Mansfield Summit Jaguars victorious over Arlington Seguin Cougars in district opener

The Mansfield Summit and Arlington Seguin football teams have had roller-coaster seasons to start the 2023 campaign.

Both are expected to make the playoffs, but Thursday at Wilemon Field, Summit took a big step ahead with a 41-13 drubbing of the Cougars in the District 5-5A Division 2 opener for both teams.

“This game was very important because Seguin is a very good team,” said Summit running back Amare Burgess, who rushed for 179 yards on 15 carries and scored four times. “We executed in practice and we worked hard because we knew that it was going to be a tough game, but the outcome is the outcome and we did our thing. I’m just happy.”

Summit (2-2 overall, 1-0 in district) played exceptional on defense as well. The Jags, led by linebacker Jordan Hubbard, allowed 126 total yards.

Seguin (2-2, 0-1) started strong as the Cougars forced Summit to punt on each of its first two series. A bad snap on the second gave Seguin the ball at the Jaguars’ eight yard line.

Five plays later quarterback C.J. Miller snuck it in from a yard out for a 7-0 lead for Seguin with 4:48 left in the first quarter.

“We had some mistakes and penalties that got them down there and they capitalized on it,” said Summit coach Channon Hall. “But we woke up a little bit and started playing some good football. Our guys started playing aggressive.

“We hit people and tackled people and played together and that’s what it’s about. We did that the rest of the game after that.”

It was all Summit from that point. Burgess scored 29 seconds later, taking a handoff off right tackle, ducking a Seguin defender, then racing 73 yards to knot the score at seven.

The senior scored three of the next four touchdowns for the Jags on runs of 13, two and four yards as Summit scored 34 unanswered points.

“I was hungry and was ready to get in the game and when I got my opportunity I just took it,” said Burgess. “I looked up and thought touchdown and I told myself that I was going to score. I got it, bounced it, and took it to the crib.

“My offensive line, they’re the reason why I’ve got these four touchdowns, they’re the reason why I’ve got these rushing yards. I can’t do it without them. They’re the reason why we won.”

Summit countered Seguin’s speed on offense by moving Hubbard from safety to middle linebacker. Hubbard, a senior, had played linebacker as a sophomore.

“I’ve got speed myself and my coaches know that I can play anywhere,” said Hubbard, who led a defensive unit that forced seven consecutive punts by Seguin after the Cougars’ opening score. “It comes from hard work at practice and our coaches just getting on us. We wanted to play a good game and be number one in our district.

“It all really starts with the defensive line and the d-line has been working. It makes the linebackers’ job so much easier and the linebackers have been dogs too. We had a plan and we executed it.”

Summit quarterback Demarus Bird hit Joseph Williams with a 27-yard scoring pass to give the Jaguars a 21-7 lead with 4:36 left before halftime.

Seguin struggled with Summit’s “Big” formation where blockers lined up on each side of the quarterback with a running back directly behing the QB. Braylon Moore took advantage with 111 yards rushing on 20 carries to compliment Burgess.

Moore scored on a five-yard run with 2:51 left to cap the scoring for Summit.

Summit allowed 113 rushing yards, but 47 of that came on a TD run by Chase Ramirez midway through the fourth quarter that cut the Jaguars’ lead to 34-13.

Summit blasted Mansfield Lake Ridge to start the season then lost a close game to Mansfield before being soundly defeated by Crowley last week.

Seguin has had a similar start, stunning Midlothian before being shut out by Red Oak. The Cougars led Aubrey last week 21-0 in the second quarter before the game was called due to lightning.

Summit hosts Burleson next Thursday at Newsom Stadium and Seguin will travel to Corsicana for a game with the Tigers on Friday.

“Everybody in our district is going to be a great opponent,” said Hall. “They’re going to be well coached and going to be playing hard and everybody knows what’s at stake.

“You can’t slide by anybody. You’re going to have to play good football and we knew that and we wanted to be physical tonight and I thought that our guys did that.”

This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 4:38 AM.