Sports Update
Lack of control: Turnovers plague Boyd in first round loss to Jesuit
By Richard C. White, rwhite@starlocalnews.com
PLANO -- After a promising start, five costly turnovers and a limited performance from their star running back cost McKinney Boyd its football season.
The Broncos (6-5) fell, 45-10, to Jesuit's (9-2) high-flying passing attack in the bi-district round of the playoffs Friday night from John Clark Stadium.
"Hats off to Jesuit, they played well on both sides of the football," said Don Drake, Boyd head coach. "They made some big plays and we gave them the ball a lot of times with a short field. You have to make those plays and get them off the field, and we didn't do that."
Broncos senior running back Bryan Driskell suffered a left leg injury late in the second quarter in what was then a four-point game. He would briefly return, but was basically a nonfactor.
"I feel like we underachieved," Driskell said. "I feel like we hurt ourselves tonight and it hurts to lose that way."
Boyd's offense would subsequently suffer as the Broncos' firepower has long been built around Driskell's dominant ground game. Turnovers further proved Boyd's undoing as Jesuit scored on all five of the Broncos turnovers. Four of Boyd's turnovers came after Driskell's injury.
"He's banged up," Drake said. "He's obviously a big emotional lift for us so when he's not on the field, that hurts us. I think the turnovers in the second half were critical because we didn't really give ourselves a chance to even get back into the game."
Driskell finished the night with 13 carries for 119 yards and one touchdown, with nearly all of it coming in the first half. Fortunately for Driskell, there doesn't appear to be any serious, long-term damage for the dynamic running back who's fielding several college offers.
"I came down on it wrong and it ended up bothering me the rest of the night," Driskell said. "It should be OK."
With Driskell neutralized, Jesuit's strong passing game led the way as quarterback Jack Brezette finished the night 22-of-32 for 256 yards and three touchdowns to no interceptions. Meanwhile, Boyd quarterback Curtis Ladd finished the game 8-of-17 for 100 yards and no touchdowns to one interception.
Both offenses started sluggish, punting on their first possessions with neither Boyd nor Jesuit making it much farther than midfield.
With Boyd pinned deep in its own territory on its second possession, Driskell wasted no time spring to action. On the first play of the drive, Driskell brushed off several tackles to break through for a 94-yard touchdown for the opening score of the night, 7-0 Boyd.
"That was a great run," Drake said. "It gave us the lead early there, but unfortunately we couldn't hang on to it for very long."
Driskell's run set the record for the longest run from scrimmage in school history, breaking his own record of 88 yards, which he set in 2010.
"There was a big hole there," Driskell said. "I saw the crease and I outran the defenders, thankfully."
Moments later Brezette connected with receiver John Berend late in the first quarter on a 47-yard pass. From there, the Rangers continued to pass their way into the Broncos 10-yard line.
Boyd's defense, though, would stand its ground and force a fourth-and-goal from their 3. Jesuit went for it. Brezette scrambled right, and threw a tipped pass that freakishly landed amidst a crowded pile of jerseys into the hands of Jesuit receiver Jordan Mastrogiovanni in the end zone for the score, 7-7.
"They grabbed the momentum on us right there," Drake said.
The Rangers would later capitalize on a Broncos turnover on a kickoff, eventually finding their way once more near the goal line. This time Mastrogiovanni caught Brezette's pass cleanly, hauling in a 4-yard catch for the 14-7 Jesuit lead early in the second quarter.
On their next possession, Boyd came roaring back before eventually losing steam. Ladd took a key 32-yard quarterback keeper to the Jesuit 7-yard line. However, penalties and a strong Jesuit defensive presence pushed it to a fourth-and-seven. Boyd would take the points on a 24-yard field goal by Patrick Ladd, cutting Jesuit's lead to 14-10.
The Rangers did a tremendous job of limiting the dynamic Driskell in the second quarter before sustaining the injury, causing him to leave the game just before halftime.
