ARLINGTON -- Stephenville's Tyler Jones threw for three touchdowns and the Yellow Jackets took command early to take a 42-14 victory over Trophy Club Byron Nelson on Thursday at Cowboys Stadium in the area round of the Class 4A Division II playoffs.
Stephenville (10-2) will play the winner of the El Paso Burges-Lake Dallas game in the next round. Burges and Lake Dallas play tonight at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa.Nelson (7-5) was no match for Stephenville's passing game.Jones completed four of his first five passes and put the Yellow Jackets in the early lead at 7-0 when he engineered an eight-play, 75-yard march. Running back Witt Westbrook scored on a 2-yard run for the early lead with 9:27 left.On Nelson's first possession, Braden Coverdale picked off an Andrew Mitchell pass and raced 28 yards for the second score.Stephenville kept up the attack and led 28-0 before Nelson scored. Jones threw touchdown passes of 18 yards to Brice Gunter, 16 to Aiavion Edward and 38 to Alex Sanchez.Nelson's Mitchell put together an eight-play, 80-yard drive to cut the lead to 28-7 with 1:17 left in the second quarter.Mitchell hit Des'Mon Gassaway on a 25-yard touchdown pass. Stephenville's Preston Brown answered the score with a 99-yard kickoff return.Nelson scored again in the second half on a 12-play, 62-yard drive. Mitchell hit Chad Loving for 11 yards with 9:01 left in the game for the final score.Stephenville sacked Mitchell four times. Mitchell, a senior, was 17 of 34 passing for 185 yards and the two touchdowns.Stephenville's top players were Alex Sanchez with four catches for 95 yards and Brice Gunter with three catches for 40 yards.Nelson was competing in only its second playoff game in school history, while the perennial playoff participant Stephenville dominated.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
