by Midlothian, TX – After quickly falling behind, the Midlothian Heritage Jaguars battled back to take down Killeen Ellison 31-21 Friday night in the first round of the Texas high school football playoffs. The Jaguars scored 24 unanswered points behind a dominant second-half passing attack to overcome the early deficit and continue their playoff journey.
The Rundown
Killeen Ellison quickly capitalized on a Jaguar turnover as quarterback Marlyn Smith helped lead the Eagles down the field connecting with Tyler Reed and Zay Crable for a pair of big gains before taking off for a 12-yard touchdown run to give Ellison an early 7-0 lead. Things would only get worse for Heritage as Newman was intercepted for the second time on the Jaguars’ next possession. The Eagles once again took advantage of the turnover as Smith connected with Reed for a 22-yard gain to move the ball inside the Heritage 10-yard line. Then just a play later, Crable punched the ball in from 9 yards out to extend the Ellison lead to 14-0 midway through the first quarter. The Jaguars though refused to back down on offense down scoring on their next possession as Zion Johnson broke free for a 15-yard gain to move the ball into Ellison territory before Riley Norton finished off the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 14-7 heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter would be a completely different story as both defenses began to take control of the matchup. The two sides exchanged punts throughout the quarter while neither offense was able to find much success moving the ball. Ellison would get one final opportunity late in the half, but the Heritage defense held strong as the Eagles carried their 14-7 lead into the locker room.
Coming out of the locker room, the Eagles looked to build on their advantage as Smith connected with Reed for a 14-yard gain on the opening possession. However, Reed would cough up the football, giving the Jaguars an opportunity to even the game. However, Heritage was unable to capitalize on the turnover, as both sides continued to struggle offensively throughout much of the third quarter. The Jaguars finally broke through late in the third as Newman connected with Zach Hagerty for an 82-yard touchdown pass to even the game at 14 with just over two minutes remaining. The score gave Heritage new life as the Jaguars continued to build momentum heading into the fourth quarter.
Heritage wasted little time taking its first lead of the night as Newman continued to find success through the air. After connecting with Jaxson Bruton for a 22-yard gain to move the ball into Ellison territory, Newman would find Bruton again for a 38-yard touchdown pass to put the Jaguars in front 21-14 early in the fourth. The Heritage defense then forced another Ellison punt, giving Newman and the Jaguars an opportunity to extend their lead again. Newman connected with Bruton three more times on the ensuing drive, including a 22-yard touchdown pass to give Heritage a two-score advantage at 28-14 with just over five minutes remaining. However, the Eagles offense finally bounced back on the next as Laboris Creagh helped lead Ellison down the field on its next possession. After breaking free for a 22-yard gain, Creagh took off for a 47-yard touchdown run on the next play to cut the deficit to 28-21 with just over four minutes remaining. The Jaguars responded by turning to their ground game and controlling the clock. Johnson broke free for a 27-yard run to move Heritage deep into Eagles territory before Grant Sharp connected on a 39-yard field goal with just three seconds remaining to extend the lead to 31-21 and secure the victory.
Heritage finished the night with 371 yards of total offense, including 214 through the air, while Ellison totaled 361 yards. Despite throwing two early interceptions, Newman and the Jaguars were able to overcome the turnovers behind a dominant second-half performance.
Kee-On Players of the Game: Brayden Newman and Jaxson Bruton
Newman bounced back from a difficult start to finish the night completing 10-of-16 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns. All three scores came in the second half as he helped lead the Jaguars back from a 14-point deficit to secure the victory.
Bruton was Newman’s favorite target throughout the night as he finished with six receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest plays came in the fourth quarter as he hauled in touchdown passes of 38 and 22 yards to give Heritage control of the matchup.
What’s Next
Midlothian Heritage 7-4 (6-1, 1-0) will advance to the Area Round of the Texas high school football playoffs after securing its first postseason victory of the year. The Jaguars will look to carry their second-half momentum into the next round as they take on the Terrell Tigers who defeated Samuell High School, 63-6.
Killeen Ellison’s season comes to an end with a record of 5-6 (3-2, 0-1) after falling short in the bi-district round.
