by Midlothian, TX – In a matchup with major District 8-5A playoff implications, the Lancaster Tigers went on the road to take down the Midlothian Panthers 41-28. The two sides battled throughout the first three quarters, but a dominant rushing performance from Lancaster proved to be too much for the Panthers as the Tigers secured their seventh win of the season.
The Rundown
The Tigers came out firing early in the first quarter as quarterback Joseph Hairston helped lead Lancaster down the field before punching the ball in from 2 yards out to give the Tigers an early 7-0 lead. However, Midlothian would quickly respond with a scoring drive of its own as Dexter Wright found the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run to even the game at seven. Lancaster though worked their running game back into the game in a flash as running back Victor Scott capped off the Tigers’ next scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run putting Lancaster back in front 14-7. The Tigers then capitalized on another opportunity late in the first as Hairston took off for a 15-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-7 heading into the second quarter.
Midlothian refused to go down without a fight as the Panthers opened the second quarter with a touchdown of their own. Quarterback Justice Roberts would finish off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 21-14 but just like in the first quarter Lancaster would responded behind Scott, who found the end zone for the second time on a 2-yard run to put the Tigers back up by two scores at 28-14. The Panthers would continue to battle as Roberts helped lead Midlothian down the field late in the half. Roberts would connect with Brendyn Jackson for a 3-yard touchdown pass to bring the Panthers within seven at 28-21 heading into the locker room. The two teams combined for 49 points in the opening half as neither defense was able to find much success slowing down the opposing offense.
When the teams came into the second half you would hope to see adjustments of some kind from either side, but that just wasn’t the case as Lancaster added to their lead quickly when Hairston found the end zone for the third time on a 1-yard touchdown run. The Tigers would fail on the two-point conversion attempt, leaving the score at 34-21. Midlothian continued to respond as Roberts connected with Rodney Jones for a 68-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 34-28. The Panthers continued to find success through the air, but Lancaster would deliver another big play of its own as Hairston broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 41-28 heading into the fourth quarter. And it was then in the fourth quarter where the defenses for both teams entered the game or maybe the offenses were just tired of scoring? Either way the Lancaster defense stifled the driving Panthers to hold their lead at 41-28 and secure the victory as they returned to the ground and pound style of play which ran out the remainder of the clock.
Lancaster finished the night with 283 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground while Midlothian totaled 381 yards of offense. However, turnovers late in the game proved costly for the Panthers as the Tigers took advantage of their opportunities to remain near the top of the district standings.
Kee-On Players of the Game: Joseph Hairston and Victor Scott
Hairston led the Tigers offensively as he completed 9-of-13 passes for 81 yards while adding 80 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just six carries. Scott was equally impressive on the ground as he finished with 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. The duo combined for 233 rushing yards and all six of Lancaster’s touchdowns as the Tigers continued their push toward the postseason.
What’s Next
Lancaster (7-2, 5-1) will look to carry its momentum into the final week of the regular season as the Tigers continue their push towards the first round of the playoffs. While unlikely Lancaster still has the potential to win the district championship with a DeSoto loss on Friday as long as they defeat Mansfield Legacy (1-8, 1-5)
Midlothian (5-4, 3-3) will look to bounce back after dropping its third district game of the season. With the postseason approaching, the Panthers will look to finish the regular season strong and fight to get into the playoffs while also needing a little help from other results within the district. They will take on Mansfield Summit (5-4, 4-2) Friday which could be the game that determines a playoff berth or not as Summit currently sits in third place and Midlothian sits on the outside looking in.
