishing with 87 yards and a touchdown of his own.
West returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Flower Mound at Kimbrough Stadium while Mesquite opens its District 12-5A slate by hosting Longview from Hanby Stadium at the same time.
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