BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
ARLINGTON – Mansfield Summit and Arlington Seguin met up in Week 11 for the final regular season game – one week before the playoffs, but on Thursday night the matchup had as much weight as a postseason contest.
There still could’ve been a three way tie for two spots between Summit, Mansfield Timberview and Seguin.
The tiebreaker rules in District 3-5A Division 2 goes to points followed by head-to-head turning Thursday’s game into a win and you’re in. Timberview, Argyle and Colleyville Heritage already clinched playoff berths.
Timberview was at +13 points while Summit was +1 and Seguin at -14. Timberview was so far ahead, there wasn’t a scenario that the Wolves could miss. Which it meant that Summit and Seguin was a true play in game.
We had fireworks in the first half as both teams scored on their opening drives.
Summit QB Demarus Bird hit Domonique Young for a 74-yard touchdown on third down less than a minute into the game. But Seguin’s possession only took 28 seconds as Chevy Andrews found 3-star SMU commit Carterrious Brown. Summit blocked the extra point and the Jaguars led 7-6 less than two minutes in.
The Jags then went 70 yards in six plays and got a 36-yard TD from Bird to Young to make it 14-6 with 7:25 left in the opening frame.
Seguin had to punt, but its defense came up with a turnover after a strip sack and Lacorian Hodge recovering at the Summit 12. The Cougars scored on the ensuing play as G’Mani Smith scored on a touchdown run and then added the two-point conversion to tie it at 14 under five minutes on the clock.
Another 6-play and 70-yard drive by Summit pushed the Jags back on top.
Ian Gebhardt scored the first of two touchdowns in the first half out of the wildcat formation to give the Jags a 21-14 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Cougars answered in a huge way on the ensuing drive.
They marched 55 yards on 14 plays and killed off nearly seven minutes. Seguin converted two third downs and two fourth downs. The first fourth down conversion was a 15 yard pass from Andrews to Malachi Meche. The second was on fourth and 2 and a three yard run from Kadarius Trotter. The scoring drive was capped by a 1-yard run by Trotter and following a successful two point try, the Cougars led 22-21 with seven minutes left in the half.
Summit got one more touchdown in to lead 28-22 at the break.
Gebhardt scored on a 4-yard run with 3:37 left in the quarter. The big play coming from Adarion Nettles, who caught a 36-yard pass to set up goal to go. The Jags got the ball back after a turnover on downs, but the drive stalled after back to back sacks from Hodge.
One thing that Seguin owned was time of possession.
The Cougars had that near seven minute drive in the first half and then took the third quarter kickoff and held onto the ball for over nine minutes. They ran a whopping 16 plays and converted three third downs. They got inside the 5 and it took some tries, but they finally punched it in from the 1 on fourth and goal thanks to Trotter to grab a 29-28 lead with 2:50 left in the frame.
Seguin’s defense was huge after halftime, shutting out the Summit offense and grabbing two interceptions late to seal the deal. The first pick came when Summit was at the Seguin 34. A pass attempt near the goal line and Jacob Bly got a hold of it with 8:41 left.
They followed that turnover with a 6+ minute drive.
Then the biggest decision of the night facing a fourth and 19 from the Summit 20 after back to back holding penalties. Seguin – up one – elected to go for it and Andrews threw a great pass into the endzone that turned into a 20-yard touchdown for Kohen Peeler and the lead grew to 36-28 with 2:02 left.
Summit’s last chance ended when Hodge tipped a pass attempt and it was intercepted by Adrian Contreras. The Jags went into victory formation and clinched their first playoff berth since 2020. However, during COVID in 2020, the Cougars had to forfeit their bi-district playoff game due to a positive COVID test.
Before that, they made the playoffs in 2016, but lost to Lancaster in the first round.
Seguin rushed it 44 times for 179 yards and Andrews completed 12 of 15 passes for 158 yards. Nettles led Summit with 105 yards on 16 carries.
Seguin will face Prosper Walnut Grove in the first round. Walnut Grove defeated Frisco Independence on Thursday to wrap up the outright district title in 4-5A D2.
