The eyes of the Texas high school football world were upon City Bank Stadium last Thursday night as the state #1-ranked Ennis Lions (7-0) traveled to town to meet the area #7-ranked North Forney Falcons (7-1) in the District 8-5A (D2) championship game.
The Falcons caught the attention of the Texas high school football world earlier this season when they upset then state #2-ranked (D1) Lone Star in week one of the season at the Star in Frisco. They then went on to defeat their next six opponents by an average of 30 points and were not really challenged along the way.
Ennis…well, they are Ennis. After making a run to the regional finals last season, losing in overtime to eventual champions, Aledo, the Lions entered 2020 as a favorite to win their sixth state title. They sport both the 2019 District MVP in quarterback Collin Drake, and defensive end Jarveon Williams, the district’s preseason pick for defensive MVP. The Lions entered this game having given up only 37 points in their three district games and winning by an average of nearly 44 points per game overall this season.
While highly anticipated, this is a matchup that was supposed to happen in week three of district play. However, after the Falcons defeated crosstown rival Forney, 61-21, in week one of district play, everything changed. When Covid-19 cancellations began affecting games across the district, they responded by creating zones which set up a three-game round robin style schedule.
Clearly the two best teams in the district, Ennis and North Forney, were placed in separate zones setting up this winner-takeall district championship game.
The Falcons had their chances throughout the game but miscues and missed opportunities cost them, and when the dust had settled, the Lions had secured a 38-14 victory to solidify their place atop both the district and state rankings.
To beat the Lions, the Falcons needed to play a perfect game. They simply did not execute well enough to do that. They had too many miscues and missed too many opportunities. However, as lopsided as the score seemed, the stats tell a different story. After giving up three early scores, the Falcons played the Lions evenly. The Falcons rolled up 346 total yards, only 40 fewer than Ennis’ 386.
Facing a tough Ennis defensive line led by Williams, quarterback Jacob Acuna never looked comfortable in the pocket, finishing 12-of-28 throwing for 189 yards, with one interception. He also chipped in with 25 yards on the ground and the Falcons’ only two scores on the night. Ty Collins led the ground attack with 98 yards on 26 carries, and Kristian Aricheta paced the receivers with 92 yards on four catches.
While Dee Johnson’s 134 rushing yards (15 carries) led the Lions, Drake was the difference maker in this game. Drake finished with only 80 yards through the air, but also contributed 99 yards on the ground, and was in control all game. Karon Smith was the Lions’ leading receiver with 81 yards and one touchdown on four catches.
As they have done all season, the Lions’ offense got off to a fast start, taking the opening kickoff and driving 70 yards for the early 7-0 lead. Breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage, running back Dee Johnson opened the game with a 24-yard run off left tackle. One play later, Drake hit wide receiver Karon Smith for another big gain, to the Falcons’ 22-yard line, setting up Johnson for the 22-yard touchdown run. The fourplay drive took only one minute off the clock.
The Falcons answered back to tie the game at 7-7, in just under four minutes. While Ennis had used chunk plays to move down the field on their first drive, the Falcons used a mix of short runs by Ty Collins, and passes to three different receivers, to move the ball to the Lions’ 5-yard line. On a designed quarterback draw, a determined Jacob Acuna broke free from an attempted tackle at the line of scrimmage and scampered into the end zone.
It took Ennis just under two minutes to go back on top, 14-7. On first down from their 28-yard line, running back Devion Beasley gashed the normally stout Falcons’ defense for another big gain, this one a 47-yard gain, to the North Forney 25-yard line. After a short gain on the ground, Drake’s
2nd-down pass attempt into the end zone was knocked away by cornerback Xavier Elder. The Falcons looked to have the Lions in a 3rdand-10 position but an offsides call gave Ennis another second down opportunity from the 20. Two plays later Drake would take the ball up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown run.
Ennis would push their lead to 21-7 at the 3:43 mark of the first quarter. Taking the ball inside their 15-yard line following the ensuing kickoff, the Falcons offense sputtered. Following a short gain by Collins on first down, Acuna was sacked on consecutive plays to bring up a 4th-and-15 from the 8.
Punter Collyn Shipley had trouble picking up the low snap and looked to be tackled in the end zone for a safety. However, no whistles were blown and, when the ball popped free from Shipley’s grasp, Ennis recovered and was awarded the touchdown.
Following an exchange of possessions, the Falcons looked as though they might score, to pull within seven points, early in the second quarter as Acuna hit Kristian Aricheta on a screen pass. Aricheta streaked down the left sideline after beating the coverage but was inadvertently forced out of bounds by fellow receiver LeMarcus Kirk, who was trying to set up a block. The big gain was for naught as the drive stalled out and the Falcons were forced to punt.
The Falcons were again in position to score halfway through the second quarter. After forcing a punt, North Forney took possession at their 41-yard line and were driving. A throwback pass from Collyn Shipley to Acuna gave North the ball at the Lions’ 9-yard line. However, Beasley, this time on defense, undercut the route to pick off Acuna’s first down pass at the goal line and return it to the 20-yard line.
Down 21-7, the Falcons’ defense began to stand tall against the high-powered Lions’ offense, which had punted only twice on the season coming into this game. Heading into halftime, North Forney forced punts on three consecutive drives.
Ennis would open the second half scoring, a 35-yard Angel Aguilar field goal with five minutes left in the third quarter, to extend their lead to 24-7.
The Falcons struggled to get their offense moving against a Lions’ defense that seemed at times to have more than 11 players on the field. Ennis disguised defenses, double-teamed receiver Kam Allen (5 catches, 56 yards) most of the night, and put pressure on Acuna all night, forcing the QB to often scramble, or release passes before he wanted.
North Forney was able to break through for another touchdown with 3:34 left in the third quarter to pull within 10 points when Acuna pushed into the end zone from three yards out. Acuna’s second score on the night was the culmination of a 75-yard drive answering the Lions field goal.
As well as the defense was playing, a coverage breakdown on the Lions’ next drive resulted in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Drake to Smith with 2:13 left in the third. Taking the snap, Drake faked a swing pass to Beasley out of the backfield before finding Smith running free down the middle of the of the field.
Exclusive of that scoring pass, the Falcons’ secondary played well, with four pass break ups, and tight coverage that limited Drake to 4-of-14 for 39 yards. Drake came into the game averaging 231 yards through the air.
Ennis would punch it in one more time to close out the scoring as Dee Johnson split the worn-out Falcons’ defense for a 38-yard touchdown run with 1:57 left in the game.
While there are no moral victories, especially in a district championship game, the Falcons have a lot to learn from this game as they head into playoffs three weeks from now against the third-place finisher in District 7. After having the Thanksgiving week off, the Falcons will face district-mate Royse City in a tune-up game on Friday, December 4.
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