All hope seemed to be lost.
The Forney Jackrabbits trailed the Lone Star Rangers by six points with eight minutes and seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. After failing to score any points during their possession, the Rabbits were obligated to turn the ball over to the Rangers. As the potential of Forney’s playoff run being cut short hung in the air, the passionate chants from the packed crowd of Forney supporters, who had driven over an hour to the Allen Eagle stadium to support their side, grew quieter and quieter. But, as the Darkside Defense prepared to prevent the Rangers from scoring any more points, there looked to be a problem on the field. The officials huddled together, and everyone in the stadium waited with bated breath for the verdict: a personal foul committed against Forney when they were in possession would result in the ball being returned to Rabbit hands. The enthusiastic chants from Forney’s side returned in the form of joyous screams as the offense returned to the field to not only try to close the gap but potentially save the Jackrabbit’s season.
Javian Osborne, a Jackrabbit sophomore running back, gained nine yards on the first two downs, but Ranger senior linebacker Johnny “Tre” Yanez had other ideas, breaking up Osborne’s third attempt for a loss of three yards. The Rabbits declined to punt on fourth and six and lost another five yards due to a false start, making it fourth and eleven. Kyle Crawford, the senior quarterback, threw a big pass from the 42-yard line. Despite having three Lone Star defenders on him, Osborne caught the pass at the Lone Star 28-yard line. Then Calvin Smith, a junior wide receiver, caught the ball in the red zone, giving the Rabbits a new set of downs at the 13-yard line. Crawford’s subsequent ball to the end zone, however, was intercepted by Ranger junior defensive back Silas Davis. Lone Star wasn’t about to give up their lead easily, and the defense seemed determined to keep the Rabbits at 12 points. But Osborne, who was elected team captain despite being only a sophomore, was even more determined: his right-side rush into the endzone for a slick touchdown leveled the game at 18-18. While the band played the school song, his teammates ran to celebrate him, and Forney community members, both on and off the field, embraced each other and the chance of Forney winning the area title. With 4:23 remaining, senior kicker Asher Wall added the extra point to put the Rabbits ahead.
The Rangers failed to score any points during their possession and decided to attempt a field goal to win the game. Unfortunately for them, senior linebacker Will Bynum’s punt went right, reintroducing the Rabbit offense with 1:46 remaining. All Forney needed was a first down to complete the game, and Osborne, who led the team in both yardage and points, ran for 63 yards into the endzone, bringing the score to 25-18. Wall’s field goal brought the score to 26, giving Lone Star 89 seconds to score at least 8 points to rescue their season. Going up against the Rabbit defense was not going to be easy — Ranger junior wide receiver Dekhari Dean grabbed the return at the 30, but Rabbit junior wide receiver Orin Gee and senior defensive back Chris Turner brought him down at the 35. However, after two unsuccessful downs, a Rabbit foul put the ball at the Forney 42. Dean moved the ball to the 27-yard line, and sophomore athlete Davian Groce’s endzone reception with 29 seconds left nearly closed the 8-point margin. With the Rangers needing the two-point conversion to stay in the game, the Lone Star audience felt the same exhilaration and expectation that the Southside had felt minutes before. The Rangers gained an extra yard thanks to pre-snap movement on the Rabbits’ side. Ranger senior quarterback Collin Blackstock, however, was unable to deliver when junior line-backer Landry Hopkins intercepted him just short of the goal line. With 28 seconds left, senior wide receiver Kofi Eduful tripped on the onside kick, and the Rabbits had won the area championship.
Although Osborne deserves credit for a big part of the team’s triumph, all of the Rabbits gave their all to secure the victory. Crawford completed two passes to Eduful for 20 and 32 yards and two first downs in Forney’s third possession. Wall scored the opening points of the game with a 32-yard field goal, making the score 3-0. Dean answered for the Rangers by returning sophomore kicker Vincent Hart’s punt for 86 yards. Groce ran the final 1-yard into the endzone for a touchdown, and sophomore kicker Chase Lanham added the extra point to make it 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
After failing to score against a tough Lone Star defense, the Rabbits had to rely on Wall’s field goal to add three points to their total. Smith hauled in Crawford’s 6-yard throw to put the Rabbits on the Rangers’ 31-yard line. Sophomore wide receiver Imari Jehiel received Crawford’s throw at the 16-yard line and ran to the end zone, breaking a tackle and giving Forney a 5-point lead. The Rangers’ possession began on a shaky note, with senior defensive back Aaron Flowers bringing down Groce to close the second quarter on a positive note for Forney.
Lone Star’s offensive fortunes did not improve after the halftime break, as junior wide receiver Bryson Jones only gained one yard on his first run as senior defensive back Joshua Gatlin instantly stopped him. Blackstock attempted to sprint horizontally, but sophomore linebacker Xzavier Young tracked him the entire time for a 9-yard loss. The Rangers were forced to turn the ball over, but Crawford’s first pass was intercepted by senior linebacker Massimo Russollilo, giving the Rangers the ball back right away. After senior defensive lineman Tristan Bennett and senior defensive back Seth Hyder tackled Blackstock on the first down, followed by three incomplete passes, it was time for Lone Star to rely on a field goal, which Lanham converted for a 12-10 result. Bennett, along with senior defensive lineman Luke Rodriguez and junior linebacker Kelvion Riggins, made another stop. Flowers made a major play for the Darkside Defense by intercepting Blackstock’s 41-yard pass, while Osborne got things moving for the offense early in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard explosive rush (causing a man to miss). Davis made a terrific 72-yard interception return, Groce scored, and Blackstock’s pass to sophomore athlete Ryder Mix was good for the two extra points, making the final score 18-12. With 11:09 remaining on the clock, it appeared to be a set game, but little did they know...
After a game of inches, every member of the Forney Friday Night Light team — coaches, cheerleaders, and athletic trainers — posted with the golden ball. After a five-year drought, Forney made its first playoff appearance in 2021, attributed to the arrival of head coach Jeff Fleener. Forney moved to the second round for the first time since then, and last Friday was the first time they won an area title since 2001 (when they went on to finish second in the state). The previous time Forney and Lone Star met, Lone Star won big, beating the Rabbits 55-13 and going on to compete for the state championship. It’s reasonable to say that a lot has changed for both teams since 2015, as the Jackrabbits prepare to play the Richland Royals (12-0 and first in their district) at Birdville Stadium at 6 p.m. Forney was defeated by Barbers Hill 24-7 last year, and now the Rabbits will meet the team that defeated them. Despite the fact that Forney is ranked higher than the Royals, sitting at 16th in Texas and 3rd in Division 5-A Region I, while the Royals are 83rd in the state and 16th in the region, the results of last week’s games demonstrated that anything can happen in football. Putting God at the heart of their success with the phrase “By God, you play for Forney,” it appears their prayers have been answered as they inch closer to bringing home a state championship.
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