Mistakes and costly turnovers
slowed Cedar Hill
Arlington – It was the same place as the first time around but a different ending. The two met in the Herbstriet Classic early in the season with Cedar Hill taking a 41-40 OT thriller.
John Albercrombie 99 yard interception touchdown return with 8:48 to go gave the Longhorns reason to believe as Cedar Hill held the Wildcats on their next possession but would suffer a turnover when Andre Anderson fumbled the punt return.
J.W. Walsh accounted for 340 yards to go with four touchdowns as Denton Guyer (10-2) avenged an early season lost 48-35 of Cedar Hill Saturday afternoon in the Class 5A Region II Area Round of the playoffs at Cowboy Stadium. With the win they will face Abilene Cooper in the Region Quarter Finals at 1:00 p.m. next Saturday at Cowboy stadium.
The longhorns were their own worst enemy. Blake Terry’s interception at the Cedar Hill’s 30 yard line set up Treavon Walton’s eleven yard scoring run, straight up the gut of the Longhorn’s defense to stake out a 7-0 lead.
“Well Denton Guyer is a great football team and we knew was going to tough we played them once before. We made too many mistakes; you can’t do that against those guys. I felt like at different times we had two equal teams that went at each. But it’s very frustrating,” said Cedar Hill’s Coach Joey McGuire.
The early going was not so good for Cedar Hill who turned the ball over on downs three consecutive times, a dropped pass by Anderson, Jared Rayford who was lined up in the up-back position, took the snap and was stopped four yards short of a first down marker and a sack of Driphus Jackson resulted in a five yard loss on the play and a punting situation.
Mean while Guyer capitalized on a 60 yard drive that ended on a double reverse flea flicker touchdown which covered 48 yards to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead. Walsh pitched the ball to Josh Stewart running right, Stewart handed it off to Vince Sanders reversing left who pitched the ball back to Walsh. Walsh went up top to a wide open Stewart to complete the trick play.
Dual threat Walsh led the Wildcats going 8-of-13 for 230 passing yards, he also tacked on 100 rushing yards on the ground (two touchdowns passing and two rushing). Walton paced the rushing with 108 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns.
Crane added a 102 yards receiving with 3 grabs while Josh Stewart finished with 99 yards and also had 3 catches.
Midway through the second quarter the Longhorns settled in on 85 yard drive that watch Jackson toss a 26 yard pass to Rayford to cut the lead, 14-7 with 6:43 to go.
Cedar Hill’s defense held up for a couple possessions but for the most part didn’t have an answer for Wildcats high powered offense.
“We came out ready and we played a great three quarters but if we’re going to win a state championship we got to be better closers than that in the fourth quarter. We still unsure of ourselves in 5A, playing Cedar Hill I think was a little bit of intimidation even though we didn’t want to admit it and I think we’re sure of ourselves right now,” said Denton Guyer’s Coach John Walsh.
There was no let up as Walsh wasted no time in finding Conner Crane on a 74 yard streak pattern in which he outran Longhorn’s defensive back Deonte Lockett on the catch and run, increasing the lead 21-7.
Right as Cedar Hill (8-4) responded with a Jackson 15 yard touchdown pass to Lovett Gipson, Guyer’s Cameron Hunter burned the Longhorns special teams on beautiful 88 yard kickoff return with no time left in the second quarter to make a 28-14 lead stand at halftime.
Both teams traded scores to start the third quarter, the Wildcats made the best of their first drive in the quarter stretching their lead 34-14 on Walton’s 3 yard touchdown run and the Long horns got a one play 74 yard pass from Jackson to Gibson.
The Wildcats wouldn’t rest, putting together two consecutive drives, a 74 yard drive capped by a 16 yard keeper from Walsh and a 30 yarder by Walsh, who was spectacular all evening, that push score to 48-21. Junior defensive lineman Dan Kottman was part of the aid for Guyer, sacking Longhorns Quarterback Jackson twice and forcing a punt.
But then Cedar Hill would rally on Ronnie Green’s 89 yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Albercrombie’s 99 yard interception touchdown return to close the gap, 48-35.
After getting a stop the Longhorns fumbled away their hopes on Anderson’s punt return fumble.