Arlington erases 17-point deficit to stun Trophy Club Nelson in high-scoring thriller
Arlington kicker Griffin Kell kicked a 29-yard field goal with 34 seconds left as the Colts rallied for a 37-34 victory against Trophy Club Nelson in a non-district game at Northwest ISD Stadium.
Nelson (0-2) raced out to an early 17 point lead and led 27-17 at the half, but quarterback Jahari Rogers led a furious comeback for Arlington (2-0).
The Bobcats scored on five-of-six first-half possessions. Fuller Shurtz opened the scoring with a 36-yard field goal that was followed by a Hudson White to Calvin Wiggins 41-yards scoring pass. Tre’Jon Henderson’s 16-yard scoring run gave Nelson a 17-0 lead with 10:54 left in the second quarter.
Arlington battled from behind all night and didn’t take its first lead until Kell’s field goal in the last minute.
Game was over when: Following a Bobcat first down on their final drive, Arlington defensive back Kyron White picked off a Nelson pass at the Colts’ 37-yard line with six seconds left to seal the win.
Play of the game: Trey Cleveland’s 43-yard reception from Jahari Rogers with 1:25 left in the game gave the Colts a first-and-goal at the Nelson seven yard line. Four plays later Kell kicked the game-winning field goal for Arlington.
Offensive player of the game: Arlington quarterback Jahari Rogers picked up where he left off last week. Rogers rushed 21 times for 115 yards and touchdown runs of six and three yards. He added 325 yards through the air hitting 14-of-20 passes with a 52-yard TD to Zander Benson.
Defensive player of the game: The Arlington secondary allowed 283 yards through the air, but picked off three big passes. White’s game saver along with Charles Brown and Tucker Thompson. Brown’s and Thompson’s picks both kept the game within reach for the Colts.
Unsung hero of the game: Cleveland didn’t score, but had six catches for 139 yards for the Colts. Tre’Jon Henderson carried 20 times for 145 hard earned yards for Nelson.
Moment of the game: Nelson’s final five drives ended in two punts, two interceptions and a missed field goal. That allowed Arlington to score the final 17 points of the game.
Stat of the Game: Arlington struggled early. The Colts had an interception, lost a fumble, and turned the ball over on downs on its first three possessions of the game. Arlington finished off the half with a 20-yard field goal from Griffin Kell, a 6-yard scoring run from Jahari Rogers, and a 5 yard TD run from Qaklon Fore. The latter with 1:28 left in the second quarter that cut the Nelson lead to 24-17.
Big picture outlook: Arlington’s offense is explosive and has led the Colts to their 2-0 start. Nelson has had two tough losses to start the season, but is solid behind the duo of Parker Turley and Hudson White alternating at quarterback.
What’s next? Arlington is off next week then travels to Hanby Stadium in Mesquite to take on Mesquite Horn on Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Trophy Club Nelson will visit The Colony at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14.