The Teague Lions battled the top ten Palestine Westwood Panthers to the end but would come up short in a 42-36 loss in Palestine on Friday night.
The Panthers had an eventful week with allegations from opponents for filming opponents by illegal means. The State Executive Committee held up the District Executive Committee by suspending head coach Richard Bishop for the remainder of the season and the other man for one year. The State Committee did not force the forfeiture of previous and future games.
The Lions had the opening possession and marched down the field, taking seven minutes off the first quarter clock. The 14 play, 73-yard drive featured 13 plays on the ground mixing the running of Korey Silar, Ny’land Coaster and Zak Leija. Leija had a three yard to convert a fourth down and Coaster finished the impressive drive with a five-yard run. Leija added the conversion run for the early 8-0 lead.
The high-octane Westwood offense needed only two plays to answer the opening score. Senior running back Jon Denmon broke away up the near sideline for a 60-yard touchdown run cutting into the lead. The point after was good and the Panthers cut the lead to 8-7.
The Lions were forced to punt on the next possession and the Panthers took the ball inside the Lions 30 on a 47-yard pass from quarterback Kavan Bryant to Kaysn Dial. He finished the drive, hauling in a 19-yard score and the Westwood Panthers took the 14-8 lead.
Teague countered with a five-play drive. Leija ran for 18 and Coaster added a 26-yard run inside the Panther twenty. Leija threw the fade to Harris for the 15-yard touchdown and the Lions took the lead 15-14.
Bryant wasted little time matching the score. On the second play of the drive, he found Dial on a short pass that turned into a 66-yard catch and run touchdown, and the Panthers regained the lead 21-15.
Denmon scored on a 73-yard touchdown run on the next possession, completing a one play drive and the lead swelled to its largest at 28-15.
The Lions drove as far as the Westwood seven-yard line and stalled out, turning the ball over on a missed fourth down pass. Westwood took over and Bryant had a run to the sideline and an undisclosed altercation led to him being ejected for the remainder of the contest. He will also be required to sit for half in the road game in Fairfield next week.
The Panthers turned the ball over on downs in the first possession of the second half and the Lions turned the turnover into points. Coaster broke away on a 56-yard touchdown run and the Leija conversion run cut the lead to 28-21 with 10:08 remaining in the third quarter.
Jaden Cole and Colton Smith tackled Dial in the backfield for a big loss, forcing a punt. Teague took over at their own 18-yard line. Leija passed to Silar for a 22-yard gain to convert a third down and long. Leija scored the touchdown on a 40-yard run and Lopez’s extra point tied the score at 28-28 with 4:34 left on the third quarter clock.
The Panthers took their final lead of the game on a 43-yard punt return and the point after putting the lead to 35-28. After a missed fake punt by the Lions, Westwood extended the lead to 42-28 on a Denmon 16-yard run with under three minutes left in the final quarter.
The Lions cut into the lead in the final minute on a Leija to Harris 60-yard touchdown pass. Teague held on defense when Jacob Matthews and Cole dropped the Westwood runner short of the first down. Teague had less than a minute at midfield and completed a couple passes, one to Harris and the other to Colton Smith on the final play.
Denmon led all rushers 177 yards and Coaster added 134 for the Teague offense.
Westwood leads the district at 3-0 and will travel to Fairfield, who is tied with Diboll one game back. Crockett and Teague are both 1-2 and Huntington is winless with two games remaining. Teague travels to Huntington Friday and can clinch a playoff spot with a win.
(Photos by Jessica Risken)
