The Teague Lions scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter and made the lead hold up throughout the remainder of the game and shocked the fourth ranked Palestine Westwood Panthers Friday night in Teague.
Teague came into the game winless in district and the win Friday night put the Lions back in the thick of the playoff race at 1-2.
The Lions took the first possession and began at their 26-yard line. They faced a fourth down and drew the Panthers offside and moved the chains. Senior quarterback Garrett Winkler ran for a first down, converting on a third down. Carter Stacks caught a 12-yard pass to inside the ten and on fourth and goal, Winkler threw a pass into the end zone and was intercepted by Zaire Brown, and the Panthers took over.
Westwood wasted no time putting the points on the board. On first down from their 34, junior quarterback Kavian Bryant passed to Tristan Lipscomb for the 66-yard touchdown. The point after was good and the Panthers led 7-0 with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Lions matched the score with their own near the end of the quarter. The Teague patient offense had a 21-yard pass to Braden Gauntt and another for 14 to Bryce Bates. Winkler converted a third down and then passed to Bates, who made a leaping catch for the six-yard touchdown. Alex Lopez tied the score with the extra point kick at the end of the first quarter.
Westwood took the ball at the beginning of the second and advanced to inside the Lion 20. The Bryant pass for the first down fell incomplete and the Lions took over at their 15-yard line. Two runs by senior running back Ny’Land Coaster netted 33 yards and Winkler found Bates on a short pass and he ran around the Panther defense for the 52-yard touchdown and the Lions held the 14-7 lead.
Teague forced a punt from the Panthers and took over near midfield with the lead. Coaster ran 24 yards for a first down on the opening play of the drive. Four plays later, Winkler found Gauntt for the 19-yard touchdown, Winkler’s third touchdown pass of the night and the Lions led 21-7, the first time this season the Panthers have allowed 21 consecutive points.
The Panthers took the first possession of the second half and Bryant used his legs, running for a pair of first downs. Markel Morrow caught a pass to the two and set the Panthers up for the score. Bryant was chased out of the pocket on the next play and Blake Maggard chased him down and forced a fumble and Gauntt recovered.
Coaster carried five times and began ripping off big yardage. Bates caught a deep pass and ran the rest of the way for his third touchdown of the game, and the fourth touchdown pass by Winkler, and the lead grew to 28-7 midway through the third quarter.
Bryant did get his offense untracked and the Panthers went 63 yards in just over a minute. Bryant passed to Morrow for the 12-yard score and the lead was cut to 28-14 with four minutes remaining in the third.
Teague used the remaining time in the third to put themselves in position for a fourth quarter score. Mario Cuevas took the handoff for the touchdown from three yards and the Lions answered with the touchdown and took the lead back to three scores at 35-14.
Westwood began their next possession at midfield and traveled 20 yards and faced a fourth down and Bryant was sacked again by Maggard, and the Lions took over.
The Panthers had a 72-yard drive following a Lion punt and Brown scored on a 21-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 35-20 on the missed extra point.
Teague had their drive stall with six minutes remaining in the game and lined up for a punt. The snap sailed over the punter’s head and the Panthers took over at the Lion nine-yard line. Brown had a couple of runs, the second ended with a Teague facemask setting the Panthers at the four-yard line with a first down. Bryant called his number and waited for a block and then was hit from behind and in front of him. The ball came loose and went into the end zone and Colton Smith recovered, leaving the margin at 15 points.
The Teague offensive line took over the game and six straight handoffs to Coaster resulted in three first downs. Winkler had everyone looking run and went over the top with a touchdown pass to Gauntt for the 40-yard score and the 42-20 lead, with all point afters coming from Lopez.
Winkler had his best night as a signal caller, completing 15 of 22 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns. The Teague Lions (1-2 district) will return home to take on the winless Huntington Red Devils (0- 3 district).
(Photos by Jessica Risken)
