MIDLOTHIAN — Injuries and inexperience made Hillcrest’s playoff opener against a seasoned Midlothian Heritage squad an uphill climb.
As a result, the Panthers were overmatched during a 45-7 loss on Thursday in a Class 5A Division II bi-district game in which their offensive struggles persisted.
The Jaguars returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and built a 38-0 advantage midway through the second quarter while Hillcrest never came within striking distance of the end zone until the game was out of reach.
“We played a lot of sophomores. Some guys that were first- and second-year football players took meaningful snaps. We were patchworking the offensive line,” said Hillcrest head coach A.D. Madise. “They overcame a lot to be standing on this field.”
Za’ko Davis accounted for three first-half touchdowns for Heritage. He gained 104 yards on just eight carries and scored on runs of 20 and 32 yards on back-to-back drives.
The Jaguars (8-3), finished off four of their first five possessions with touchdowns, including a 28-yard pass from Brayden Newman to Davis to make the score 38-0.
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Khari Bass returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards for a score to help the Panthers (6-5) avoid being shut out for the fourth time this season.
“We knew what the situation was going to be,” Madise said. “I was incredibly proud of the way they fought under those circumstances.”
Hillcrest couldn’t generate much offense behind a depleted offensive line. Asher Randall was 16-of-26 passing for 159 yards in his final game for the Panthers, and he was sacked six times.
Bass posted a game-high eight receptions for 82 yards, while freshman Jermaine Johnson was the team’s top rusher in his postseason debut. On defense, Zion Stevens-Braziel recovered a fumble in the first quarter.
Damar Robinson and Zion Johnson each added rushing scores for Heritage, which had 321 yards of total offense in the first half before easing off the gas pedal.
Hillcrest has lost its last seven first-round playoff games since the program’s most recent postseason victory in 2006. The Panthers fell to Kaufman a year ago.
