Timberview roars in second half to top Birdville

By Bob Kowalski

Mansfield Record

Timberview scored four unanswered touchdowns in the second half to wipe out a halftime deficit and defeat Birdville, 40-21, on Friday night at Vernon Newsom Stadium.

The Wolves (6-0, 4-0 5-5A DI) got inspired play from the offensive and defensive lines in the second half as they stifled Birdville’s offense and took control of the homecoming game with steady scoring drives.

Timberview, ranked No. 3 in Class 5A in Texas Football’s state rankings, took the lead with 3 minutes left in the third quarter when Jaylon Woods rushed for the first of his two second-half scores, from one yard out, to put the Wolves up, 27-21.

Woods – who rushed for 120 yards in the game -- carried the ball on the final four plays of that drive, including a scintillating 38-yard run on which he scooted outside, sidestepped a would-be tackler and gave the Wolves a first down at Birdville’s 22-yard line.

On Timberview’s next drive, which extended into the fourth quarter, he had three consecutive carries of 9, 14 and 8 yards, the last another TD to give Timberview a 33-21 lead with 10 minutes left to play.

Meanwhile, Timberview’s defense was suffocating Birdville (1-4, 1-2). The Hawks’ three drives of the third quarter netted a total of 8 yards. Their first drive of the fourth quarter nearly ended with a loss of 12 yards when a bad snap on a punt attempt would have given Timberview the ball at Birdville’s 13-yard line. But a penalty against the Wolves gave the Hawks a first down at their own 41. Three plays and six yards later, the Hawks turned the ball over on downs.

Working with a short field, Timberview drove for a TD, with quarterback Zuric Humes hitting Tyler Madison on back-to-back pass plays, for 20 and 14 yards, to set up Demaury Moore’s 7-yard TD run for the 40-21 edge. Moore rushed for 78 yards in the second half, 139 for the game.

In the first half, Timberview took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards in seven plays, with Humes scoring on an 11-yard keeper for a 7-0 lead with 2 ½ minutes gone in the game.

Birdville answered with a TD 2 minutes later when Noah Normand hit Caleb Kelley for a 25-yard scoring pass to tie the game at 7-7.

The Hawks forced the Wolves into a four-and-out, getting the ball at the Birdville 45-yard line to start the drive. The Hawks took a 14-7 lead when Kelley took the ball in the backfield and passed to Normand for a 3-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal.

The Wolves tied the game again early in the second quarter when Humes capped a 75-yard drive with a 5-yard scoring run at 10:48 of the second quarter.

Birdville went 66 yards on its next drive, which ended with a 35-yard touchdown run by Mazen Eid, who pushed through the line and stayed on his feet to break free for the long run that gave the Hawks a 21-14 advantage with just over 8 minutes to play.

Timberview, the only Mansfield ISD school in action this week, has its bye next week. Lake Ridge (0-5, 0-2 11-6A) meets Dallas Skyline at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Newsom Stadium; Summit (3-2, 2-0 5-5A DII) travels to face Midlothian Heritage at 7 p.m. Thursday at Midlothian ISD Stadium; Legacy (1-4, 0-2 11-6A) plays host to Desoto at 7 p.m. Friday at Newsom Stadium; and Mansfield (5=0, 2-0 11-6A) plays Cedar Hill at 7 p.m. Friday at Longhorn Stadium.

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