Fort Worth Southwest takes care of North Side to clinch final playoff berth in district
.JPG "Cyndric Gilbert (15) running the ball downfield for a touchdown during a high school football game against Northside at Handley Field in Fort Worth, Texas Thursday, November 4, 2021. Southwest won 21-6. (Nang Sang/special to the Star-Telegram)")
Fort Worth Southwest punched its ticket into the playoffs, sending Fort Worth North Side home after a 21-6 win Thursday night at Scarborough-Handley Field.
North Side (4-6 overall, 2-5 in District 4-5A D2) and Southwest (5-5, 4-3) played a crucial season ending game, with both teams’ hopes of going to the playoffs on the line.
“Coach Turner has a good team and he’s running a good program over there and it was a battle all the way to the end,” Southwest head coach Daron Franklin said. “We are excited to be able to practice next week and go into the playoffs.”
The Southwest Raiders will head to Lubbock next week to play Lubbock Cooper in the playoff opener.
Junior quarterback Donovan Nolden threw the first touchdown of the night to senior teammate Devonte McDonald at the 11:19 mark of the second quarter. This was Nolden’s first game of the season.
The Steers made their only score of the night with 5:30 left in the second quarter.
The score at halftime was 7-6 Southwest.
Southwest’s defense dominated the second half, causing four turnovers in the fourth quarter and holding the Steers offense scoreless for the half.
Senior running back Cyndric Gilbert drove the ball in for another Southwest touchdown with 9:55 left in the fourth, extending the score to 14-6. With four minutes left in the game, senior linebacker Malachi Robinson snagged himself a pick-six, sealing the game with a final score of 21-6.