Ending their last season with a 2-8 record and a second-to-last standing in their district, the Frisco Memorial Warriors had something to prove going into the ‘23-’24 school year. It would be up to them to rise to the challenge and make their comeback... which they might have had a better chance at doing if their second game of the season wasn’t against the up-andcoming powerhouse that is Forney. While the Warriors were already off to a rocky start with a 28-7 loss against Lakeview Centennial, they were given a crash course in real football when the scoreboard read 62-0 in favor of the Jackrabbits last Friday. Starting their season by putting out a multi-decade rivalry in their first game and dominating against Memorial for the second year in a row in their second game, the Forney Jackrabbits are continuing to gain momentum for a big swing at a state championship title.
The game started with a classic coin toss, which was Forney’s biggest challenge of the game - and their winning could be considered foreshadowing for what took place within the next two-and-a-half hours of gameplay. The Jackrabbits, however, allowed the Warriors to start with the ball, most likely considering that they would not need the advantage at all. The Warriors would obtain more penalties than positive yardage, thanks to the Jackrabbit defense living up to expectations. Sophomore Running Back Javian Osborne showed the Warriors how it’s done by making a 31-yard dash to the endzone and putting 6 (+1 from Senior Kicker Asher Wall) points on the board, giving the Jackrabbits a 7-point lead in the first quarter with 7:27 minutes left. The Warriors got the ball again, but Junior Linebacker Kelvion Riggins took down Memorial Senior Quarterback Noah Giga multiple times before he even had a chance to make a play.
With the Jackrabbits’ next possession, Senior Quarterback Kyle Crawford threw a deep shot to Sophomore Wide Receiver Imari Jeheel that was caught in the endzone, giving the Jackrabbits another touchdown… if it wasn’t interfered with. However, the Warriors did get their 15-yard penalty and the game continued. With a 3rd down 8, a Crawford to Osborne connection resulted in a lost yard and Crawford immediately received the Riggins treatment from Senior Running Back Brandon Tullis, signaling a potential improvement in the Warriors’ game. For every bit of a minute, it seemed like the Warriors were about to turn things around, but the Jackrabbits had other plans. Senior Linebacker Easton McMillan and Senior Defensive Lineman Tristan Bennett knocked two Warrior players off their pedestals, and Osborne had the stadium shaking again with another touchdown before the second quarter, putting Forney at 13-0. Finishing out a great first quarter, Senior Defensive Lineman Luke Rodriguez got a stop, and Junior Wide Receiver Orin Gee immediately stopped Junior Wide Receiver Drake Grimes after his first step, while the Jackrabbit defense continued to be on fire and barely allowed Memorial to gain any yardage.
To start the second quarter, Senior Defensive Back Caiden Roberts stopped a Memorial catch and Riggins caught a special team ball off of a deflection, giving the Forney offense a great field position. Gee used this to his advantage, securing a touchdown from the 21-yard line with 11:32 minutes left. Senior Kicker Brayden Newell kicked the Jackrabbits into a 20-point lead, with the Warriors sitting on a total of 0 points. The Jackrabbits continued to show their playbook strength with Junior Defensive Back Henry Abramson falling on Senior Kicker Asher Wall’s onside kick. Osborne made another run for it but was pulled down at the 1-yard line, which he converted to a quick touchdown for his third touchdown of the night with 9:39 left after Wall’s kick made the scoreboard read “Jackrabbits: 27, Warriors: 0”. Senior Running Back Kevin Espinal continued his momentum from last week’s game with another touchdown from the red zone, putting the Jackrabbits at 34 points (with a Newell kick) before the end of the second quarter. The end zone said its fourth “Hello” to Osborne with 5:04 minutes left, and a first Hello to Crawford as the Senior Quarterback got a touchdown in himself for 63 yards. The Warriors also managed to get yardage, but the majority of it was negative.
With a 48-0 score, it seemed to be a done game… and it was. In the third quarter, Osborne cut the Forney flag boys’ short water break even shorter with his fifth touchdown of the game, and Senior Defensive Back Cameron Carter celebrated his third touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter. Memorial almost had a touchdown towards the end of the game, but the Jackrabbit defense immediately squashed any delusions of grandeur they might have had left over from the two games they won last year. Last year’s Jackrabbits beat the Warriors 34-14, making this year’s 62-0 win even more impressive than it already was. Getting a quick warmup on Friday, the Jackrabbits will be hitting the road to continue warming up against Poteet, for another expected win. Going 0-9 not even four years ago underneath Coach Aaron Woods, current Head Coach Jeff Fleener has appeared to not only turn the Forney football program around, but turn the team into true competitors who rightly strike fear into many schools’ hearts. Any and all Forney school spirit is justified after seeing this batch of players dominate, and they’re just getting started.
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