Lancaster inches closer to district title after Tigers dominate Mansfield Timberview
Friday night began a three-game stretch for the district title in 6-5A Division 1, and Lancaster, Mansfield Timberview and Highland Park entered Week 9 all 4-0 in district play.
On a wet and chilly night, it was the state-ranked Lancaster Tigers that shook off a slow start to beat the Wolves at RL Anderson Stadium, 33-10, and get one step closer to a district championship.
Lancaster (7-1, 5-0), No. 7 in the Class 5A D1 state rankings, will play for one against fourth-ranked and three-time defending state champ Highland Park, at home on November 1.
After the Tigers went three-and-out on their first two drives, Timberview (5-3, 4-1) used a 7-play drive that was capped off by a 6-yard touchdown run from Texas commit Jaden Hullaby with 2:43 left in the opening quarter.
It was the first points Lancaster allowed since the 3:16 mark of the fourth quarter against South Grand Prairie on Sept. 13 — a span of over 204 minutes of game action.
But it’s exactly the gut-punch Lancaster needed.
Two plays into its ensuing drive, DQ James took a handoff and scampered toward a 69-yard TD to tie the game at 7 less than a minute later.
Both teams stalled for a moment until the Tigers grabbed their first lead at 14-7 with 5:15 to go in the half when Tre Bradford found pay dirt on a 13-yard TD run.
Lancaster, No. 5 in the DFW 5A area rankings, would take that seven-point edge into intermission after Davion Hodge picked off a Timberview pass with 17 seconds to play.
After allowing 113 yards in the first half, the Tigers held the Wolves to 73 yards on 24 plays in the second half.
Bradford scored twice after the break with a 54-yard TD catch from quarterback Glenn Rice Jr. in the third and an 11-yard TD run with 10:50 to go in the fourth.
Karon Neblett added a 41-yard TD run in the third. Lancaster finished with 201 yards rushing as a team and 352 yards of total offense.
Hullaby led Timberview with 57 yards rushing and 65 yards passing. The Wolves play Dallas Adams in Week 10.
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 11:58 PM.
