Sam Houston blanks Poteet to qualify for playoffs

TEAMS INCLUDED: Brackenridge, East Central, Highlands, Holy Cross, Sam Houston.

Holy Cross won the TAPPS 3-II championship last year with an undefeated. This year, it will share the title because of its road win over a previously unbeaten team.

The Knights (7-3, 6-1) knocked off Austin Hyde Park Baptist (9-1, 6-1) with a 28-14 comeback victory. Holy Cross scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns Friday in Austin.

The finishing kick began with a 53-yard pass from senior receiver Greg Kelly to quarterback Cisco Flores on a flea-flicker. The touchdown broke a 7-7 tie, just 39 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Holy Cross’ Jeremy Martinez scored off a blocked punt little more than two minutes later. Hyde Park back Garrett Grissom broke a 16-yard touchdown run at the 7:02 mark to bring The Panthers within seven.

The Knights’ onslaught resumed with a 17-yard touchdown run from Flores (73 yards, 12 carries) with 1:24 to play.

The game was scoreless until Holy Cross junior Greg Scott (61 rushing yards) tallied a two-yard run with 2:02 remaining in the first half. The Panthers tied it with an 81-yard run from Jackson Effiom in the third quarter.

Hyde Park ran for 233 yards and had a 258-208 advantage in total yardage. Flores passed for 74 yards.

Sam Houston 39, Poteet 0

The Hurricanes (2-8, 1-3) only won one District 28-3A game this year, but their timing couldn’t have been better in snapping a seven-game district losing streak.

Sam Houston’s shutout win Friday in Poteet (1-9, 0-4) put the Hurricanes back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. The victory avenged a season-ending loss to the Aggies in 2012. Interestingly, the Hurricanes had lost to district champ LaVernia by an identical score a week earlier.

Neither individual nor team statistics were available for either team.

East Central 27, Corpus Christi King 20

Fifth-place King (3-7, 1-4) proved a worth adversary, but the host Hornets (5-5, 3-2) earned a ticket back to the playoffs with the seven-point win. The victory also enabled East Central to share second place in District 28-5A with Southwest (5-5, 3-2) – which lost 42-14 Friday to district champion Steele – and Corpus Christi Carroll (4-6, 3-2), which downed South San 38-6.

Hornets senior Johnathan Jackson (115 yards, 21 attempts) ran for four touchdowns and led a trio of East Central rushers who gained at least 97 yards. His one-yard run with 4:42 left in the third quarter turned out to be the game-winner.

King pulled within a touchdown on a one-yard run from quarterback Bronze Jackson, but the Hornets defense held the Mustangs in check thereafter.

Jackson scored on a pair of two-yard runs in the first half and added a 62-yarder with 10:02 remaining in the third quarter. He scored again after King closed within 20-14 on a nine-yard pass from Bronze Jackson to Tristian Price.

Javion Polk returned from an injury to rush for 111 yards on 18 carries. Hornets quarterback Jeremy Jones ran for 97 on 15 tries to contribute to East Central’s 323 rushing yards (6.0 yards a carry). Jones also completed 11 of 21 passes for 129 yards.

The Mustangs would have advanced to the playoffs if they had won.

Brackenridge 27, Highlands 10

Highlands (4-6, 2-4) got the start it needed to secure a playoff berth, but the second-place Eagles (7-3, 5-1) didn’t allow their District 28-4A rival to build on it Friday at the SAISD Sports Complex.

The Owls took a 3-0 lead on a 33-yard field goal by America Ayala and drove to the Brackenridge 3-yard line on their next possession. There, the Eagles made a defensive stand and scored on a 99-yard pass play from sophomore Anthony Lopez (218 passing yards) to speedy senior Romonique Anthony (170 yards, 5 receptions).

A one-yard run from Lopez increased Brack’s lead to 14-3 with 6:19 until halftime.

Highlands forced five Eagles turnovers, but committed six of its own. The Owls finished with 68 total yards, including minus-26 rushing yards.

The Owls narrowed the gap to 14-10 at halftime on a two-yard pass to D’Vante Patin (50 yards, 3 receptions) from John Cervantes (94 passing yards). Highlands didn’t score in the second half.

Brackenridge added to its lead with a 9-yard pass to Alex Leal and a 30-yard pass to Marco Marble. Lopez accounted for both touchdown passes. The Eagles gained 443 total yards. Highlands senior Xavier Long caught two passes for 42 yards.