The Mexia Blackcats outscored the Teague Lions 24-8 in the second half and beat the Lions 47-23 in a pivotal district game in Mexia on Friday night. Both teams are locked in a playoff race with three weeks left in the regular season.
The Lions dropped their district record to 1-2 with two games coming in the next three weeks against Groesbeck and Fairfield that will determine their postseason placement.
Teague took the first possession of the game and marched down the field and would put the first points on the board. The Lions never faced a third down and the running of Zak Leija and Ke’Mauri Evans put the ball inside the Blackcat ten. Leija passed to J’Kybryan Harris for the eight-yard score and the Lions took the 8-0 lead on the Leija conversion run.
Mexia matched the first score with their own in their first possession. The Blackcats did not face a third down situation in the drive and scored on a Nate Burns quarterback keeper that covered five yards. The conversion run was short, and the Lions held onto the 8-6 lead midway through the first quarter.
Teague had to punt on their next possession and the Blackcats would take their first lead in the seesaw contest. Burns converted a third down at midfield and later in the drive, sophomore running back Steven Milus scored on a 27-yard touchdown and the Blackcats took the 12-8 lead in the final minute of the first quarter.
The Lions used the remainder of the first quarter and would take the lead in the opening moments of the second quarter. Facing a third and 13 just inside Blackcat territory, Leija passed deep down the middle to senior wide receiver Jehmel Rice for the 46-yard touchdown pass. Rice made his return to the lineup for the first time in a while for the Lions. Alex Lopez added the extra point, and the Lions regained the lead at 15-12 with ten minutes remaining in the first half.
The teams exchanged turnovers in the second quarter, one of them a Micah Kirven 67-yard interception return for a touchdown that was called back. The Blackcats did turn that turnover into points when Burns found Kyren Bedford for the 55-yard touchdown with 1:51 remaining in the first half. Luis Ortiz added the extra point and the Blackcats changed the lead for the third time in the game at 19-15.
The Lions did make a threat to score before the end of the half. Harris returned the kickoff for a touchdown, but a holding penalty took the points off the board and the Lions took over at the Mexia 26. They got inside the ten-yard line and on fourth down, Leija had his pass go off the hands of Korey Silar and the Blackcats took over on downs.
Mexia was forced to punt on their first possession of the second half and the Lions used their first possession to change the lead for the fourth time. Evans scored on a one-yard run to end the eight play drive from midfield. Leija added the conversion run to take the lead 23-19.
Mexia matched the touchdown with another on their next possession. Burns took off on a 42-yard run to set the Blackcats up at the 24-yard line and Milus finished up from there. He ran for a three-yard score and lead change number five on the night. The extra point was good and the Blackcats led 26-23 with 4:05 remaining in the third quarter.
Mexia forced a turnover on downs from the Lions and scored to begin the fourth quarter. They converted a third and long on a double reverse pass from Burns to Bedford inside the Teague ten and Milus added his third touchdown run of the night to extend the lead to 32-23 on the first play of the fourth.
Teague had a punt and sack that ended drives in the fourth quarter and the Blackcats scored once more with a minute left in the game. Milus scored on a one-yard touchdown run, his fourth of the game and the Blackcats led 40-23.
Leija had his pass intercepted on the final possession when Bedford picked off the pass and returned it 30 yards for the touchdown and the final score of 47-23.
Malakoff and Groesbeck lead the district and are unbeaten and will face each other on October 27. Fairfield and Mexia are tied at 2-2 but the Eagles hold the tiebreaker, and the Lions are a half game back at 1-2. The Lions will host the Groesbeck Goats on Friday in a critical game in the district 8-3A Division I standings.
(Photos by Jessica Risken)