After a 118-yard performance in the first quarter, Driskell had only five carries for minus-1 yard in the second quarter. Driskell would walk off into the tunnel on his own accord, albeit gingerly.
With less than 10 seconds remaining in the first half, Jesuit's prolific passing attack refused to let up, as Brezette found receiver Jake Oliver from 34 yards out for the Rangers' third score of the game and the 21-10 halftime lead.
The Broncos would fumble just a few plays into their first possession of the second half, inside their own 20-yard line. Jesuit got right to it, capitalizing off Boyd's second turnover, again for a touchdown, this time with a 3-yard run by Will Brown. That extended Jesuit's lead to 28-10, early in the third quarter.
Driskell would return in the second half, but he wasn't the same as his role was greatly reduced. What proved even worse for the Broncos is that turnovers would continue to plague them.
With the Broncos once again deep in their own territory, Ladd quickly threw an interception on Boyd's very next possession. This led to a 34-yard field goal for Jesuit, as the rout was on, 31-10 Rangers.
The turnovers were far from over, though. Driskell would fumble the ball on his first carry of the second half as Jesuit recovered it near midfield. It again would lead to another Jesuit score, a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Driskell had only two total carries in the third quarter.
"The limited carries, that was expected," Driskell said. "I was going to try and do whatever I could to help the team out and whatever coach Drake thought was best."
Ladd later turned the ball over again, this time on a fumble in the red zone early in the fourth quarter. Half a quarter later, the Rangers punched it in on a 4-yard run by Pierce Durham, his second score of the game, 45-10.
It would stand as the final score, ending not just Boyd's season, but Driskell's high school career, one in which the back set several all-time program records.
"He's been outstanding," Drake said. "He's a kid who has a very high character. He's well-respected among everyone he comes in contact with based on how he carries himself. I'm very proud of him."
While their season may be over, Drake is proud nonetheless of the character of his team.
"I've said all year long this is the hardest-working group of kids and most coachable group of kids we've ever had," he said. "Their attitudes have always been outstanding. They've set a really high standard for the group that follows."
The Broncos (6-5) fell, 45-10, to Jesuit's (9-2) high-flying passing attack in the bi-district round of the playoffs Friday night from John Clark Stadium.
"Hats off to Jesuit, they played well on both sides of the football," said Don Drake, Boyd head coach. "They made some big plays and we gave them the ball a lot of times with a short field. You have to make those plays and get them off the field, and we didn't do that."
Broncos senior running back Bryan Driskell suffered a left leg injury late in the second quarter in what was then a four-point game. He would briefly return, but was basically a nonfactor.
"I feel like we underachieved," Driskell said. "I feel like we hurt ourselves tonight and it hurts to lose that way."
Boyd's offense would subsequently suffer as the Broncos' firepower has long been built around Driskell's dominant ground game. Turnovers further proved Boyd's undoing as Jesuit scored on all five of the Broncos turnovers. Four of Boyd's turnovers came after Driskell's injury.
"He's banged up," Drake said. "He's obviously a big emotional lift for us so when he's not on the field, that hurts us. I think the turnovers in the second half were critical because we didn't really give ourselves a chance to even get back into the game."
Driskell finished the night with 13 carries for 119 yards and one touchdown, with nearly all of it coming in the first half. Fortunately for Driskell, there doesn't appear to be any serious, long-term damage for the dynamic running back who's fielding several college offers.
"I came down on it wrong and it ended up bothering me the rest of the night," Driskell said. "It should be OK."
With Driskell neutralized, Jesuit's strong passing game led the way as quarterback Jack Brezette finished the night 22-of-32 for 256 yards and three touchdowns to no interceptions. Meanwhile, Boyd quarterback Curtis Ladd finished the game 8-of-17 for 100 yards and no touchdowns to one interception.
Both offenses started sluggish, punting on their first possessions with neither Boyd nor Jesuit making it much farther than midfield.
