BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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MIDLOTHIAN – 78 days since suffering their only loss of the season, the Duncanville Panthers got payback on Waxahachie 35-27 in the Class 6A D1 Region 2 Championship Saturday at Midlothian ISD Stadium…but not without a fourth quarter scare.
Duncanville (11-1) will play Allen (14-0) in the state semifinals. Allen beat North Crowley 33-21 on Friday. The winner will advance to the 6A D1 championship game on Dec. 20 at AT&T Stadium.
This is Duncanville’s eighth straight state semifinal appearance. The Panthers won state titles in 2022 and 2023, but lost in the final four last year to North Crowley.
It was a packed house at MISD Stadium – fans overflowing the stands with many sitting in the grass area adjacent to the seats. It was also a chippy contest between district foes – with shoving and trash talking especially in the first half.
Waxahachie (10-2), which won the first game 28-27 on Sept. 19, came out hype with its defense forcing a three-and-out. The Indians were able to drive down field before getting one of four field goals by Ethan Guillen.
It didn’t take long for the Panthers to go in front as they got a long touchdown catch and run from Trenton Yancey for a 7-3 lead with eight minutes on the clock. Then Leon Wood ran a play into the red zone, followed by Yancey getting to the 1.
QB J’Coryon Rivers pitched a snap to Ayson Theus that gave Duncanville a 14-3 lead with under a minute left in the opening period. Waxahachie picked up a couple of first downs on the ensuing drive – two on late hit penalties by the Panthers.
Jerry Meyer III, a TCU commit, tossed a touchdown to Kohen Brown, who signed this week with the Texas Longhorns. The Indians pulled within 14-10 with nine minutes left in the second quarter.
On another Waxahachie possession, Guillen just barely made a 45-yard field goal, but the Indians backed up five yards for illegal formation. Guillen lined up for a 50-yard try and made it to bring the score to 14-13 midway through the period.
Duncanville closed out the half with a pair of touchdowns and led 28-13 at the intermission. Rivers found a wide open Zach Turner with 17 seconds left on the second quarter clock.
Guillen just missed a 59-yard field goal as time expired with the ball hitting the bottom post. Rivers connected with Theus again for a 35-13 third quarter lead for Duncanville before Guillen made his third field goal of the day.
Jaylyn Manning then intercepted a Waxahachie pass, but the Panthers gave it back with a fumble shortly after. The Indians turned the takeaway into points as Meyer found Taylen Strange on fourth down. Meyer hit Brown for the two-point attempt and Waxahachie pulled within 35-24 with 9:41 in the final stanza.
Duncanville ran the ball on fourth and short, but on the second and third efforts, the ball was loose and the Indians recovered. Guillen hit his fourth field goal – from 51 yards to cut it to a one possession game at 35-27 with 5:50 remaining. Waxahachie D then forced a punt and got the ball back down eight and 4:24 to play.
The Indians picked up 32 yards on fourth and 3 when Meyer dumped it off to Jordan Thompson-Woods, who got to the Duncanville 13. Meyer and his intended receiver on fourth and 15 seemed to be on different pages as Duncanville took over on downs before running out the clock.
Rivers threw for 151 yards while Meyer went 27 of 50 for 173. Yancey caught 11 passes for 84 yards while Thompson-Woods caught 10 passes for 110.
