Fort Worth Southwest comes up short against Wichita Falls Rider

By Andy Newberry

Special to the Star-Telegram

WICHITA FALLS -- Fort Worth Southwest's Robbie Rhodes, usually a receiver, stepped in at quarterback Friday night and ran for two touchdowns and threw for 170 yards, but Wichita Falls Rider had the final say with two Carlos Fleeks' touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a 31-21 victory at Memorial Stadium.

Fleeks rushed for 128 yards on 17 carries in this Class 4A Division II area-round playoff game.

With Southwest leading 21-17 after three quarters, Fleeks carried on the first three Rider plays of the fourth quarter and later capped the five-play, 43-yard go-ahead drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.

Southwest (9-3) went three-and-out on its next possession and managed only one first down on its next try.

Fleeks put the game away for Rider (10-2) with an 8-yard touchdown run with 1:38 to play.

Southwest failed to score in the first quarter after DaAundrae Hartin returned the blocked field-goal attempt 50 yards to the Rider 17-yard line.

But Southwest cashed in on a fumble that Tilor Hunter returned 35 yards to set up Jameion Williams 1-yard touchdown run on the next play to put Southwest up 14-9 at halftime.

Southwest also scored in the first half on a 16-yard run by Rhodes, who was 9-of-18 passing, including two to Willie Robinson for 71 yards.

The lead changed hands twice in the third quarter. Rider took the second-half kickoff and went 53 yards to go ahead on Domanic Thrasher's 7-yard run and his 2-point conversion gave Rider a 17-14 lead.

But Southwest came back late in the quarter when Rhodes hit DaMarcus Wilson with a 39-yard completion to key a 64-yard touchdown drive. And on third-and-goal from the 17, Rhodes hit Brashad Jones with a 16-yard pass. On fourth down Rhodes kept it for his second TD.

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