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NEMESIS CONFRONTATION: West Mesquite, Sachse, Horn try to change losing history against rivals
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
Nothing lasts forever.
That is an old saying that a trio of local teams hopes kicks in this week.
West Mesquite, Sachse and Horn will each face opponents whom they have never beaten.
Some of those defeats, namely West Mesquite's 49-7 loss to the Scots in the 2007 Class 4A Region II championship game and Horn's 28-14 setback to the Lobos in the 2010 Class 5A Region II championship game, have been among the toughest in program history.
But there is more on the line this week than just snapping a losing streak, as all three games have major playoff and district championship implications.
West Mesquite and Highland Park will have first place in 10-4A on the line when they meet on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Highlander Stadium.
The teams have identical 5-1 overall records with matching 3-0 marks in district play.
The Wranglers are coming off a 26-7 victory over North Forney in which they allowed only 172 yards. It was the second consecutive dominant effort defensively for West Mesquite, which forced five turnovers and returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns two weeks ago in a 61-14 win against Terrell.
"Defensively, we are getting healthier and that has made a big difference," West Mesquite head coach Mike Overton said. "But these kids have stayed committed. After we lost to Waxahachie (42-0), that was an embarrassing loss for us and for our defense and they have really been committed to getting back to the way we are supposed to play and they have gotten better each week."
While the Wranglers have not needed much offense the last two weeks, it is still a unit that has room to grow. Chason Virgil has thrown for 1,213 yards and 10 touchdowns. Raashaan Reason has flashed his big-play abilities out of the backfield and William Stanley and Akilian Butler are a part of a talented group of receivers.
But while that group has been solid, Overton believes its best days lie ahead.
"We are going to have to be more efficient from this point on," he said. "We are getting some guys on the offensive line back, which is helping, but we think we can be a lot better."
Highland Park broke Poteet's heart last week by using a touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute to post a 20-19 victory.
The Scots do not have the high-octane passing attacks they have had in the recent past with players like Matthew Stafford. Quarterback Jet Tuma has been more dangerous with his legs and running back Hank Howard has been the most consistent offensive weapon.
But Highland Park has shown some similarities to teams of its past, namely, the ability to win.
"Highland Park is not the winningist high school team in the history of the state for no reason," Overton said. "They are methodical and they execute offensively and defensively. They are not exceptional in any one area, but they are very good in every area and they really don't have any weaknesses. But we're excited about it. We want to go over there and make a statement by playing physical for four quarters, but we know against them, we also have to play smart and not beat ourselves."
Sachse can take a huge step in its pursuit of its first district title in school history if it can knock off Garland on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Williams Stadium.
The Mustangs (6-1 overall, 2-1 in 11-5A) bounced back from a shocking loss to Lakeview two weeks ago with a comeback 23-20 win over Rowlett last week.
Sachse is hoping it was a sign of things to come, as it had never defeated the Eagles prior to last week.
The Owls started the season 0-4 but has kicked it into gear in district play with a pair of wins. Garland has not been flashy on offense, but has done enough in recent weeks. That unit will get a tough test against an athletic Sachse defense led by Austin Bush (75 tackles, six TFL) and Isaiah Smith (73 tackles, two sacks).
The main match-up could be the Mustang offense against the Garland defense.
Sachse averages an eye-popping 490 yards per game. Kent Myers has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 744 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Devine Ozigbo has developed into an effective option both in the running game and catching the ball out of the backfield, while the trio of Tyrique Edwards, Austin Williams and Bruce Brookins is among the most prolific groups in the area.
The Garland defense got off to a rough start, allowing 35.8 points per game during its four-game losing streak, but is allowing only 22 points per game since.
Horn and Longview are both looking up in the 12-5A standings at Mesquite, but that not does diminish the importance in the playoff race of Friday's game at 7:30 p.m. at E.H. Hanby Stadium.
The Jaguars (4-3 overall, 2-1 in 12-5A) are coming off a tough game against the Skeeters in which they kept pace for a while, but not until the end in a 56-41 loss.
"It (was) a big game, but it is just one of 10 and whether we would have won or lost, Longview doesn't care, they are coming next week anyway and they'll be ready to play," Horn head coach Rodney Webb said. "It will be another big game and it is fun. Longview always has a very good team, so we have to move forward and be ready."
The Lobos (5-1, 2-1) have struggled offensively at times since losing quarterback Bivins Carraway to an injury. That has only made Longview, a traditionally run-oriented team, even more focused on the ground game behind Tory White and a talented group of backs.
The Lobos due rank second in defense in the district, allowing only 270 yards per game, and is first against the run.
That could be where the game is decided. While Destri White has thrown for 1,122 yards and 16 touchdowns, the Jaguars have pounded opponents with their district-leading rushing attack.
Treyvon Marsh has 853 yards and 17 touchdowns, while White has added 403 yards and three scores and they will hope to crack the Lobo defensive front on Friday.
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