THE FLYOVER! | Henderson ambushes L-E; Overton slips to old rival; Troup 2-0; PT 0-2; Beckville, too; and more
Nights like this past Friday are why high school football is so fun, kind of like Christmas morning: you just never know what you’re gonna get.
Sometimes you get that Star Wars Death Star playset, or a new NFL regulation-size football.
And sometimes you get three new pair of underwear and some argyle socks.
We had a little bit of everything Friday night here in the ETBlitz.com area, with Kilgore dealing Whitehouse an overwhelming 49-14 loss (POWER SURGE | Fuller’s Bulldogs roll in Whitehouse, to a 49-14 win), to Harmony and Sabine playing a defensive battle (HARMONY HOLDS OFF SABINE | Cardinals slip on the road in a defensive battle with Eagles, 17-7). Arp blasted No. 3 Garrison into space, speaking of the Death Star (TIGERS SPANK NO. 3 GARRISON | Arp puts it on the Bulldogs, 44-9), and Gilmer – wow, the Buckeyes led Chapel Hill by 20, and Chapel Hill came roaring back (CHAPEL HILL COMEBACK DOOMS BUCKEYES | Bulldogs rally from 20 points down to win in Gilmer).
White Oak, hosting a game for the first time this season, was all over Paul Pewitt, but the Brahmas fought back and with a weird play as time was about to run out, took the lead. The Roughnecks got it back just in time for a 30-26 win (WHITE OAK GETS A SCARE | …But Roughnecks get back in front late to beat Paul Pewitt).
It all started Thursday night, when Tatum, needing a win, got all it needed and then some, dealing Daingerfield (which had been ranked 10th in the state), a 41-30 loss that really wasn’t that close, and you know what I’m talking about if you were either at the game or watched it on NETSN Live (THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS | Tatum drops Daingerfield for first win of season).
So, how’d everybody else in the ETBlitz.com coverage area do?
Carthage, for one, didn’t have to sweat it. The No. 1 team in 4A-Division II, the defending state champs, had the weekend off to heal up and watch everyone else.
But Henderson? What first-year coach Ricky Meeks and his Lions did was eye-opening, going to Liberty-Eylau and leaving with a 52-13 win, Meeks’ first as head coach of the program.
Gladewater continues to look good under another first-year coach, Jermaine Lewis, as the Bears convincingly beat New Diana, 43-15.
Pine Tree, unfortunately, slipped to 0-2 – the Pirates had dropped the season opener at home to Gilmer, and Friday night went on the road and ran into always-scrappy Van, 38-21.
Troup had a back-and-forth battle with Edgewood in its home opener before finishing up in front, 47-35, and West Rusk rose to the occasion on the road with a 22-12 win at Diboll.
Overton “welcomed” an old friend, Carlisle, for the Mustangs’ home opener and Carlisle left with a 17-7 upset. Beckville dropped to 0-2 with a 35-16 loss at Joaquin. And Leverett’s Chapel took Mesquite Founders to the woodshed, a 52-6 win in six-man ball.
For scores around the state, click here: FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCORES | Who beat who, really simple, from our area and statewide.
Henderson 52, Liberty-Eylau 13 (at Texarkana): Henderson running back Jesstin “Meaty” Starling is looking like the class of the area, and opposing teams can’t disagree.
That’s because they can’t stop him.
Starling was just about invincible again Friday night at Liberty-Eylau, scoring three first-half touchdowns to help his Lions blast the Leopards, who spoiled Henderson’s homecoming a year ago with a 44-41 win.
The Lions got payback in a big way Friday. Starling had a 13-yard scoring run early, then scored twice in the second quarter, a short 2-yard run and an 11-yard run, that – combined with a field goal by Ivan Navarro – put Henderson up overwhelmingly, 24-0, at the half. Navarro, who made several big kicks a year ago (including one to upset Kilgore), had a 30-yard scoring kick at L-E.
Henderson didn’t let up after halftime, getting two touchdown connections from quarterback Vince Howard to Jabron Myers in the third quarter, and a scoring run from Jayden Bishop.
Later in the game, in the fourth quarter, freshman Blake Meeks – Ricky’s son and the grandson of legendary late coach Dickie Meeks – found Jordan Ervin for a 19-yard touchdown, Meeks’ first as a varsity player.
Henderson (1-1 after that win and a season-opening 56-49 loss at Athens) has played two road games and finally has a home game this coming Friday against Jacksonville. That’ll also serve as the Lions’ homecoming game.
Van 38, Pine Tree 21 (at Van): A 17-point second quarter was exactly the difference in this contest, with Van at home against a Pirates team coming off a physical battle with Gilmer.
After each team scored a touchdown in the first quarter, Van’s Ian Hopson picked off a pass near midfield. That led to the go-ahead, tiebreaking score, and then a fumble recovered by Van at PT’s 38. The Vandals scored again from that spot on a 38-yard run, and suddenly what was a tied game turned into Pine Tree trailing by two touchdowns.
Pine Tree’s next drive stalled at Van’s 25, and a fourth-down conversion failed, giving the Vandals the ball back. Pine Tree would have yet one more turnover, a fumble recovered by Van at the Pirates’ 43, and that would also lead to points, a 23-yard field goal before halftime.
The Pirates cut it to 10 points (24-14) with a third-quarter touchdown, but that was as close as they could get it.
Pine Tree (0-2) beat Dallas Carter at Carter a year ago; the Pirates will try to get their first win of the 2025 season this coming Friday at home against Carter.
