Fourteen weeks after starting their season with a scrimmage against the two-time defending state champion Aledo Bearcats, the North Forney Falcons saw their season come full circle last Friday afternoon at Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. Taking on the Bearcats for a second time this season, this time in the area round of the UIL Playoffs, the Falcons saw their season come to an end in a 49-24 loss.
North Forney was outgained only 377-329 but big plays, turnovers, and good field position for the Bearcats cost the Falcons a chance to punch their ticket for a second trip to the third round in Head Coach Randy Jackson’s four-year tenure at the school.
Quarterback Jacob Acuna threw for 121 yards and one touchdown but had two costly interceptions. Acuna also rushed for 52 yards and the Falcons’ first score of the game. Ty Collins, who signed with the University of Nevada earlier in the week, gained 87 tough yards, on 21 carries. Landon Heath and Jermaine Oakley, seeing time late in the game, both performed well. Heath was 3-of-4, throwing for 75 yards, and Oakley gained 36 yards on five carries, scoring late in the game for the Falcons’ final points.
While they were able to contain running back DeMarco Roberts in the scrimmage, the Falcons’ defense could not replicate that effort in the playoff game. Roberts, who will join Falcons’ defender Antorius Hambric at Lamar University next year ran wild against the Falcons, racking up 224 yards on 27 carries. Roberts scored four touchdowns on the ground. JoJo Earle, an Alabama signee who did not play in the scrimmage, scored twice on the ground, and had a backbreaking punt return for a touchdown shortly before halftime.
The Falcons dominated the Bearcats on both sides of the ball in the live portion of their earlier scrimmage and seemed to have them off-balance to start this matchup scoring on their first possession of the game.
Taking the ball from their 25-yard line, the Falcons drove the ball 75 yards in just over three minutes, with Collins gashing the Bearcats’ defense for runs of 15, 12 and 11 yards. The 14-play drive culminated in a fourth down touchdown run from the 1-yard line by Acuna. Michigan State signee, Kam Allen, had two of his seven catches for 26 yards on the drive.
Allen finished with 94 receiving yards in the game.
Aledo, showing the grit of a team that has won nine state titles, hit back quickly scoring three times over the next 11 minutes to take a 21-7 lead with two minutes gone in the second quarter.
The Bearcats answered back to tie the game at seven on their first possession, a four-play, 72-yard drive that was capped off by a 10-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Jojo Earle, who took the direct snap from the ‘Bearcat’ formation. The drive was aided by a 51-yard pass connection from quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to Jaedon Pellegrino, on 3rd-and-4, one of several big plays in the game for Aledo.
With the Falcons driving for a go-ahead score, Acuna saw his pass sail over receiver Collyn Shipley’s head near the Bearcats’ 35-yard line. Shipley was able to get a fingertip on the ball, but it was picked off by the Bearcats’ Bryan Allen and returned 14 yards to the 45-yard line. Shipley, a senior who finished the season as the Falcons’ second leading receiver (34-453, 7 TD), was injured on the play and did not return to the game.
Earle made his presence known again as he scored his second touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive. The go-ahead score, a 4-yard run, came on another direct snap to Earle. Roberts ripped off a run of 33 yards on 3rd-and-7 to keep the drive alive and set up the touchdown.
On the next series, the Bearcats pushed their lead to 21-7 on a 51-yard run, one of several big runs for Roberts.
Down 14 points, the Falcons appeared to have regained their footing as they drove the ball inside the Bearcats 10-yard line nearing the midpoint of the second quarter. However, Acuna was stopped short of the goal-line on a fourth down attempt, and the Falcons turned the ball over.
“Like every game,” said Coach Jackson, “this one came down to a few big plays we wish we had back. We missed on fourth down from the one, and the punt return right before half were the two that hurt the most.”
Giving the ball back to Aledo at the 1-yard line, it was the North Forney defense’s turn for a big play. After stopping Earle for no gain on first down, the Falcons’ defense, led by defensive lineman and Army signee Rod Brown, swarmed Earle in the end zone for a safety, making the score 21-9.
Looking to regain the momentum following the safety, the Falcons’ offense instead was stymied, and they were forced to punt.
Punter Ricky Cortez got off a good kick that hit at the Bearcats’ 40-yard line and bounced down to near the 15-yard line. Earle, the Aledo return man, picked up the ball on a big hop with a full head of steam and sprinted nearly untouched 84 yards for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 28-9.
The Falcons responded with a touchdown, a 14-yard pass from Acuna to LeMarcus Kirk, with 29 seconds left in the half. A completion from Acuna to Allen on the two-point conversion cut the deficit to 11, 28-17, at halftime.
As they did at the beginning of the game, Aledo opened the second half by scoring on three straight possessions to extend their lead to 49-17.
A Falcons punt led to a long Bearcats touchdown that ended with a 27-yard touchdown run by Roberts.
The next two touchdown drives were shorter as an interception, returned to the North Forney 23-yard line, and a bad snap on punt led to two more Roberts’ touchdowns. The first, following the pick went for three yards; the second, after a botched Falcons’ punt attempt, was taken 15 yards on the first play from scrimmage.
With the game winding down, and Heath and Oakley in the game in place of Acuna and Collins, the Falcons would score on a 3-yard Oakley run.
An emotional Coach Jackson would say after the game that, harder than losing the game, losing this group of seniors would be tough.
“I will miss this team more than any I can remember,” said Coach Jackson. “They loved each other and their coaches. We banded together through the pandemic. As a coach, I couldn’t be a prouder…this team is special.”
Coach Jackson was especially proud of the leadership shown by his captains, all seniors.
Thankful for the leadership they showed all season, Coach Jackson said, “Jacob Acuna, Kam Allen, Rod Brown, Antorius Hambric and Riley Tracy all left their jerseys better than they found it.”
The Falcons finished the season 9-2, in second place in District 8-5A, and bi-district champions.
All photos by JIM KLENKE
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