The Mexia Blackcats missed a 29-yard field goal at the buzzer and the Teague Lions held on for a 14-13 road win Friday night in Mexia, spoiling the Blackcats homecoming festivities.
The Lions spotted the Blackcats a 13-0 lead, only to score 14 unanswered in the final four minutes of the first half to take the lead and hold off Mexia in the final moments.
Teague was forced to a three and out on their first possession and the Blackcats took quick action. The took advantage of a 16-yard punt and began the drive at the Teague 43. They moved downfield in five plays, all on the ground and ended with a Steven Milus eight-yard run for the score.
The snap failed on the point after and the Blackcats had a 6-0 lead with 8:42 remaining in the first quarter.
The Lions ended the first quarter beginning a drive at midfield and went into the second quarter driving downfield. Ny’Land Coaster was the primary ball carrier for Teague and had a ten-yard carry inside the Mexia 20. Two more Coaster runs set the Lions with a first and goal at the seven. On third down, the ball slipped by the quarterback and ended in a 14-yard loss. The Lions kept the offense on the field and missed on a pass, giving the Blackcats the ball at their own 17.
Milus carried for the first play of the drive and was tackled and did not return to the game.
Sophomore quarterback Je’Darrius Davis completed a pass to Kadyn Molina for 23 yards into Lion territory. He found Kelan Collins on a swing pass down the line of scrimmage and he scampered 30 yards to the three. Davis called his own number on the next play and scored on the run and the Blackcats extended their lead. Axel Ibarra kicked the extra point and the Blackcats had a 13-0 lead with 4:31 remaining in the half.
On the Teague possession, the Lions moved down the field. Coaster had three carries for almost 25 yards into the Mexia side of the field. Brayden Leija finished the six play drive with a 17-yard touchdown run at the two-minute timeout. Alex Lopez kicked the extra point and the Blackcat lead was cut to 13-7.
Mexia was forced to a three and out on the final possession of the half. The Lions burned the timeouts to preserve some time, but the Blackcats were going to punt in the final seconds. Markaveon Boyd stepped back to punt, but the snap sailed over his head, and he would recover at the three-yard line, turning the ball over to the Lions offense with less than a half minute remaining in the half.
Teague needed only one play to tie the score. Jaden Cole took the handoff and ran through the Blackcat defense for the score and Lopez added the extra point that would prove to be the difference in the game.
Mexia fumbled on their second play of the second half and the Lions took over at the 28-yard line and reached the four before the Blackcat defense turned them away on a fourth down stop. Kade Kormos picked off a pass and the Lions recovered a fourth quarter fumble in the second half but could not get through the stingy Blackcat defense to add to the lead.
Mexia forced a punt with just over three minutes remaining in the game and it travelled 12 yards and set the Blackcats offense at the 30-yard line with 3:06 remaining. Boyd had a pair of runs for a first-down and Davis completed a couple of short passes. The Teague defense contributed with a penalty at midfield and a pass interference inside the Lion 20. Mexia ran a couple of plays and reached the 12-yard line and called their final timeout of the game. Ibarra lined up a 29-yard field goal on the right hash mark and hit it straight and it sailed to the right and was no good on the games’ final play and the Lions preserved the 14-13 win.
The Lions had some injured players in the game and their status for this week was not available at the time of writing this game wrap up.
The Teague Lions (3-1) will finish the non-district portion of their game schedule with a home game against the Bullard Panthers and the winless Blackcats will travel to Cameron to take on the Yoemen.
(Photos by Jessica Risken)