Gladewater 43, New Diana 15 (at Jack V. Murphy Stadium, Gladewater): Maybe the voters who take part in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football state poll need to examine coach Lewis’ Gladewater Bears for a state ranking.
After all, through two games, the Bears look as talented and tough as anybody in 3A-Division I.
Gladewater quarterback Achilles Hess is for real, folks. Hess, who had a big performance in the season opening win in upsetting state-ranked Daingerfield, took down another team who was very good a year ago, New Diana, on Friday.
Hess finished with three total touchdowns: two passing TDs and a rush score, in the win over the Eagles.
New Diana took an early lead on a 13-yard scoring run by Alex Sherridan, but the Eagles wouldn’t have many highlights.
Hess’s 2-yard touchdown run in the first minute of the second quarter tied the game, and a 27-yard pass from Hess to Aubry Floyd gave the Bears a 14-7 lead, for what would be for good in the game.
Hess threw a second TD, this one to Grafton Morgan from 7 yards out, in the third quarter – it was set up by a 56-yard run by Carsin Cooper (21-7 Gladewater), and then the Bears scored again midway through the quarter, a 20-yard run by Kayson Harris (28-7).
New Diana did get into the end zone to stop the scoring run, with quarterback Dejuan Johnson scoring on a 15-yard run (28-15, with the two-point conversion).
But the Eagles wouldn’t find the end zone again. Cooper got in on a 3-yard run (35-15) and then Gladewater scored on a blocked punt with just over five minutes left in the game.
The Bears (2-0) will host West Rusk (1-1) on Thursday, a 7 p.m. start.
West Rusk 22, Diboll 12 (at Diboll): Speaking of the Raiders, after facing state championship game finalist Malakoff last week, they went on the road on Friday to Diboll.
And they didn’t make Diboll fans happy.
The Raiders got an impressive of a day Gunner Harp. Harp had only three catches for 40 yards, all three of them touchdowns. On defense, he had a fumble recovery and an interception.
Quarterback Judson Dotson went 7-of-16 for 123 yards, the three touchdowns to Harp, and an interception.
The Raiders put together 167 yards of rushing offense, led by 129 yards by Daylan Williams, who had that on 14 carries, including a touchdown.
In addition to Harp’s catches, Hunter McCandless and Jaylan Gardner each had two catches, McCandless for 5 yards and Gardner for 77.
As mentioned, West Rusk (1-1) visits Gladewater on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Troup 47, Edgewood 35 (at Troup): This one swapped leads a few times, but the Troup Tigers wrestled control away from Edgewood and held on for the win.
Josh Childress, in his second-ever game as a starter on varsity at quarterback, continues to be amazing: 10-of-11 for 197 yards, two touchdowns, and 40 rushing yards.
Running back Brett Wells ran for 124 yards and scored twice on 17 carries.
Dee Hollie had a big day: a kick return for a 95-yard touchdown, five catches for 125 yards and a touchdown, and 46 rush yards. Logan Chambers also had a kick return for a score (75 yards). Cameron Hollie had 72 yards and a score on five catches.
Defensively, the Tigers had to deal with Edgewood quarterback Trevor Golightly, who threw for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and ran for 108 yards and another score.
Still, Troup rose above it. Luke Skillern had 15 tackles, one for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. Jackson Waller had 13 tackles. A.J. Dewberry had seven tackles and a sack. And James Pierce had 10 tackles.
Carlisle 17, Overton 7 (at Overton): The Mustangs don’t lose much in the regular season.
In fact, they haven’t lost much under coach Scotty Laymance at all.
Laymance just started his third season as head coach at Overton, but Carlisle found a way to get out of Coach Chester Roy Stadium with a win on Friday night.
For the Indians (1-1), quarterback Antonio Ibarra went 14-of-22 for 126 yards and a touchdown (to Ivan Garza). Garza had five catches for 74 yards and the score. Ibarra also ran for 95 yards, and Elvis Hernandez had a score and 18 yards on 12 carries.
The Indians had four tackles for loss, a sack, and eight hurries on Overton quarterback Rylan Holleman. Garza had an interception as a defensive player.
Holleman went 10-of-28 for 61 yards and that interception. He ran for 20 yards and a score on seven carries. Gabe Miller had 30 yards rushing on six carries.
Jacob Osburn had three catches for 25 yards and Ivan Ransom, three for 21.
Defensively for Overton, Kason Hawkins and Justin Weir each had 14 tackles, and Weir, incredibly, had six tackles for loss. Overton had 14 tackles for loss as a defensive unit. The Mustangs had five sacks: Gunnar Whitfield had two, and Weir, Landon Hill, and Elijah Dorsey each had one.
Overton (1-1) is back home Thursday, a 7 o’clock start against Simms Bowie.
Joaquin 35, Beckville 16 (at Joaquin): Things just haven’t came together yet for the Bearcats, who have surprisingly fallen to 0-2.
Bearcats quarterback Braxton Bullock went 10-of-23 for 103 yards and was intercepted three times. Bullock also ran for 27 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, a part of 151 rushing yards by Beckville. Jorden Prince had 78 yards and a score on 17 carries. Rudy Watts had 42 on seven carries, and Grayson Hicks, 4 yards on two carries.
Gabe Johnson had five catches for BHS for 60 yards. Grayson Hicks had three for 25. Jordan Mojica had a catch for 12 yards, and Watts, one for 6 yards.
Keonte Jinks had 11 tackles for Beckville; Dillan Koger had 10, and Tommy Heard, eight. Timothy Wilcots caused a fumble for the Bearcats and Hicks recovered it.
Harmony, winners against Sabine on Friday, comes to Beckville on Friday night, a 7:30 p.m. start.
