Special teams play powers Southwest past Eastern Hills on soggy night

Fort Worth Southwest’s special teams play was special Thursday night thanks to the effort of senior C’ing Blanton.

Blanton scored the Raiders’ first two touchdowns on a punt return and a fake punt as they upended Fort Worth Eastern Hills 20-0 in a District 4-5A Division II football game at Clark Stadium.

The win got Southwest (2-6, 2-2) back into the playoff hunt with two games to play. The Raiders play Fort Worth Wyatt on Nov. 1 at Clark Stadium. Eastern Hills (5-4, 3-2) returns to district action Nov. 8 against Wyatt at Clark.

Neither team was able to move the ball effectively in a driving rain that never stopped. Each team completed one pass. The game was delayed twice by lightning for a total of 66 minutes.

Eastern Hills played without senior quarterback Adama Hudson and the offense struggled all night. The Highlanders finished with 41 yards of offense on 34 plays.

The Raiders took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter when Orien Green fielded an Eastern Hills punt and headed left before handing the ball to Blanton. Blanton raced down the far sideline for a 71-yard score with 9:24 to play in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter with Southwest facing a fourth-and-23 at the Raiders 34, Blanton, the punter, took the snap and decided to run. The senior weaved his way through the Highlanders on the way to a 66-yard score and a 14-0 lead with 10:15 left before halftime.

The Raiders’ special teams set up the last score of the first half when Garrett Ransom tried to tackle the Eastern Hills punter and ripped the ball away at the Highlanders 40. Ransom returned the fumble to the Highlanders 17.

Southwest came up with another big play when quarterback Caleb Ollison converted a fourth-and-17 at the Highlanders 24 with a 22-yard run. Two plays later, Ollison scored from 1 yard out for a 20-0 halftime lead.

Blanton finished the game with 68 yards rushing on 14 carries. Ja’Quavilion Mason carried six times for 39 yards. The Raiders tallied 109 yards of offense on 41 plays.