The Teague Lions found an uphill battle in facing the state ranked Winnsboro Red Raiders and they battled but would see their season come to an end at Norvell Stadium in Kaufman.
Teague would face a coach that spent one season at Teague High School. Josh Finney took the helm of the Red Raiders and was in Teague for one season before leaving for another East Texas school. Their paths would cross at Kaufman High School.
It was all Winnsboro and the Lions battled to the bitter end but could not match Winnsboro score for score.
Winnsboro took the first possession and marched through the air and ground game to get the game’s first score. In eleven plays, the Red Raiders went 80 yards and finished with Tyson Johnson scoring on a three-yard touchdown run and the early 7-0 lead.
The lead would only last a few seconds when, on the kickoff, J’Kybryan Harris took the ball at the three-yard line and raced up the middle and broke to the outside. He ran past the kicker on his way to a 97-yard kickoff return and Alex Lopez added the extra point, tying the game at 7-7.
Kyler Finney added a six-yard touchdown run and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Camden Capehart to end the first quarter with a 21-7 Winnsboro lead.
Winnsboro would take a 35-7 halftime lead on Johnson’s second touchdown of the night along with Capehart catching another touchdown from 61 yards out.
Finney came out firing in the early moments of the second half with a 25-yard strike to Will Wilcox and continued to build the lead. He caught a second touchdown on the next Red Raider possession.
Harris put his name back in the game when he slipped out and caught a pass covering 61 yards to cut the lead to 49-14.
Winnsboro added a field goal and a short touchdown run by Johnny Preciado and then Harris struck again. Lion quarterback Zak Leija found Jehmel Rice for a long pass inside the ten-yard line. He had the ball stripped away and Harris scooped it up and took it the rest of the way for the touchdown and cut the lead to 59-21.
Harris added a final touchdown in between Red Raider fourth quarter scores. He caught a 59-yard touchdown pass to complete the Lion scoring for the night.
A late touchdown by Winnsboro, with the game already decided, was added and the final score of 73-28.
(Photos by Jessica Risken)
