Mansfield Summit plays complete game in impressive win over Azle to begin playoff run

Mansfield Summit head football coach Channon Hall said after the game on Friday night that his team hadn’t played a complete game on both sides of the ball, at the same time, all season...until now.

Summit rushed for 438 yards behind Orlando Scales and Keon Hobbs, and the defense allowed the high-powered Azle offense two first-half scores as the Jaguars drubbed the Hornets 38-14 in a Class 5A Division 1 bi-district game at Newsom Stadium.

“We had a good game,” said Hall whose team out gained Azle 567 total yards to 227. “The kids locked in and we’re trying to hit that stride. We haven’t played a good game in a while, all together, in all phases, and I felt like every phase passed the grade. That’s why the score was like it was against a very good football team.”

Summit (8-3) will advance to the area round to face El Paso Chapin (9-2) which defeated Amarillo Caprock 29-28 on Friday. The game is tentatively set for Grande Communications Stadium in Midland at a day and time to be determined.

Summit led 28-14 at the half, but did an outstanding job of playing keep away from Azle quarterback Chris Lee and the rest of the Hornets’ offense after the break.

After running a staggering 42 plays in the first half, Azle (8-3) was only able to take 16 snaps in the final two quarters due to long, time consuming drives by the Jaguars.

Summit took the second-half kickoff and marched 65 yards in 12 plays. David Hopkins ran it in from a yard out for a 35-14 lead with 6:14 left in the third quarter.

Following a three-and-out by Azle, the Jaguars drove from their own 3 to the Hornets 8 where Jacob Ramirez nailed a 25-yard field goal. Summit had the ball for all but 1:30 of the third quarter.

Summit’s only drive of the fourth quarter lasted 13 plays, took 7:38 off the clock, and ended at the Azle 4-yard line where the Jags lost the ball on downs with 1:04 left in the game.

“We were working on the fast pace all week making sure everyone did their own, individual jobs,” said Summit defensive lineman and TCU commit Joseph Adedire. “As a defensive player I like getting out there and getting snaps, but when the offense is eatin’ I just like to sit back and let it ride. It was a great team effort.”

Azle took the opening kickoff and its fast-paced offense did give the Jaguars some problems early. But after the Hornets lost the ball on downs at the Summit 39, Scales took the Jaguars first snap 61 yards for a score, breaking several tackles, and ankles, on his way to the end zone.

A Summit fumble on its next series was recovered by Azle at the Jaguars 19, but two plays later, Tavare Smith Jr. stepped in front of a Hornet pass and raced 82 yards to put Summit up 14-0 with 7:38 left in the first quarter.

“Getting down 14-0 and having to fight back was not the way we wanted to start the game,” said Azle coach Devon Dorris. “Then every time we pulled the game to within seven points they answered with a touchdown and that was really the big difference. We did that twice and both times they were able to punch it back to 14.”

Lee hit Gavin Green with a 16-yard scoring pass with 11:12 left in the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-7, but Hobbs answered with a 7-yard touchdown reception from Hopkins.

Lee and Green connected again for a 10-yard TD to pull within 21-14 with 7:26 left before halftime, but Scales answered with an 8-yard run to pay dirt with 3:20 left in the second quarter.

Scales led the Jaguars with 215 rushing yards on 16 carries with Hobbs adding 137 more on 17 totes. Hopkins was 13 for 68 on the ground and was an efficient 11 of 14 passing for 129 yards.

Azle was at less than full strength after running back Mason Wyble (9 carries-62 yards) left after the first quarter with an apparent cut to his chin. Lee, who has been hobbled for six weeks with a stress fracture in his right foot, was 17 of 30 passing for 94 yards.

“Tonight we played a hell of a good game,” said Scales. “Everyone was on their keys, everybody was on point and our offensive line played the best that they’ve played the whole season. It was basically team ball tonight.”

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Mansfield Summit plays complete game in impressive win over Azle to begin playoff run."