As a game of missed opportunities evolved into a test of wills and stamina, W.T. White finally got the breakthrough it needed.
Jayden Street caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Paredez in overtime to lift the Longhorns past Hillcrest 26-20 in Friday’s season opener at Loos Stadium.
The first career win for WTW head coach Bryson Lewis came in dramatic fashion, as the Longhorns staved off an upset bid by neighborhood rival Hillcrest. The Panthers fell 34-6 in last year’s opener between the teams.
“The word of the day was endurance. We believe in having some grit and playing as hard as we can. I’m so proud of the effort they showed, facing adversity and coming back.”
Paredez threw for 306 yards and two scores, while Ben Ebeke added 137 rushing yards and a touchdown as the Longhorns (1-0) rallied from an early 14-point deficit.
WTW missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired in regulation to cap a scoreless second half. In overtime, Demarius Jackson’s interception ended Hillcrest’s possession and the game.
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“You’ve got to be able to execute in the big moments to decide the game. We made a lot of mistakes that are uncommon, but we have a young team,” said Lewis, a former defensive coordinator at Richardson Berkner. “Our guys coming up with a stop after we missed the field goal shows you the caliber of team we’re going to have.”
After a first-quarter touchdown run by WTW sophomore Sebastian Duran, the Panthers (0-1) rattled off 17 consecutive points in quick succession. Jayden Harris caught a long touchdown pass from Asher Randall for a 10-6 lead, set up by a 41-yard strike to Khari Bass on the previous play.
On the ensuing drive, William Tryon returned an interception 51 yards for a score — capitalizing on one of three WTW turnovers — to increase the Hillcrest advantage to 17-6 early in the second quarter.
Hillcrest kept the momentum when Zion Stevens-Braziel recovered a fumble on the subsequent kickoff return and returned it to the WTW 1-yard line. But the Panthers had to settle for a second Gabriel Vivero field goal and a 20-6 lead.
Hillcrest never scored after that, and the Longhorns found their footing after another mistake on a misjudged kickoff recovered inside their own 5.
They drove 97 yards in 11 plays, culminating with a short fourth-down toss to the end zone from Paredez to Lovell Neal. Paredez found Zamarion Dunn for 38 yards earlier in the possession.
Moments later, WTW took advantage of favorable field position and tied the game on Dunn’s 32-yard reception, followed by Ebeke’s 2-yard touchdown plunge just before halftime.
The second half was primarily a battle for field position, with Hillcrest doing just enough to withstand its own miscues — including untimely penalties and persistent snapping issues.
The Longhorns had a chance to take the lead following a 73-yard gain by Ebeke on third-and-long deep in WTW territory. Then Hillcrest’s Willard Akinnoye recovered a fumble on the next play.
Another opportunity came late in the fourth quarter, when WTW’s Isaiah Flores gained 18 yards on a punt return, and another 29 on a catch from Paredez with seven seconds left. However, a second field goal try, after a first miss nullified by a Hillcrest offsides penalty, sailed wide left.
“We’ve just got to take advantage of the opportunities. It was a little bit of everything,” said Hillcrest head coach A.D. Madise, whose roster includes several sophomores seeing their first significant varsity action. “They’ve never been in these moments. We’ve got to get creative in how we make up for this inexperience.”
Randall completed 14 of 26 passes for 202 yards. Bass was his top target with five catches for a game-high 104 yards. For the Longhorns, Paredez spread the ball around while connecting on 22 of 34 throws.
Next up, WTW will have a short week to prepare for hosting Seagoville on Sept. 4, while Hillcrest will face Elgin (Okla.) in its home opener on Sept. 5.
