Photo courtesy of Steven Marter
By Nolan Ruth
X – @RealNolanRuth
FORT WORTH— When the Springtown Porcupines got aligned with Fort Worth ISD schools over a year ago, it was easy to assume that it would be a relatively easy district to roll through before the district title with Decatur. However, the Fort Worth Southwest Raiders set out to make sure that was not the case.
In the District 5-4A Division I opener, Southwest made a strong effort to control the clock and run their gameplan. They succeeded, taking a 14-7 lead into half before Springtown responded with 35 unanswered points en route to a 49-20 win.
Things started well for the Porcupines when Riley Jackson took the opening kickoff 78 yards to pay dirt just eight seconds into the game. However, that was all Springtown could get in the first half.
The Raiders dominated time of possession from start. The backfield tandem of Jeremiah Hogg at running back, and King Russell-Billingsley at quarterback, proved to be a tough force to stop. Little by little, Southwest drove down the field while taking every last second off the clock that they possibly could. They tied it up just before the end of the first quarter when Hogg punched it in from four yards out.
After forcing the Porcupines into a three-and-out in the second quarter, the Raiders cashed in again with excellent field position. Russell-Billingsley called his own number and took it in from the one yard line to give the Raiders a 14-7 lead at the half.
“Zero, zich, nada,” head coach Brian Hulett said about any halftime adjustment. “I asked them ‘Have we been the better team for four games?’ Yes. I said ‘Overnight are they the better team?’ We literally just had a conversation. I said ‘Help me help you.’”
Southwest put together a good drive to open the second half, and it appeared that an upset was brewing. Then Springtown settled in, and quarterback Kaine Hill led his offense down the field and found Christian Mendoza from 40 yards out for the tying touchdown.
It was evident that Hulett’s calm halftime approach had worked and the Porcupines had settled in as the defense forced a three-and-out. It only took one snap for Hill to connect with a wide open Mendoza again from 24 yards out to take a 21-14 lead.
After another quick stop, Hill connected with Karson Ferguson who made an incredible one-handed juggling catch to set the ball at the one yard line for Jon Lardizabal to finish the job on a run to make it 28-14.
Hill finished his game through the air completing 9 of 15 for 173 yards and three touchdowns.
Just seconds into the fourth quarter, Hill wisely kept the ball on the option and avoided a few defenders, but still easily scored from 29 yards out. After a quick three-and-out from the defense, Hill connected with Ferguson again for a touchdown on a one-play drive that made it 42-14 late.
Southwest finally got a response with a four yard touchdown keeper by Zachariah Cain, but it was too late, and the Porcupine offense ended it with an 18-yard touchdown from Teagan Hair to bring the final score to 49-20.
Springtown continues its perfect season with a 5-0 record after the win. They face Carter-Riverside at home next Friday, looking to continue the win streak. On the other side, Southwest will get a bye week after a loss that drops them to 1-3 before they also face Carter-Riverside in two weeks.
