Summit evens record by overwhelming Cleburne

By Bob Kowalski

Mansfield Record

Summit evened its season record by cruising to a 55-7 victory over Cleburne on Friday night at Vernon Newsom Stadium.

The Jaguars (4-4, 3-2 8-5A DI) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, and had another nullified by a penalty. Summit prevented the Yellowjackets (0-8, 0-5) from reaching Jaguars territory until the final play of the first quarter.

With two games left in the regular season, Summit likely controls its own postseason destiny, with games remaining against Burleson Centennial and Midlothian, both of whom entered the week tied with Summit for third place in the district, along with Cedar Hill.

The first two touchdowns came on passes from quarterback Clarence Nevels to T.K. Henderson, one for 50 yards and the other for 14 to lead Summit to a 13-0 edge with 5 1/2 minutes to play in the first quarter. Henderson's first catch was on the far sideline, and he raced across the field diagonally to beat the Yellowjackets defenders to the end zone on the home sideline.

Running back Kameron Gatlin scored on a 29-yard run with 45 seconds left in the first quarter and Jashawn Edwards ran for the two-point conversion for a 21-0 lead.

The Jaguars benefited from prime field position all night, as the Yellowjackets were unable to move the ball against Summit's stout defensive line. The Jaguars had five sacks on the night, including on the second play of the game by Landon Thomas and Markell Allen. Others were registered by Cameron Hall (2) , Ashton Bernal and Bernard Mbotchak.

In the second quarter, Edwards scored on a five-yard run, and Nevels threw to Gabriel Evans for a 33-yard score and 34-0 lead at halftime.

With nearly 8 minutes left in the third quarte, Nevels hit Evans for a 5-yard score and 41-0 lead, then dropped a perfectly thrown pass on the sideline to Henderson for a 61-yard TD and 48-0 lead with just over 5 1/2 minutes left in the third.

Omogbolahan Daudu capped the Summit scoring with a 23-yard run with almost a minute left in the third quarter for a 55-0 lead.

Cleburne got on the board with 6 minutes left in the game when Zaidyn Husband powered in from 6 yards out.

On Thursday, Timberview (8-0, 5-0 7-5A DII) defeated Ennis, 45-28, to retain its No. 5 state ranking in Class 5A Division II. In other games Friday, Lake Ridge (4-4, 2-3 District 11-6A) lost to Red Oak, 41-38; Mansfield (3-5, 1-4 District 11-6A) fell to Crowley, 42-31; and Legacy (1-7, 1-4 8-5A Division I) was shut out by Midlothian, 35-0.

Next week, Mansfield welcomes top-ranked North Crowley at 7 p.m. Thursday at Newsom Stadium; Legacy hosts Desoto at 7 p.m. Friday at Newsom Stadium; Summit travels to play Burleson Centennial at 7 p.m. Friday; Lake Ridge meets Duncanville at 7 p.m. Friday at Panther Stadium; and Timberview faces Everman at 7 p.m. Friday at R.L. Anderson Stadium.