FORNEY, Texas — It’s an old cliché in sports — speed kills. Friday night’s contest between Forney High School (5-2, 2-2) and Terrell High School (5-2, 2-2) can be added to the list of proofs for this cliché.
FORNEY, Texas — It’s an old cliché in sports — speed kills. Friday night’s contest between Forney High School (5-2, 2-2) and Terrell High School (5-2, 2-2) can be added to the list of proofs for this cliché.
For the second straight year, Terrell achieved victory over the Jackrabbits at Memorial Stadium in Terrell, Texas. The game was much closer than the 42-27 score would indicate.
Forney, as has happened so many times this year, got off to a fast start and scored first on an 8-yard run by Jake Guercia who had just intercepted the ball on an earlier play in Tiger territory. The extra point attempt failed and Forney led 6-0. Terrell answered quickly with a touchdown of their own, a 63-yard run by quarterback Damon Moss.
Terrell’s 7-6 lead was short-lived, as Luke Skipper hit Shakur Morrow for an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Forney failed on the two point conversion and held a 12-7 lead. It was the last lead of the night for the Jackrabbits.
Terrell’s offensive speed resulted in two more scores before halftime. Dawonya Tucker took a handoff up the middle for 64-yard touchdown. After a key interception by Terrell inside their own 5-yard line after a long Jackrabbit drive, Moss followed up with his second touchdown, an 82-yard touchdown which left the Jackrabbits grasping at air. At halftime, the score was 22-12.
The second half of the game was not kind to the Jackrabbits. Starting quarterback Luke Skipper suffered a concussion and would not return for the remainder of the game. Senior quarterback Cory Marr was tasked with leading the comeback attempt.
Things did not get off to a good start for Marr who fumbled the second snap of the half which Terrell recovered. Terrell took advantage of the short field and made the score 28-12 on a Klayton Henderson 1-yard touchdown run.
Marr recovered on his next possession with a scramble around the left side and a 59-yard bomb to Chazz Slatinsky for a touchdown and successful two-point conversion which brought the Jackrabbits to within one score at 28-20.
As they did all night long, Terrell had an answer with their next possession, a 32-yard rush by Dawonya Tucker to make it 35-20 near the end of the third quarter.
Both teams traded possessions for a while until Terrell looked to put the game away with yet another touchdown with about 6:00 left in the game. The Jackrabbit defense stuffed the Tigers twice inside the 5-yard line. Third-and goal-brought the biggest Jackrabbit play of the night, as a Forney defender forced a fumble at the one yard line and Chazz Slatinsky had an exciting 99-yard scoop-and-score touchdown to bring the Jackrabbits back to within 8 points at 27-35.
The Jackrabbits forced Terrell to punt on their next possession which was blocked and recovered by Forney on Terrell’s 15-yard line. Forney was unable to capitalize on the short-field after Terrell’s Dylon Wieland intercepted the ball and returned it for a game clinching 86-yard touchdown.
The Jackrabbits, now fighting for their chance at the playoffs, next play Rockwall-Heath High School (5-2, 3-1) at City Bank Stadium on Friday, October 24, 2014. Rockwall-Heath defeated West Mesquite (5-2, 2-2) on Friday night 21-13.
Forney, Terrell, West Mesquite, and Royse City are in a four-way tie for third place in District 12-5A. The next couple of games will help determine who will clinch a playoff berth.