Mustangs send Jasper home, heading to Region III Finals again
Published 10:55 pm Friday, November 30, 2018
BEAUMONT – Oh, those Mighty West Orange-Stark Mustangs!
They marched into Lamar University’s Provost Umphrey Stadium and sent the Jasper Bulldogs home with their only loss of the season in the Class 4A Region III Division II Regional Semifinals Friday night with a 21-14 victory.
The win was definitely sweet as the Mustangs (9-4) got revenge from a 34-24 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs (12-1) in non-district play.
It marks the eighth straight year the Mustangs have reached at least the Region III Finals in each of head coach Cornel Thompson’s eight years as head coach. Even sweeter, it was Thompson’s 100th win as Mustang head coach as he now stands at a stunning 100-16 overall.
The Mustangs now move on to face district rival Silsbee (9-4), as the Tigers defeated Giddings (11-2) 38-21 in the other regional semifinal.
The Mustangs did it without the services of quarterback Tyrone Wilson, who had to sit out due to concussion protocol. Jasper was without 1,500-yard back Montavien Hunt as well, who was out due to a high ankle sprain.
WO-S sophomore quarterback Jerren Terrell tossed two touchdown passes to back Justin Sibley and senior tailback Kavyn Cooper rushed for a score and finished with 135 yards on 26 tough carries. Terrell completed 7-of-17 passes for 72 yards and two picks.
Jasper had 250 total yards while the Mustangs had 230 but WO-S forced four turnovers.
Jasper quarterback Colton Womack was just 7-of-23 and was picked off three times while throwing for 132 yards. Jasper never got its ground game going as the Chain Gang Defense held them to 64 yards on 32 carries.
The Mustangs cashed in on a huge turnover when Bulldog back Charles Burnett coughed the leather up to Mustang noseguard Ja’Corry Brady at the Bulldog 13 with 3:20 remaining.
Two plays later Cooper bolted through the middle for a six-yard touchdown dart to make it 21-14 with 2:42 remaining.
The Bulldogs moved all the way down to the Mustang 29 but with 1:12 remaining, Sibley picked off Colton Womack to seal it.
The Mustangs, behind the legs of Cooper, marched from their own 31 all the way to the Bulldog 19 late in the fourth period but the Bulldogs held and Angel Ibarra missed a 40-yard field foal attempt with 4:18 left.
The Bulldogs tied things up with a five-play, 57-yard drive early in the fourth quarter.
Burnett hauled in two passes for 47 yards on the drive, including a 31-yard touchdown dart over the middle from Womack with 11:18 remaining.
The third quarter was bizarre.
Jasper had a bad snap on a punt and the Mustangs took over at the Bulldog 22. A snap went over Terrell’s head as the Mustangs were backed up to the Bulldog 46. However, Cooper broke loose on a huge 43-yard run to the 3. Sibley found the end zone from three yards out but the Mustangs were called for an illegal shift and Terrell eventually threw an interception to Bulldog Charles Burnett in the back of the end zone with 5:47 in the third.
Womack returned the favor when he was picked off by Mustang defensive back Ja’Vonn Ross at the Mustang 34 with 2:43 in the third.
After some hard-nosed football, the Mustangs took a 14-7 lead into intermission.
The Mustangs outgained the Bulldogs 144-127 in the first 24 minutes.
After holding the Bulldogs on a three-and-out to open the game, the Mustangs set up at the Jasper 45 but two plays later Terrell was picked off by Bulldog defensive back Terrien Collins at the Bulldog 25 and he returned it 20 yards to the 45 with 9:45 in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs marched all the way down to the Mustang 21 but the Mustangs rose up as Cooper picked off a Womack pass at the WO-S 12 and returned it to the 21 with 5:32 in the first quarter.
Jasper promptly held the Mustangs on a three-and-out and then used a little trickery to get on the scoreboard. Womack pitched the ball back to Tony Beatty, who then threw a perfect halfback option pass to a wide-open Reggie Shaw down the right side for a 54-yard touchdown toss. Alex Mijares booted the extra-point to give Jasper the 7-0 edge with 3:36 in the first quarter.
The Mustangs countered nicely though by putting together a grinding 11-play, 52-yard scoring march to tie things up.
Terrell connected with receiver Jay’zn Robinson on a pair of screen passes that totaled 12 yards.
Backs Cooper and Elijah Gales combined for 39 yards on eight carries and Terrell capped it when he found back Sibley wide open on a screen pass along the left side for a two-yard touchdown. Angel Ibarra booted the extra-point as the game was tied with 10:28 in the half.
The Bulldogs chewed up more than five minutes off the clock on a 13-play, 50-yard drive but came away empty-handed. Jasper’s biggest play was a 24-yard pass from Womack on a fourth-and-5 from the WO-S 35 to the 11 to Nolan Smith. But the Mustang defense held firm and Mijares missed a 28-yard field goal with 4:57 in the half.
The Mustangs retaliated with a superb 11-play, 80-yard drive engineered perfectly by Terrell.
Terrell connected with big-play receiver Brettlin Wiley, who made a great catch down the left sidelines for a 33-yard grab to the Bulldog 33. On fourth-and-5, Terrell converted a critical 12-yard run for a first down to the 18 and two plays later he found Sibley once again, this time for a 13-yard touchdown toss to make it 14-7 with 1:25 in the half.
Terrell was 5-for-8 for 60 yards in the half. Cooper and Gales combined for 66 yards on 15 carries.
Jasper had the one big pass play in the half but was held to 49 yards on 21 rushes.