Clutch fourth quarter from Brock helps Eagles beat Whitesboro for state semifinal berth
The first half was anything like the first meeting of the season between Brock and Whitesboro when the two teams combined for 74 points in a Brock 39-35 victory.
But like the first match up, it was a battle until the end and Brock won.
Reid Watkins scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and Jhett Jones had a key interception as Brock beat Whitesboro 30-19 in the Class 3A Division 1 Region 1 final on Thursday night at Collins Complex.
“Battle of two great teams. Whitesboro is as good as any team in the state. Any one of us could’ve won this game,” Brock coach Billy Mathis said. “Proud of the effort, they played every play as hard as they could. They’re a really good football team, but we told them at halftime, go and play as hard as you can and play for your brother next you. They came out and won the football game.”
Watkins scored from the 4 to give Brock a 23-19 lead with 3:06 left to play. Then on the next play from scrimmage, Whitesboro quarterback Mac Harper was pressured before he threw a high pass across his shoulders and Jones picked it off.
“First half we came out a little sloppy, but our line got it done,” Watkins said. “We came into the second half after a great halftime speech and came out on top.”
Tyler Moody hit Jones on a 33-yard touchdown to give Brock a 16-12 lead with 11 minutes left in the fourth.
The score was matched by Whitesboro on the next drive when Harper hit Jace Sanders on a fourth-and-goal from the 22. Sanders was wide open, giving the Bearcats a 19-16 lead just under seven minutes left.
After Jones picked off the Harper pass, Brock was able to run the clock out with some key runs from Watkins and Moody, who accounted for over 300 yards.
Watkins scored the dagger from the 9 and Colt Matlock picked off a pass with under a minute left.
“I remember there was about three minutes on the clock and after getting that pick, it was a huge deal for us,” Watkins said. “We knew we had to seal the game by getting first downs and just happened there was a hole and I hit it and I scored.”
Whitesboro has had its two deepest runs the past two seasons.
The Bearcats (11-2) also lost to Brock in last year’s regional final.
Brock (10-4), which started the season with four straight losses, has won 10 in a row, and will head to the Class 3A D1 state semifinals. The Eagles will face Friday’s winner between Grandview and Malakoff, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. from Lumpkins Stadium in Waxahachie.
“Those first four games were tough. We knew playing the best teams in the state was going to get us battled tested and ready for moments like last week and moments like this, and our guys knew what it took,” Mathis said. “They have played their tails off all year long.”
The Eagles secure a spot in the semifinals for the sixth time in eight seasons. They lost to Lorena in the UIL Class 3A D1 state championship game last December.
Both teams started the game with three-and-out drives before the Bearcats struck first on the deep ball. Inside their own 7, Harper hit Karter Sluder, who out raced a defender for another 50 yards to cap off the 93-yard touchdown.
The extra point was missed leaving the score at 6-0 with 8:12 left in the opening quarter.
Brock would go three-and-out again before being gifted with a Whitesboro turnover. Following a short pass, Brock’s Cooper Massey forced a fumble and Carson Finney recovered at the Bearcats 31.
Running back Brett Tutter rushed for 21 yards on the next play to set up a first-and-goal at the 10 and two plays later, Moody hit Jones on a 13-yard touchdown.
After the extra point, Brock led 7-6 with 4:20 left on the clock.
Zachary Brewster and Bryce Hunkapiller picked up back-to-back sacks for Brock to force a Whitesboro punt, but the Eagles fumbled on the ensuing possession and Colton Voge recovered for the Bearcats near midfield.
Whitesboro turned it into points on Harper’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Sanders. The Bearcats came up short on the two-point conversion as the lead was 12-7 early in the second quarter.
Brock continued to struggle on offense when two possessions later, a bad snap resulted in a loss of 25.
The Eagles had to punt on fourth-and-35 then Whitesboro had its own bad snap that went by Harper and Brock’s Cam Harris fell on it at the 38.
Brock was able to drive to the Whitesboro 26 following a 24-yard completion to Finney. But two tackles for a loss and two incomplete passes turned the ball over on downs. Whitesboro was looking to add to its lead before the break, getting to Brock 36, but three penalties stalled the drive.
Trailing 12-7 at half, Brock started the third with a 33-yard field goal from Brody Baker to make it 12-10.
Moody was 18 of 31 for 265 yards and the two scores to Jones. He added 40 yards on the ground.
Jones made nine catches for 101 yards and Finney added 118 yards on six grabs.
“It was fantastic. Whitesboro is obviously a great team,” Jones said. “We’ve played them close twice now. It’s great to get this victory. We have played great in the second half the last two games. We came out on fire and it started with the field goal to open the half, Brody Baker got us started and we just took off from there.”
This story was originally published December 1, 2022 at 9:38 PM.
