East Bernard comes up short against Newton.
NEW CANEY — Foiled again.
East Bernard came up short in the state semis after an inspired defensive effort wasn’t enough to silence the reigning state champs.
The Brahmas held the ball for more than 9 minutes on an improbable 94yard drive leading to a game-tying touchdown with 2:08 remaining, but Newton running back Darwin Barlow — a TCU pledge — scored with 13.9 seconds left to clinch a 21-14 win for the Eagles Friday night at Texan Drive Stadium.
“Our kids played hard all year long, and I expected them to come do that again (Friday), and I’m glad we gave them a ballgame,” East Bernard coach Wade Bosse said. “It makes it so rough when you get right there, and you’ve got a chance to win it there at the end, but we just ran out of gas.
“They mashed us that last drive and reminded us why they are the defending state champion.”
Newton (14-0) is now 42-1 in the last three seasons and heading back to the Class 3A Division II final to defend its title against Canadian or Gunter at 3 p.m. Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
East Bernard ended its season at 13-2.
“I hope people are impressed with what this young squad did because there aren’t a lot of major athletes on this team,” Bosse said. “This is a team, a Brahma family team, and we are extremely proud of what they accomplished this year.”
Newton entered averaging 59.5 points per game.
It outscored its first four playoff foes 276-31, including a 79-12 win over Daingerfield in the Region III championship game, but against East Bernard’s determined defense, the Eagles, who rarely punted all season, punted three times and turned the ball over on downs twice — in the first half.
The Eagles had only 107 total yards and six first downs at halftime.
Quarterback Josh Foster, a TCU commit, scrambled for two big gains on Newton’s second possession. Then defensive end Mason Vasut sacked Foster by a shoestring for a 17-yard loss, forcing a punt.
Newton tried a fake punt on its fourth series but Foster threw incomplete.
“It was 11 playing as one,” Bosse said. “That’s the best way to say it — 11 playing as one. We couldn’t let them get on to a run, because they’re so dad gum fast. We kept them inside, we were as physical as we could be, and we made them work for everything they could get. Unfortunately, they got three scores and we got two.”