Benbrook holds off Western Hills despite furious comeback attempt
Benbrook was facing third-and-seven from its 28-yard line with about four and half minutes left. The Bobcats were holding on to a 30-22 lead but feeling the game slipping away. They needed to convert a first down.
They got more than that.
Demetrio Brown took a short pass in the flats from quarterback William Green, broke a tackle, and raced down the sideline for a 72-yard touchdown and a 37-22 lead after the extra point. It accounted for the final score Saturday afternoon as the Bobcats (3-2, 1-0 in District 6-4A) withstood a furious second-half rally by Western Hills (2-3, 0-1) at Farrington Field.
Green was 9 of 15 for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
After being shut out in the first half, the Cougars went on a 22-3 run due in no small part to quarterback Isaiah Jones. The feisty senior accounted for 98 ground yards on 25 carries and 229 yards in the air. He figured in on all three Cougar touchdowns — throwing for two, both to K.D. Carr for 34 and 11 yards, and running 12 yards for the third.
He even ran for Western Hills’ two-point conversion that pulled his team to within a single score, 30-22, with 5:43 to play. Jones was 19 of 35 passing and also had an interception. Seven completions were to Carr for 95 yards.
Though he gained a lot of yards rushing, Jones was also sacked a number of times. Eight of his runs were for negative yardage, as he was continually harassed when he scrambled or dropped back to pass. Among those on the Benbrook defense that recorded sacks were Zane Beaty, Harry Gonzales, Samuel Andrade and Brandon Muse.
Andrade’s sack came at a crucial juncture. Benbrook was leading 27-14 late in the third quarter after Western Hills had scored two straight touchdowns. On second-and-20 from the Benbrook 19, the senior dropped Jones 12 yards back to the 7-yard line. A pair of incompletions and an illegal procedure penalty forced the Cougars to punt from their own 3.
The Bobcats took over at the Cougar 26 following the punt. Benbrook was able to turn that into a 28-yard field goal by Francisco Ceja.
Western Hills led 27-0 at halftime by scoring a pair of touchdowns in each quarter. The first was a 14-yard pass by William Green to Trevonne James. Green rolled out to his right and found James, who moved laterally with his quarterback, in the end zone. It capped off an eight-play, 73-yard drive.
The key play was a well-executed screen to the right from Green to running back Lavon Vessel for 37 yards from the Bobcats’ 29-yard line to the Cougars’ 34. Green again rolled right, then turned around and tossed to Vessel with a wall of three blockers lined up in front of him.
The second touchdown was a quick score moments later, when Green threw a picture-perfect pass across the field to Demetrio Brown, who caught it over his shoulder, in stride, for a 44-yard score.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats scored a pair of touchdowns in rapid succession thanks to their special teams. The first was a fumble on a punt attempt that James recovered in the end zone. Less than two minutes later, Draylon Williams returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown. Williams crisscrossed the field for the 27-0 halftime lead.
Western Hills would have had a first-half touchdown were it not for a pair of miscues. First, on fourth-and-12 from the Benbrook 30-yard line, a touchdown throw to Carr was nullified due to a holding penalty. Then, on fourth-and-21 from the 39, another pass to an open receiver in the end zone was dropped.
The game was penalty-marred throughout. Western Hills committed 12 infractions for 103 yards. Benbrook had 10 for 91 yards.
Antonio Pascall, a defensive back for Western Hills, was injured and had to be carted off the field.
This story was originally published September 28, 2019 at 8:06 PM.