BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
FORT WORTH – Coming into Thursday night around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, only three games featured two 3-0 teams: Frisco Lone Star/Frisco Centennial, Mineral Wells/Quinlan Ford and Chisholm Trail/FW Trimble Tech. After a slow start, the Chisholm Trail Rangers got rolling on their way to a 63-0 win over the Bulldogs in a District 4-5A Division 1 match-up.
Chisholm Trail (4-0, 2-0) set several marks in the game.
The Rangers scored 60 points in a game for the first time in program history, beating out the previous mark of 59 twice (vs Dallas Adams in 2022 and vs Eaton in 2016). It was also their largest margin of victory (52 vs Dallas Adams in 2022).
They continue their best start in program history and have two wins in district for the first time since 2019.
Trimble Tech was also off to a good start as the Bulldogs suffered their first loss (3-1, 1-1).
After both teams settled for punts early on, CT got going midway through the opening quarter. Tech was called for a kick-catch interference to set the ball at midfield. Ethan Westover got the game’s first first down with a 9-yard run to the Tech 33.
On the next play, QB Joey McGowen connected with Cameron Booker for a 33-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead with 5:37 left on the clock. Tech QB Alexis Saucedo was able to convert two fourth downs on the ensuing drive and got the Bulldogs to the CT 27.
But early in the second, William Quintana, who doubles at running back and defensive back, picked off a pass attempt and went 80 yards for the touchdown and 14-0 lead.
Following another punt by Tech, Chisholm Trail scored on one play – a 43-yard TD run from Quintana to make it 21-0 with 7:42 left in the second quarter. Quintana added his third overall and second on offense with a 4-yard TD run and CT led 28-0 at the intermission.
The Rangers took the second half kickoff and Joseph Caldone returned it 100 yards to extend the lead to 35-0. Westover added a 5-yard scoring run to make it 42-0 with 7:55 left in the third quarter. Chisholm Trail had another one-play drive on a 45-yard TD pass and catch from McGowen to Omari Johnson less than two minutes later.
As the clock kept running, the Rangers added two more touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Deun Lewis got CT’s second pick-six to up the margin to 56-0. Then with backups in, QB Taven Fleming rushed in a 7-yard TD for the final score of the night.
CT head coach Ricklan Holmes is in his first season with the Rangers after being hired by EMSISD in January. He’s also the school’s athletic coordinator. He spent the 2023 season at Hutto after going 16 years with his alma mater John Tyler HS where he was District Coach Of The Year four times.
Under Holmes, Tyler won the district and area championships four times, was regional champions three times and quarterfinal champions twice while reaching the state semifinals in 2012 and 2014. The Lions made the playoffs eight out of 11 seasons with Holmes.
In Week 5, CT has a tough game with Arlington Heights while Tech tries to get back on track against Poly.