With Boyd pinned deep in its own territory on its second possession, Driskell wasted no time spring to action. On the first play of the drive, Driskell brushed off several tackles to break through for a 94-yard touchdown for the opening score of the night, 7-0 Boyd.
"That was a great run," Drake said. "It gave us the lead early there, but unfortunately we couldn't hang on to it for very long."
Driskell's run set the record for the longest run from scrimmage in school history, breaking his own record of 88 yards, which he set in 2010.
"There was a big hole there," Driskell said. "I saw the crease and I outran the defenders, thankfully."
Moments later Brezette connected with receiver John Berend late in the first quarter on a 47-yard pass. From there, the Rangers continued to pass their way into the Broncos 10-yard line.
Boyd's defense, though, would stand its ground and force a fourth-and-goal from their 3. Jesuit went for it. Brezette scrambled right, and threw a tipped pass that freakishly landed amidst a crowded pile of jerseys into the hands of Jesuit receiver Jordan Mastrogiovanni in the end zone for the score, 7-7.
"They grabbed the momentum on us right there," Drake said.
The Rangers would later capitalize on a Broncos turnover on a kickoff, eventually finding their way once more near the goal line. This time Mastrogiovanni caught Brezette's pass cleanly, hauling in a 4-yard catch for the 14-7 Jesuit lead early in the second quarter.
On their next possession, Boyd came roaring back before eventually losing steam. Ladd took a key 32-yard quarterback keeper to the Jesuit 7-yard line. However, penalties and a strong Jesuit defensive presence pushed it to a fourth-and-seven. Boyd would take the points on a 24-yard field goal by Patrick Ladd, cutting Jesuit's lead to 14-10.
The Rangers did a tremendous job of limiting the dynamic Driskell in the second quarter before sustaining the injury, causing him to leave the game just before halftime.
After a 118-yard performance in the first quarter, Driskell had only five carries for minus-1 yard in the second quarter. Driskell would walk off into the tunnel on his own accord, albeit gingerly.
With less than 10 seconds remaining in the first half, Jesuit's prolific passing attack refused to let up, as Brezette found receiver Jake Oliver from 34 yards out for the Rangers' third score of the game and the 21-10 halftime lead.
The Broncos would fumble just a few plays into their first possession of the second half, inside their own 20-yard line. Jesuit got right to it, capitalizing off Boyd's second turnover, again for a touchdown, this time with a 3-yard run by Will Brown. That extended Jesuit's lead to 28-10, early in the third quarter.
Driskell would return in the second half, but he wasn't the same as his role was greatly reduced. What proved even worse for the Broncos is that turnovers would continue to plague them.
With the Broncos once again deep in their own territory, Ladd quickly threw an interception on Boyd's very next possession. This led to a 34-yard field goal for Jesuit, as the rout was on, 31-10 Rangers.
The turnovers were far from over, though. Driskell would fumble the ball on his first carry of the second half as Jesuit recovered it near midfield. It again would lead to another Jesuit score, a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Driskell had only two total carries in the third quarter.
"The limited carries, that was expected," Driskell said. "I was going to try and do whatever I could to help the team out and whatever coach Drake thought was best."
Ladd later turned the ball over again, this time on a fumble in the red zone early in the fourth quarter. Half a quarter later, the Rangers punched it in on a 4-yard run by Pierce Durham, his second score of the game, 45-10.
It would stand as the final score, ending not just Boyd's season, but Driskell's high school career, one in which the back set several all-time program records.
"He's been outstanding," Drake said. "He's a kid who has a very high character. He's well-respected among everyone he comes in contact with based on how he carries himself. I'm very proud of him."
While their season may be over, Drake is proud nonetheless of the character of his team.
"I've said all year long this is the hardest-working group of kids and most coachable group of kids we've ever had," he said. "Their attitudes have always been outstanding. They've set a really high standard for the group that follows."
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