The No. 8 state-ranked Mustangs made the trip to the familiar confines of Randall Reed Stadium in New Caney on Thursday night and dispatched the Sweeny Bulldogs, 41-14, in the bi-district round of the Class 4A Division 2 playoffs.
It looked as if the Mustangs might be in a fight from the Sweeny Bulldogs as the Bulldogs only needed two plays to reach the end zone on its opening possession of the game. Running back Seth Jammer took the handoff, dashed through the left side of the line and followed the sideline for a 73-yard touchdown run and a quick 7-0 for Sweeny.
The Bulldogs defense smothered the Mustangs offense on its first possession and forced WO-S to punt, but the Mustangs would get back in the game on its second possession.
Starting from its own 28-yard line following a Sweeny punt, the Mustangs advanced the ball quickly as running back Khelvy Jefferson ripped off a 9-yard run and a personal foul against Sweeny pushed the ball into Bulldogs territory. Two plays later quarterback Marcus Turner Jr. zipped around the right side and down the sideline for a Mustangs touchdown to even the game, 7-7, following the Brian Hernandez extra point.
Sweeny looked to answer the Mustangs score as running back Cayden Jones burst through the middle of the WO-S defense for a 51-yard run to the Mustangs 22-yard. The West Orange-Stark defense tightened up and, on third down and seven from the 9-yard line, Sweeny quarterback Lane Cole threw an interception which was picked off in the end zone by Raymond Mallett Jr. to end the drive.
Although Mallett was tackled deep in WO-S territory at its own 3-yard line, on the very next play, Turner faked the handoff, displayed some spin moves and then roared downfield for a 97-yard touchdown to extend the Mustangs lead to 14-7.
The next Sweeny possession ended in a turnover on downs, which set the Mustangs up with excellent field position near midfield. A few moments later Jefferson punched the ball in for a 2-yard score and a 21-7 WO-S lead at halftime.
West Orange-Stark essentially put the game away with its opening drive of the third quarter as Turner connected with Ja’Mikael Davis on a 23-yard touchdown with 8:40 to play in the third quarter and a 28-7 Mustangs lead.
Sweeny would cut into that lead on its next possession as Jones capped off an eight play, 53-yard drive with a 1-yard run. The drive chewed up 5:01 off the game clock and narrowed the margin to 28-14.
Any momentum the Bulldogs had was taken away a few moments later. Running back Dylan Myers set the Mustangs up deep in Sweeny territory with a 43-yard run to the 25-yard line. Turner three an 11-yard pass to Davis to the 11-yard line and then Turner scored his third touchdown of the night with an 11-yard run to put WO-S ahead, 35-14.
Jefferson added a 28-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter for the final margin, 41-14.
WO-S generated 449 yards of total offense on the night, which included 387 yards rushing and 62 yards passing and no turnovers for the game.
Mustangs quarterback Marcus Turner Jr led all rushers with 176 yards on 11 rushes and three touchdowns. He also completed six passes in 11 attempts for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Dylan Myers rushed for 79 yards, while Michael Turner III added 72 yards on the ground during the fourth quarter. Jefferson contributed 55 yards rushing on seven carries with two touchdowns as well.
Ja’Mikael Davis led all receivers with three catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.
The WO-S defense held Sweeny to 276 total yards of offense on the night, all of it on the ground, while coming up with one interception and two sacks of the Bulldogs quarterback.
West Orange-Stark (9-2) will face the winner of N0. 10 state-ranked Waco La Vega (7-3) and La Grange (6-4) next week with time, date and location to be determined. WO-S beat Waco La Vega, 35-27, in a non-district game in Week 3 of this season at a neutral site in Madisonville.
-Tommy Mann, KOGT-
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