Cougars upset Tigers, 62-42
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Texas High’s football season came to an abrupt halt against Crosby.
The Cougars scored on 9 of 13 possessions, led by multiple scores for much of the night and upset the fifthranked Tigers, 62-42, in a Class 5A, Division II area game Friday at Homer Bryce Stadium.
Texas High finishes its season at 11-1. Crosby (9-3) advances to next week’s regional semifinal round.
“You never want it to end until the season is over, and you’ve won them all,” THS head coach Gerry Stanford said. “That’s the goal.
“I told the seniors, ‘ When you come in as a freshman and leave as a senior, you want to make the program better than what is was.’ This senior class has made it better than what it was, prior to their time here.”
The Tigers finished the game with 549 yards of total offense. The Cougars had 614 yards.
Brayson McHenry completed 23-of-47 passes for 433 yards, four TDs and no interceptions. Daquarreon Witcher rushed 13 times for 55 yards and a score to lead the ground attack, and Clayton Smith also had a short touchdown run.
Caden Miller had nine catches for 173 yards to lead the Tiger receivers, and Rian Cellers added seven for 130 yards. Both had TD receptions, as did Tre Roberts (44 yards) and Smith (9) after Darin Finley’s fumble recovery inside the Crosby 10.
Jalen Jones also had a fumble recovery for THS to set up Roberts’ scoring grab.
Reggie Branch scored five TDs for the Cougars, rushing 13 times for 190 yards and three scores and catching seven balls for 115 yards and two more scores.
Jaylen Herman also had four receptions for 111 yards and all four were scores. Deniquez Dunn rushed for 119 yards and also completed 15-of-23 passes for 282 yards, five TDs and an interception.
“This group — the seniors and underclassmen — has a bright future ahead of them,” Stanford said. “I really appreciate all they’ve done.”
The Tigers were playing catchup the entire first half, after Crosby scored just 44 seconds into the game and held a 28-point lead early in the second quarter.
The Cougars scored on 4 of their first 6 possessions — Branch scoring all four of the touchdowns. He caught a 7-yard score from Dunn on the fourth snap of the game.
The ensuing drive ended on an incomplete pass on fourth down, giving Crosby the ball at its own 42. On the third play, Caleb Arnold intercepted a pass in the end zone to thwart the drive.
The next Cougar campaign lasted just three plays as Dunn raced 28 yards, fol
lowed by Branch’s 25-yard TD run with 4:28 left in the first quarter.
THS turned the ball over on downs again on its next drive, which ended at the Crosby 32. The Tigers defense forced a 3-and-out, but the Cougar defense responded in kind.
Branch covered 32 yards on his next score with 10:23 left in the second, and after a 3-and-out by Texas High, Branch scored from 67 yards out to go up 28-0 with 8:35 left in the half.
The Tigers marched 75 yards on seven plays, with Cellers catching a 30-yard TD from McHenry with 6:55 left until intermission.
Texas High’s next possession lasted six plays and covered 69 yards as Caden Miller caught the ball at the 5, slipped a tackle and walked in for a Tiger TD with 2:43 left.
Jaylen Herman caught a 23-yard score from Dunn on a broken play with 1:17 remaining, and Crosby took a 35-14 lead into the locker rooms.