Pottsboro holds off Brock with late interception; Cardinals clinch first state berth
With under a minute left in the game, Pottsboro head coach Matt Poe called back-to-back timeouts — his team leading by 1 while Brock was driving down the field for the win.
The Eagles, who are a run-heavy offense, called a trick play, a double-pass to catch the Cardinals off-guard.
“We weren’t lined up right at first. Our outside guy wasn’t over enough,” Poe said.
On a third-and-12 play at the Pottsboro 26, Brock quarterback Jaxon Gleaton passed once near the Brock sideline before running out to attempt to make the game-winning touchdown catch.
But the pass came up a bit short and Pottsboro’s Tyler Farris came up with the game-sealing interception to send the Cardinals to a 36-35 victory in the Class 3A Division I state semifinals on Thursday at the Ford Center.
It was Pottsboro’s first time at the semis since 2008.
Now the Cards are headed to the state championship game for the first time.
“So happy and proud of our kids,” Poe said. “They’re so resilient. They kept playing and kept fighting.”
Pottsboro (15-0), ranked No. 7 in the state, will play the winner between Grandview and Columbus, at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19 in the Class 3A Division I state title game at AT&T Stadium.
Grandview and Columbus play Friday night in Round Rock.
“We made sure we exhausted every option on that last play,” Poe said. “Tyler Farris came over and covered the tight end. Then he saw the quarterback sneak out. Tyler went up and took the ball away. My heart stopped a few times.
“Kids made a great play. We’re going to the state championship game. It’s a dream come true, and we’ll all be there.”
Brock coach Chad Worrell took full responsibility on the final play.
“That play is on me,” he said. “We had a QB draw both times, but after they called their final timeout, we thought they wouldn’t be able to adjust, and we could pop one there. It’s something we’ve practiced all year long. They made a good play on us.”
Pottsboro took the lead at 36-35 on the previous drive when Braden Plyler scored on a 2-yard run. The Cardinals forced a three-and-out on Brock’s previous possession to set up the game-winning drive, which went 80 yards on 11 plays.
Plyler rushed 31 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
“No better community than Pottsboro,” Poe said. “Great support, and we have great kids and a great coaching staff.”
Trailing 35-24, Jasek Hooker scored from the 11 to get the Cards within 35-30 early in the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals threw the first punch with a 7-yard TD run by Cy Shope with 8:19 in the opening period.
Brock junior running back Cash Jones, the latest DFW offensive player of the week, scored all five TDs for the Eagles (12-3). His 4-yard run tied the game at 7 midway through the first.
Plyler’s 3-yard run gave the Cards a 14-7 lead late in the quarter before Brock ate up over seven minutes off the clock to tie it at 14 with Jones’ 1-yard run.
Jones scored from the 46 to gave Brock a 21-14 lead and Pottsboro’s Jacob McDonald hit a 31-yard field goal to make it 21-17 at intermission.
Jones, who rushed for a game-high 259 yards, scored from the 5 early in third to put Brock up 11, but one play and 10 seconds later, Plyler threw a 69-yard TD pass to Ezra Fritts.
“Cash does what he does, and it starts up front with the line, and he’ll be the first to tell you that,” Worrell said. “ He had a heck of a year, and we’ll lean on him next season.”
Pottsboro outgained Brock 404-396. Plyler threw for 216 yards while Shope added 80 yards rushing.
Myles Semas and Jax Powell added 53 and 47 yards rushing for the Eagles, who reached the state semis for the third straight season and the fourth time in five years.
“We were one or two plays away from the state title game tonight,” Worrell said. “We had a great year, and we thanked the seniors. They did it right since Day 1.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 10:57 PM.
