Fort Worth Carter Riverside football stunned by Western Hills in first loss of season

Fort Worth Carter-Riverside came into the contest with an undefeated record, which made them the favorites to win over Fort Worth Western Hills.

Western Hills, the underdog, didn’t let the Eagles’ reputation stop them from securing a 39-25 win at Farrington Field on Friday.

One of the reasons the Eagles were favored in the game was the success Jameer Mahammad has had on the field this season. He leads the team in both rushing yards and touchdowns. The Eagles started their drives off staying on the ground on the backs of Mahammad and Kentrell Parkman.

The two combined to move the ball downfield with Parkman sealing the deal with a perfectly placed pass to Davon Carey to end the drive up 7-0. The Eagles were not finished with the Cougars as they forced the offense to turnover on downs after only six plays and little movement.

Mahammad and Parkman would promptly trade handoffs, and with the clock ticking down in the first quarter, Parkman would find a lane through the defense and take it 28 yards to the house to extend the lead out to 13-0 after an unsuccessful 2-point conversion with no time left on the clock.

The sidelines were loud on the Cougars’ side during the quarter break and this motivated the offense. A roughing the passer call helped put the Cougars in the red zone, Kyu Wilson would turn a botched play into a touchdown run as he fought his way through the heart of the defense and put the Cougars on the scoreboard.

The Eagles weren’t going to let the Cougars get into this game just yet as they marched back and took back six more with only 1:40 left before the half.

The Eagles’ offense was relentless throughout the entire game with the names of Mahammad and Parkman being mentioned by the PA announcer more times than you can count.

Mahammad would rush for 168 yards, 6 first downs, and 3 touchdowns with Parkman following right behind him with 87 total yards and a passing touchdown.

Transitioning directly into their two-minute offense, Wilson put the team on his back and completed pass after pass, putting the Cougars into the red zone where he placed the ball perfectly in the hands of Jeremiah Stripling. Stripling pulled off an impressive toe tap in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown with 10 seconds to spare before the half to make the game a one-score affair at 19-13 with Carter Riverside leading.

The momentum was shifting, and it was shifting quickly.

Coming out of half, the Cougars were red-hot. Their first drive out of the locker rooms was something that Carter-Riverside was not prepared for. The offense ran the ball eight consecutive times and none of them were for losses.

The resulting touchdown: Who could have guessed it?

Kyu Wilson for 8 yards to tie the game up at 19 a piece with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter.

The teams fought ruthlessly, trading touchdowns back and forth until the Cougar defense stepped up and forced a crucial three-and-out to get the ball back.

The Cougars couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste. He started the drive off with a first down run.

Kaream Williams would take over for a few more runs but got stuffed just short of the first down line, setting up a resulting 4th and 1 that had the whole stadium on their feet.

The snap was to Wilson, who handed it off to Williams. The offense line set perfect blocks and the crowd began to roar with excitement. Williams cut into the endzone and ran to his coach in celebration.

The Cougars were in the lead for the first time that night, 31-25.

However, there was still 7:37 left on the clock. Carter-Riverside was not letting their historic 3-0 start go to waste yet.

Muhammad was faced with a 4th and 6 deep in their own territory, but he persevered and carried three defenders tugging at his pads along with him for the first down.

But the Eagles’ luck was beginning to run out, a fumble recovered for a loss, a sack, and a false start penalty put them at a staggering 4th and 19 back by their own 20-yard line.

Parkman would take the snap and attempt to scramble out of the pocket but Cougar defensive end Kevin Cruz didn’t let him get away this time and sacked him for a huge turnover on downs.

The cheers of the Cougars’ packed crowd could be heard for miles as they upset the Eagles’ 39-25.

Head Coach Blake Moilan shared his thoughts on the homecoming crowd.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd this big for Western Hills,” Moilan said. “So, this was awesome and winning on homecoming, there’s nothing sweeter.”

Wilson put up 141 total yards and 5 touchdowns of his own on the night but his goals are for what’s next.

“Be ready, we going for the district championship. Nothing more. Nothing less,” Wilson said.

The Cougars look to keep their momentum rolling as they face off against Fort Worth Dunbar at Farrington Field on September 28th at 7 p.m. CT.

Meanwhile, the Eagles look to bounce back as they take on Lake Worth at Handley Field on September 28th at 7 p.m. CT.