Eagles fight off late comeback
ALVIN — The two top heavyweights of District 23-6A met on Friday night. Neither Dawson nor Shadow-Creek backeddown, and regulation wasn’t enough time to determine a winner.
The difference was a 23yard field goal by Carter Brown that lifted Dawson to a 31-28 overtime victory over the Sharks. Brown’s overtime kick was the last play of the game at Freedom Field and kept Dawson unbeaten (9-0, 7-0) on the season.
“Carter Brown, he’s a phenomenal kicker,” Eagles coach Mike Allison said. “The snap by Carter Ostrom, the hold by David Jefferson, and the kick by Carter. Those guys have been doing it together for awhile, they’re comfortable with it, and I’m at ease when they’re out there.”
Allison wasn’t at ease when Shadow Creek mounted a second-half comeback. The Sharks tied the game 28-all with 1:28 remaining in the fourth quarter on a19-yard scoring play from quarterback Kyron Drones to Lawrence Armstrong and Matt Allison’s extra point.
But Dawson showed why it’s a teamon the rise, meeting every challenge in a challenging season. In the only overtime that was needed, Shadow-Creek took possession of the ball first, and the drive ended when David Fisher intercepted a Drones pass in the end zone.
Torrance Burgess Jr. ran for two touchdowns and 59
yards and Ja’Den Stewart ran for the big plays in the Eagles’ hard-earned win to take over the top spot in district.
“It was a huge win,” Allison said. “(ShadowCreek) is a very talented team, and it was tough. Our kids played their butts off, and I’m super proud of them.”
Earlier in the fourthquarter, Dawson marched 92 yards for a go-ahead touch
down capped by a 2-yard run from Blake Smith out of the wildcat formation. Stewart, who rushed for a game-high 157 yards, ran for 71yards on the drive, including a 48-yarder on the first play of the series.
Both teams are headed for the playoffs once the regular season concludes. Dawson may pick up an additional game before the playoffs begin.
Drones, who is committed to Baylor, ran for a score and teamed with C. J. Guidry on a 25-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Drones rushed for 59 yards and passed for156, completing nine of 26 passes. Sharks running back Kelv on Brown added 58 rushing yards.
Jonah Ledet intercepted Drones in the end zone with 4:26 remaining in the game with Dawson ahead 28-21,
another big play by the Eagles’ defense.
Dawson had run roughshod over its first eight opponents, outscoring the opposition 346-44. Shadow Creek had also turned it on after opening the season with losses to North Shore (38-21) and Bridgeland (2721). Prior to Friday, the Sharks (4-3, 4-1) had won four straight — all in district and three by shutout — outscoring their previous four opponents by a combined 163-6. The Sharks have played two fewer games than the Eagles.
On the strength of two big plays, Dawson took a 21-7 halftime lead. Quarterback Collin Johnson’s 62-yard pass to Ashton Stroman set up a 5-yard scoring run by Burgess on the following play for the Eagles’ first score.
Dawson went up14-7 on a 53-yard scoring pass from receiver Ryan Guillo to Jefferson and the second of four extra points made by Brown. Guillo caught a backward pass from Johnson and connected to a wide-open Jefferson, who coasted the remaining 30 yards after making the catch.
For Dawson, offensive linemen Sam Hackworth, Ian Scott, Garrett Slider, Herman Romero and Ayden Khalil had great push up front. Defensively for the Eagles, end Cameron Whitfield and Darien Flynn constantly applied pressure on Drones. Fisher and Jordan Stewart made big plays in the secondary.
The reigning 5ADivision I state champion, Shadow Creek is in its first year competing in Class 6A. The Sharks received outstanding defensive performances from linemen Ryan Williams and Jairo Castillo and from linebacker Byron Roberson.
Sharks linebacker Terrence Cooks recovered a fumble late in the third quarter to set up the tying score, Isaiah Harper’s 3yard run, on the first play of the fourth quarter.