Jacksboro rallies past Eastland in old-fashioned shootout

The Jacksboro Tigers scored 22 points in the second quarter and then held on to claim a 4924 decision on a District 5-3A shootout at Maverick Stadium on Friday. The two teams combined for 73 points and 924 yards, including more than 500 through the year as Eastland’s Isaiah Hays and Jacksboro’s Lando Belcher put on a passing clinic. The two completed 33 of their 52 passing attempts for 502 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, Jacksboro also did plenty of damage on the ground. The Tigers rushed for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Jacksboro got the offensive fireworks started midway through the first quarter. The Tigers scored the game’s first points on an 8-yard pas from Belcher to Kaleem Howard. The extra point attempt failed, leaving Jacksboro with a 6-0 lead at the 5:52 mark of the frame. The Mavericks answered right back. After the two teams had traded punts, Hays delivered a big play for the Mavs. He hit Griffin Beard with a pass over the middle. Beard outran the Tiger defense from there, completing a 78-yard touchdown play. Jiovani Ojeda’s ensuing extrapoint staked the Mavs to a 7-6 cushion heading into the second. Hays turned in a sensational night under center. He hit of 16 of his 26 passes for 213 yards. Beard, who also rushed the ball for a team-high 43 yards on eight attempts, closed out the game as EHS’s top receiver, netting four catches for 99 yards. Belcher caught fire from there. The JHS standout converted on a pair of third-and-long plays on the Tigers’ next possession before capping the drive with a 30-yard TD strike to Cannon Valenzuela. Josh Salazar tacked on the kick., giving Jacksboro a 13-7 cushion. Eastland didn’t flinch. The Mavericks responded to Jacksboro’s march with one of their own moments later. Cayden Alford polished off the Mavs’ next possession by catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Hays. The Mavs’ second scoring drive lasted just 71 seconds, spanning three plays. Jay Oznick and Preston Rose both accounted for huge chunks of yardage with receptions of 30 and 29 yards in the drive. Alford’s TD put Eastland on top 14-13 with 9:08 left in the first half. The Tigers roared back. Jacksboro needed just two plays before Luke Sams broke free on a 50-yard TD run that gave the Tigers the lead for good. Sams, who finished the contest with 156 yards on 16 carries, tacked on another touchdown run later in the second and helped Jacksboro roll into the half holding a 28-17 advantage. Jacksboro stretched its lead in the third. The Tigers got a 45yard TD run from Belcher and a 7-yard touchdown reception from Kasey Swan en route to building a 42-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Belcher completed 17 of his 26 passes for 289 yards. He also rushed for 126 yards on 10 rushes. Cason Browning helped the Mavs close out the contest on a high note. He punched his way into the end zone from a yard out with 5:26 left to account for Eastland’s final score. Browning netted 34 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. With the loss, the Mavericks dropped to 1-5 for the season and, more importantly, fell to 0-1 in District 5-3A play. Jacksboro is 6-0 and 1-0. Eastland will return to action on Friday when they head to Merkel to face off with the Badgers. Merkel, which has won its last three outings, rolls into the game at 5-1. The Badgers opened district play with a 47-21 victory over Dublin on Friday District 5-3A Standings District Overall Team W - L W-L Jacksboro 1-0 6-0 Eastland 0-1 1-5