Lancaster fights off Mesquite Poteet's last-play effort

By Travis L. Brown

Special to the Star-Telegram

ALLEN -- Mesquite Poteet quarterback Tanner Ramsey floated one final pass to Nathaniel Gaines as time expired.

Gaines juggled the ball over one Lancaster defender and pulled in a highlight-reel catch, but was immediately pulled down 4 yards short of the end zone, allowing Lancaster to preserve a 21-13 victory on Friday.

With the victory, Lancaster advances to the Class 4A Division II state semifinals and will face the winner of today's Wichita Falls Rider-Wolfforth Frenship game.

Leading 14-13, Lancaster (13-1) had the ball with just under four minutes to play and successfully forced Poteet (11-3) to spend its timeouts.

On third-and-1 from the Poteet 12, Nick Harvey gashed through the middle to score his second touchdown of game.

But Poteet would get the ball with 1:17 left in the game to attempt to tie the score with a touchdown and 2-point conversion.

Poteet twice converted on fourth down on the final drive, both on passes from Ramsey to Gaines. However, the rally would fall 4 yards short.

In reality, Lancaster won the ballgame on two defensive stands in the first half, forcing a Poteet turnover on downs at the Lancaster 1 in the first quarter, and then holding Poteet to a 23-yard field goal by Brett Rattan in the second quarter.

After a 7-3 Lancaster halftime score, Poteet took the lead for the first time on a 6-yard fade from that dialed-up connection -- Ramsey to Gaines.

Harvey took over the majority of the quarterbacking duties for Lancaster in the second half, rushing out of a Wildcats formation for two TDs.

Poteet's final score would be a 41-yard field goal by Rattan after another Lancaster defensive stop.

Quarterback Demarcus Ayers led Lancaster with 109 yards on 11 rushes.

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