Tigers unlucky in close game
McKINNEY, Texas—In what turned out to be a slugfest, Texas High couldn’t get the ball back to throw one more punch.
McKinney North outlasted the Tigers after the team’s combined for 872 yards of total offense and 91 points, the Bulldogs stayed just ahead of the guest team for a 47-44 win Friday at McKinney ISD Stadium.
It evened the Bulldogs’ District 7-5A, Division I record at 1-1 (4-2 overall), while handing Texas High (2-4 overall) its third consecutive loss—two in district play.
North rushed 68 times for 364 yards as part of its 461 yards of total offense, and Dillon Markiewicz hit Sean Monsour for a pair of second-half TDs to go along with additional rushing touchdowns from workhorses Hunter Chae and Emanuel Fincher.
Chae finished with 27 carries for 191 yards and three TDs, and Fincher had 35 totes for 151 yards and a pair of scores.
Tiger QB Colton Clack connected on 23-of-37 passes for 361 yards and five touchdowns, and he rushed for another TD. Clack had second-half touchdown tosses to Myles Washington, Kendall Reid and Chris Sutton.
Washington had six receptions for 143 yards and two TDs on the night.
Texas High ended the Bulldogs’ second possession of the game with a three-and-out, and a shanked punt gave the Tigers the ball at the North 33. THS moved the chains, and Diego Mata booted a 34-yard field goal with 5:59 left for the first points of the game.
It only took four plays for the Bulldogs to get in the end zone, Chae breaking free for a 33-yard jaunt to paydirt. A penalty erased a 2-point run, and Texas High blocked the PAT kick.
Sutton returned the ensuing kickoff 44 yards to the North 28, and it took three plays to move to the 5. However, a fumble at the 1 was recovered by the Bulldogs for a touchback, thwarting the Texas High scoring opportunity.
It took 3:22 for North to drive 80 yards, Chae darting in from the 4 on the 12th play of the drive for a 12-3 lead. Mason Jones tackled a receiver short of the goal line on a 2-point pass play.
The Tigers responded with a 9-play, 85-yard campaign, Washington racing 55 yards for the score with 7:51 left in the half.
The Bulldogs ate up 4:29 off the clock with a 14-play—all runs— 72-yard drive, running four plays inside the 10. Emanuel Fincher bulled in from the 1 for the touchdown with 3:22 left in the second quarter.
Texas High needed just 21 seconds to score again, Jones taking a pass down the left sideline and racing 64 yards to the end zone. Mata’s PAT made it 19-17 North.
The Tigers had 169 yards of offense in the first half with 176 through the air. The Bulldogs had 193 yards, 151 coming on 36 rushes.