By Todd Jorgenson
W.T. White accumulated points in some bizarre ways on Friday. But most importantly, they all added up the same.
The Longhorns continued some late-season momentum with a 50-15 rout of Bryan Adams at Loos Stadium that kept the Longhorns mathematically alive for a postseason berth.
“It definitely was a team win. You’ve got to appreciate those. It’s always fun when everybody can touch the ball,” said Bryson Lewis, WTW head coach. “The guys came out and played, and I’m excited to see us keep rolling.”
WTW tallied 23 points in the first quarter despite running only three offensive plays, thanks in part to some opportunistic special teams and fortuitous bounces.
Jaymari Bridges ran for a 58-yard score on the first snap from scrimmage, which came seconds after a potential 100-yard kickoff return by Lovell Neal was nullified by a penalty.
On the ensuing kickoff, Pharoah Jackson recovered a Bryan Adams fumble and scampered to the end zone, making it 15-0 before one minute had elapsed.
The next two possessions for the Cougars each resulted in blocked field goals, the second of which was returned for a score by WTW’s Miguel Gonzalez.
Adding to the weirdness, the Longhorns (2-6, 2-3) had two extra-point kicks blocked in the first quarter, but both fell into the hands of Jayden Street, who plunged across the goal line for two points on both occasions.
“We challenged our special teams. If you’re not prepared, you don’t get lucky,” Lewis said. “The ball bounced our way in the first half. All the things on special teams put us ahead.”
Street scored in a more conventional way in the second quarter, hauling in a Jordan Sims pass on third-and-long for a 32-yard touchdown.
The Cougars (1-7, 0-5) remained within striking distance before halftime due to quarterback Lowell Powell-Cumby, who ran for 144 yards and passed for another 133.
Powell-Cumby connected with Nic Montgomery on a pair of long second-quarter touchdown passes, including a 54-yard strike on third-and-14.
Moments later, Powell-Cumby engineered an 82-yard drive that culminated with a 38-yard Montgomery score to trim the margin to 29-15.
However, after Bryan Adams dominated time of possession early, WTW pulled away with touchdown runs on three straight drives in the second half.
Demarius Jackson Jr. scored twice about a minute apart in the third quarter— the second one coming immediately following a Jayden Sheppard interception in Bryan Adams territory.
Kameron Terrell capped the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, as the Longhorns surged to their highest point total of the year.
Bridges paced an efficient WTW offensive attack with 122 rushing yards on just seven attempts, for an average of more than 17 yards per carry. Sophomore quarterback Sims completed six of seven throws.
Montgomery posted a game-high six catches for 112 yards as the Cougars employed a variety of quirky formations and gimmick plays to keep the chains moving.
Eventually, Bryan Adams was worn down by penalties and a lack of depth. The Cougars have dropped seven straight games and have surrendered an average of 54.3 points per game during that span.
Meanwhile, WTW’s potential path to the playoffs isn’t as far-fetched as it might appear for a team that started the season with five straight defeats and will finish the regular season with a losing record.
A victory over cellar-dwelling Sunset next week would put the Longhorns at .500 in District 7-5A Div. I play and keep them in the hunt — while still needing help elsewhere — heading into the finale at Crandall in early November.
“We’ve got to clean up what we’ve got to clean up, but the Longhorns are still alive,” Lewis said. “We just need to go 1-0 every day.”
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