Fast start helps Birdville fly past Lubbock Monterey

By Darren Lauber

Special to the Star-Telegram

WICHITA FALLS -- Birdville scored on all four if its first-half possessions, all on runs by Xavier Turner, and the Hawks coasted to a 42-21 victory against Lubbock Monterey in a Class 4A Division I Region I semifinal Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Birdville (13-0) advances to the state quarterfinals and will meet Denton Guyer (11-2) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Dragon Stadium in Southlake.

Turner opened the game by darting up the middle for 64 yards to the Plainsmen 10. Two plays later he scored from 5 yards out for a 7-0 lead.

"It was a stretch play with an outside zone called and the linemen did a great job of getting their blocks," Birdville coach Jim Skinner said. "He broke through the line of scrimmage and the receivers got their blocks and he just made a good cut and good run."

Monterey (9-4) was able to move the ball, but miscues and the Birdville defense held Monterey to only two first-half field goals.

Defensive end Nathan Burk stalled Monterey's first drive, batting down a third-and-4 pass and forcing a 32-yard Davis Williamson field goal that cut the lead to 7-3.

Following an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 13-yard TD run by Turner, the Hawks recovered a Monterey fumble at the Plainsmen 33.

Four plays later, Turner scored from 6 yards out on the first snap of the second quarter to put the Hawks up 21-3.

"I had a heck of a game," said Burk, who also was in on numerous tackles. "But it's only because of our defense sticking to their assignments which freed me up to make some plays."

Monterey then went on a 19-play drive starting from their own 14 to the Birdville 6, but the Plainsmen came up empty after a bad snap resulted in a 16-yards loss. Two incomplete passes and a run for no gain gave the ball back to Birdville.

Turner capped the first-half scoring with a 10-yard run that was set up on a 39-yard diving catch by Collin Basinger.

"It was a tough one today," said Turner, who led the Hawks with 196 yards on 17 carries. "But we came out ready to execute and get the job done."

Monterey ran 75 offensive plays to Birdville's 49 and gained 407 yards to the Hawks' 414, but the Plainsmen were unable to reach the end zone.

Birdville quarterback Justin Martin threw touchdown passes to of 12 yards to Basinger and 16 yards to Dakota Reece in the second half. Martin finished with 119 yards passing.

"We just try to do what the defense gives us, and we felt like we matched up well with them," Skinner said. Travon Benton carried 23 times for 118 yards and had touchdown runs of 9 and 2 yards for Monterey, and Vincent Johnson rushed for 113 more on 16 carries.

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