Second-year YMLA football punches UIL playoff ticket

The smallest Class 5A football program in the state reached a big milestone Friday night.

Fort Worth Young Men’s Leadership Academy, a second-year varsity program with an enrollment of 177, clinched its first UIL playoff berth with a 38-14 victory against Fort Worth North Side at Scarborough-Handley Field.

“I’m very happy. This is a big win,” senior quarterback Draylon Roberson said. “We worked hard all year and none of the seniors wanted to go out without going to the playoffs.”

Roberson almost single-handedly ensured the Wildcats (4-5, 4-2 in District 7-5A) got that playoff spot. He paced the Wildcats with 125 yards and two touchdowns rushing and 160 yards and three touchdowns passing.

Roberson rushed for 50 yards on YMLA’s opening drive. His 25-yard scamper gave the Wildcats an early 6-0 lead. His 59-yard kickoff return set up a second-quarter field goal and a 9-7 advantage.

He would add two more touchdowns late in the first half. Roberson tossed a 31-yard dart to Caylan Daniels-Cesar. The ensuing two-point conversion run by Tyjuan Battles gave the Wildcats a 17-7 lead with 3:37 remaining in the second quarter.

Roberson, who rushed for 117 in the first half, scored on a 37-yard run with 41 seconds remaining in the quarter. Both of the late second-quarter touchdown drives were set up by blocked punts. Roberson added touchdown passes of 21 yards to Curtis Kirby and 56 yards to Battles in the third quarter.

The Steers (3-6, 0-6) edged ahead 7-6 early in the second quarter on a 32-yard Alfredo Garcia pass to Rafael Carbajal. But the Wildcats answered with 31 straight points before a Garcia 19-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

“We played awful today, but we got the job done,” YMLA coach Joseph Heath said. “And all 177 of us are going to the playoffs.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 11:13 PM with the headline "Second-year YMLA football punches UIL playoff ticket."