Sports Update
Top Mesquite Sports Story of 2012: Pirate football team charges to regional championship game
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
Two years ago, Poteet made a stunning run to the state semifinals before falling just short in a two-point loss to three-time state champion Aledo.
Last season, however, the Pirates were edged out of the playoffs on a tiebreaker, leaving some to believe that magical run of the previous year was a fluke.
Poteet was determined to show that it was no fluke and it proved it by advancing to the Class 4A Division II Region II championship game for the second time in school history.
The Pirates had a seasoned quarterback in Tanner Ramsey, an electric playmaker in Rodney Douglas and a sensational sophomore in Malik Jefferson, but it was the ability of the rest of the players filling their roles on a week-to-week basis that was the key to success.
Poteet rolled through its first five games, winning by an average by 25 points per contest. But the Pirates suffered a hiccup the following week, squandering a late fourth-quarter lead in a 20-19 loss to Highland Park.
Unlike the previous year, there would be no midseason slump, as Poteet bounced back to win its next three games before falling to West Mesquite in a regular season finale that had no bearings on the playoffs.
The Pirates blasted Little Elm and Lincoln by a combined score of 98-28 in the first two rounds, but got a much tougher tussle in the regional semifinals.
Poteet built a big early lead but watched as Wylie East rallied to tie the game at 49-49 in the fourth quarter.
The Pirates responded, though, as Brett Rattan kicked a field goal with less than a minute to play that proved to be the difference in a 52-49 victory.
Poteet faced former district rival Lancaster in the regional championship game. The Pirates certainly had their chances, moving into Tiger territory on seven of their eight drives, but could not turn those into enough points in a 21-13 loss.
"We've won 30 games in three years and I'm really proud of that," Poteet head coach Randy Jackson said. "I'm proud to be at Poteet and we're going to keep getting better and I think we'll have a good team again next year."
Last season, however, the Pirates were edged out of the playoffs on a tiebreaker, leaving some to believe that magical run of the previous year was a fluke.
Poteet was determined to show that it was no fluke and it proved it by advancing to the Class 4A Division II Region II championship game for the second time in school history.
The Pirates had a seasoned quarterback in Tanner Ramsey, an electric playmaker in Rodney Douglas and a sensational sophomore in Malik Jefferson, but it was the ability of the rest of the players filling their roles on a week-to-week basis that was the key to success.
Poteet rolled through its first five games, winning by an average by 25 points per contest. But the Pirates suffered a hiccup the following week, squandering a late fourth-quarter lead in a 20-19 loss to Highland Park.
Unlike the previous year, there would be no midseason slump, as Poteet bounced back to win its next three games before falling to West Mesquite in a regular season finale that had no bearings on the playoffs.
The Pirates blasted Little Elm and Lincoln by a combined score of 98-28 in the first two rounds, but got a much tougher tussle in the regional semifinals.
Poteet built a big early lead but watched as Wylie East rallied to tie the game at 49-49 in the fourth quarter.
The Pirates responded, though, as Brett Rattan kicked a field goal with less than a minute to play that proved to be the difference in a 52-49 victory.
Poteet faced former district rival Lancaster in the regional championship game. The Pirates certainly had their chances, moving into Tiger territory on seven of their eight drives, but could not turn those into enough points in a 21-13 loss.
"We've won 30 games in three years and I'm really proud of that," Poteet head coach Randy Jackson said. "I'm proud to be at Poteet and we're going to keep getting better and I think we'll have a good team again next year."
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