Playoff-bound Summit holds back Ennis

By Bob Kowalski

Mansfield Record

Summit tuned up for its upcoming trip to the playoffs by defeating Ennis, 28-21, on Friday night at Vernon Newsom Stadium.

The Jaguars (7-3, 6-1 5-5A DII) jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half, then withstood the comeback effort by the Lions (4-6, 4-3).

Summit scored on its first possession when running back Amare Burgess capped a 75-yard drive with a 12-yard run to the end zone 4 ½ minutes into the first quarter. Burgess carried five times for 72 yards on the drive, including runs of 30 and 21 yards.

On Ennis’ next possession, the Summit defense got on the board. Linebacker Maurio White Jr. made a perfect read on an attempted screen pass, plucking the ball out of the air and taking it 29 yards to the end zone for a 14-0 Jaguars lead with 6:46 left in the first quarter.

Summit’s defense was pitching in on its side of the ball, limiting Ennis to short possessions and gaining field position for the Jaguars’ offense. After a Summit drive was halted by an Ennis interception in the end zone, the Jags got on the board again early in the second quarter.

Jeremiah McLin put Summit at midfield with a 22-yard run, followed by a 21-yard carry by Braylon Moore to give Summit a first-and-10 at Ennis’ 36-yard line. Moore hit a couple of passes, for 14 yards to Burgess and 16 yards to Joshua Hephzibah-Evans. Burgess carried on the next four plays, scoring on a 1-yard dive for a 21-0 lead with 10 ½ minutes left in the first half.

The Lions’ defense then went to work, first intercepting a pass in the end zone, then later forcing a three-and-out to get the ball back with 1:32 left in the half. On fourth-and-five from Summit’s 38-yard line, quarterback Gracen Harris connected with Kaden Grifin on a touchdown pass with 11 seconds left in the half to make the score 21-7.

Summit struggled on its next drive, hampered by back-to-back false start penalties. Working with a short field, Ennis capitalized on Wondame Davis Jr.’s 26-yard TD to pull the Lions within a score, 21-14, with 9 ½ minutes to play in the third.

The teams traded a pair of possession, then Summit all but sealed the win on a four-play drive that resulted in Demarius Bird’s scoring pass to Moore, giving the Jaguars a 28-14 lead two plays into the fourth quarter.

Ennis went four-and-out, then Summit’s drive stalled at the Lions’ 16-yard line with 5 minutes left. Ennis drove 84 yards in 2:20 to cut the lead to 28-21, but Summit – behind Burgess’ rushing – bled the clock to end the game for the final 28-21 score.

Burgess finished with 204 yards rushing two TDs, and backfield mate Davonte Johnson had 87 yards rushing.

Summit meets Seagoville in the Class 5A Division II bidistrict playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at R.L. Anderson Stadium..

Elsewhere in the Mansfield ISD on Thursday, Legacy (3-7, 2-5 11-6A) lost to Duncanville, 35-3; Mansfield (6-4, 3-4 11-6A) lost, 63-24, to DeSoto; Lake Ridge (0-10, 0-7 11-6A) fell to Cedar Hill, 37-6; and Timberview (9-1, 7-1, 5-5A DI) defeated Dallas Bryan Adams, 55-0, at R.L. Anderson Stadium. Timberview will advance to the playoffs, hosting Frisco Wakeland at 7 p.m. Friday at Vernon Newsom Stadium.

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