The Teague Lions held fate in their own hands heading into Friday night. Fate dealt the Lions a tough hand and they were eliminated from playoff contention at the hands of the Diboll Lumberjacks.
Teague was deadlocked in a four-way tie for second place, and they only needed to win over Diboll to finish as the runner up in District 9-3A Division I play. Diboll, Crockett, and Palestine Westwood were the other teams in the stalemate.
The Lions posted possibly the largest upset in Class 3A two weeks ago when they downed the then fourth ranked Westwood Panthers 42-20, only to fall in the finale to Diboll. This gave Westwood the runner up spot, with Crockett finishing third and Diboll with their win over Teague, claiming the final postseason spot.
The ball control offense that Diboll used in the contest slowed down the game and limited the possessions. The Lions began only eight possessions in the entire game and scored on two of them but the big play offense at times put the Lions in a must score situation.
Teague took the ball first and immediately got a big run from N’yland Coaster when he ripped off a 37-yard run. The Lions chipped away at the remaining 21 yards in the drive and senior quarterback Garrett Winkler hit Bryce Bates on the slant for the seven-yard touchdown with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter. The run for two was short and the Lions led 6-0.
The Lumberjack offense went to work and equaled the impressive Teague drive with one of their own. Diboll converted three third and short situations and travelled 61 yards in eleven plays. Quarterback Rylie Arambula scored on a one-yard surge up the middle and the point after Ivan Gomez put the Lumberjacks ahead by a slim margin 7-6 with a minute to go in the opening quarter.
Teague had their second possession stall at midfield, and the Alex Perez punt was downed at the Lumberjack 12. Diboll needed nine plays and nearly five clock minutes to extend the lead. Arambula passed to Erik Robbins for 21 yards and later the Lions committed a 15-yard penalty moving the ball to inside the Teague 30. Tyrece McMillian broke open and Arambula hit him in stride with a 19-yard touchdown, and the Lumberjacks led 13-7 with 6:42 remaining in the half.
The Lions offense went back on the move and had their second double digit play drive but could not get the score even before the half. Winkler passed to Colton Smith for 20 yards and a first down and then he had a scramble for 20 yards inside the Lumberjack 35. A pair of Coaster runs moved the possession to inside the 20, but two incompletions late in the drive turned the ball over on downs the Lions trailed 13-6 at the half.
The Lumberjacks had the first opportunity of the second half. Another ten plus play drive allowed Diboll to add to their lead. Mixing the run and the pass, they converted on a fourth and five and stalled at Lion 13-yard line. Gomez came on and kicked a 30-yard field goal, and the lead put the Lumberjacks ahead 16-6 midway through the third quarter.
Teague took their next possession at their 34-yard line and needed ten plays to cut into the lead. On third and five at the 39, the Lumberjacks committed pass interference, and the Lions moved the chains. Winkler connected with Braden Gauntt for a 35-yard catch and run and converted another third down. A pair of Coaster runs picked another first down and Winkler passed to Smith for the ten-yard score. The point after cut the lead to 16-13 with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter.
The Lion defense forced a three and out to end the third quarter and the Lumberjacks punted on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Lions could not convert on a third down and had to punt in the early moments of the fourth. The punt pinned the Lumberjacks at their own ten-yard line. Tyrece got behind the offensive line in a heavy package and broke outside and raced 90 yards for the Lumberjack score and the point after put the lead back to ten at 23-13.
Teague had two more possessions and reached Diboll territory both times but turned the possession over on downs and the Lumberjacks closed out the 23-13 win.
(Photos by Jessica Risken)
