Arlington Bowie football stomps Haltom, moves closer to first district title since 2012
With a win at Birdville FA/AC on Oct. 25, Haltom could move into first place in District 8-6A.
The Buffaloes’ opponent, Arlington Bowie, entered the matchup undefeated in district play and is No. 8 in the Star-Telegram’s Class 6A rankings. Haltom was confident coming off a win over Arlington Martin, but the Volunteers were too much to handle.
Bowie (5-3, 5-0) secured a blowout 41-7 victory, further solidifying its status as District 8-6A’s top team. Running back Darrion Bowers led the charge with 233 yards and four touchdowns.
Haltom (4-4, 3-2) scored 56 points against Martin but couldn’t replicate the success against a stout Volunteer defense. The Buffaloes had five turnovers and 17 total passing yards.
“I give thanks to the Lord after every victory,” Bowie head coach Joseph Sam said. “The kids came out and executed. We challenged our defense.”
The Volunteers, who clinched Oct. 18 vs. Arlington, have two opponents left to face in the regular season: Arlington Lamar and South Grand Prairie.
With a win over Lamar on Nov. 1 and a South Grand Prairie loss, the Vols will clinch a district title for the first time since the 2012 season.
“You talk about the moment, and you embrace the moment,” Sam said. “Our biggest deal is -- let’s play at our level, not at anybody’s level. Our biggest enemy is us and history. Are you going to embrace the history, or are you going to cower down from it? We have a chance to do something that Bowie doesn’t do around here.
“I’m just excited for the kids -- an opportunity to make history.”
The first quarter saw Bowie, powered by fumble recovers from edge Okello Okello and Princeton Campbell, take a sizable 21-0 lead. Running back Darrion Bowers tallied three touchdowns in the frame.
“My O-line made great holes for me to run through,” Bowers said. “I just follow my vision and just hit the holes right with speed. What God gave me to do, I did it.”
A red zone interception from defensive back Johnnie Macon and a lack of breakaway plays limited Haltom’s offense, but a groove was eventually found. Running back Keenan Jackson, in the second quarter, broke through the Bowie defense with a 57-yard scoring scamper.
The Buffs’ offensive spark didn’t deter Bowers, who notched a 30-yard rushing score, his fourth touchdown of the first half.
“It’s him getting downhill,” Sam said. “We saw some things on film we thought our O-line could take advantage of.”
Following another interception and a from Macon, Bowie quarterback Larry Nichols unloaded a deep ball to Antonio Birdow, who got his fingertips on it to secure a highlight 75-yard touchdown.
The consistent takeaways kept putting Bowie’s offense in a position to score. The Vols knew Haltom wanted to run, so a goal was to force pass plays.
“Kudos to Jason Tucker, because he does a heck of a job over there,” Sam said. “I have nothing but respect for that man. Our defense, we told them, “If we make them throw the ball, we’re going to win the game.’”
Bowie took a sizable 34-7 lead into the half and carried the momentum into the third quarter; wide receiver Dilon Tallie, a Bowling Green commit, notched a 15-yard touchdown reception. He fought through contact and reached out to the goal line.
“You saw the dog in him,” Sam said. “He breaks three tackles to get into the end zone. There is nothing like that. And you can’t double him because the supporting cast can go off any time as well.”
For the rest of the contest, Haltom failed to chip away at Bowie’s sizable lead as the Volunteers drained the clock.
“I’m proud of these kids,” Sam said. “I’m proud of these coaches. All the credit goes to them. I’m just helping steer the ship.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 9:29 PM.
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