Grapevine backfield duo leads Mustangs to big win over North Side for district lead
In a battle for the top spot in District 4-5A Division 2, Grapevine scored early and often to take a commanding 28-0 lead early in the second quarter and cruised to a convincing win, 64-7, over Fort Worth North Side Friday night at Mustang-Panther Stadium.
The Mustangs (5-2 overall, 4-0 district) used the one-two punch of running back Caleb Texada and quarterback Max Cowgill to blow the game wide open early.
Texada scored first on a 4-yard burst to cap off an opening drive by Grapevine with the big play a 33-yard completion from Cowgill to Parker Polk.
North Side (5-1, 3-1), which was 5-0 for the first time since 1946, was unable to get anything going offensively in the opening quarter so Cowgill added to the Mustangs’ lead with TD strikes of 46 yards to Migel Novoa and 33 yards to Ben Gair as Grapevine built a 21-0 lead.
Grapevine stretched its lead to 28-0 early in the second quarter when Cowgill darted in from 4 yards out with 10:22 still to play in the first half.
North Side fought back on its next possession when workhorse runner and receiver Da’Wain Lofton, a 3-star Virginia Tech commit, broke several tackles en route to a 42-yard jaunt to the Mustangs’ end zone.
But Grapevine’s defense stiffened with interceptions by Solomon McKenzie and Keegan Courtney. The Mustangs also blocked a punt that was returned for a score by Jaxson Yarbrough, but a roughing the punter penalty negated that touchdown.
The second half seemed a formality since Grapevine possessed a 34-point lead, but both teams continued strong efforts, an indication of their status entering the game both undefeated in district play.
Still, in the third quarter after an early score, Grapevine coach Mike Alexander rested Cowgill and Texada, but not before Texada scampered 19 yards for another touchdown with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter.
That run left the junior with a gaudy worksheet of 216 yards on just 11 carries and three TDs. Cowgill’s numbers were equally impressive with a perfect 5 for 5 passing for 142 yards and two scores.
Grapevine backup QB, sophomore Colt Mercer, showed his skills when going in for Cowgill with TD strikes of 21 and 31 yards to Novoa and Gair and then completed two more passes for a 4 for 4 ledger and 64 yards.
North Side continued to battle with the bulk of the second half work going to 210-pound running back Michael Alvarado, who amassed 41 yards on 20 carries for the night. The Steers’ most impressive offensive player was Lofton with 57 yards receiving and 75 yards on the ground.
North Side QB Isaak Rosales ended the game with 90 yards passing on 9 of 16 completions.