Timberview overwhelms West Mesquite in opener

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By Bob Kowalski

Mansfield Record

Timberview scored on all six of its first-half possessions - four on touchdown passes by Steven Hall - and swarmed West Mesquite for a 69-7 victory in its season opener Friday at Vernon Newsom Stadium.

After the Wolves defense forced West Mesquite into four-and-out on the game's first possession, Timberview drove 49 yards in five plays, capped by Hall's 6-yard scoring pass to Trysten Shaw for a 7-0 lead with 8 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter. The catch was 1 of 3 scoring receptions by Shaw on the night.

In what would be a recurring instance throughout the first half, Timberview held the Wranglers without a first down, driving for a score on the next possession when Hall passed to Chase Fisher for an 11-yard score and 14-0 lead with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Timberview needed eight plays to score on its next drive. Hall again went to the air, throwing a 41-yard strike to Shaw, who made a spin move after the catch to elude the defender and run unchallenged into the end zone for a 21-0 lead with just over a minute to play in the opening quarter.

After another stifling defensive stand, the Wolves received a punt at midfield, but a personal foul penalty set them up at the 28-yard line. It took only one play for Hall to connect with Fisher, who outleaped the Wranglers defender to haul in the TD pass for a 28-0 lead less than half a minute into the second quarter.

After another three-and-out, West Mesquite punted to Timberview's 31-yard line, where Shaw took the ball and raced 49 yards to set up the Wolves at the 20-yard line. Four plays later, Jacoby Easter took an option pitch and ran untouched into the end zone from 10 yards for a 34-0 lead at 7:47 of the second quarter.

Easter added another touchdown run, from 2 yards out, on the next drive to build the lead to 42-0 with 4 1/2 minutes left before halftime.

After taking the second-half kickoff, the Wolves failed to gain a first down and fumbled the ball on a fake punt, setting up West Mesquite's lone score of the night. The Wranglers used a six-play, 30-yard drive leading to a 3-yard TD run by Marvin Murphy for a 42-7 game with nearly 9 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Wolves extended the lead to 48-7 when Hall found Shaw over the middle and he went 47 yards for the score with more than 7 minutes to play in the third. Hall's 19-yard TD pass to Braylin Barnett with 2:20 left in the third boosted the advantage to 55-7, and Trinity Shaw intercepted a West Mesquite pass at the goal line and surged up the sideline for a 100-yard return and a 62-7 edge early in the fourth.

Running back Damari Holmes wrapped up the scoring with a 28-yard run with a minute left for the 69-7 lead.

The busiest player on the field might've been Timberview kicker Jaxon Niki, who made 8 extra points and kicked off 11 times.

In Thursday's game Legacy lost to Arlington Heights, 40-9. In other games Friday, Mansfield fells short against Arlington Martin, 38-35; Summit was defeated by Red Oak, 20-15; and Lake Ridge fell to Prosper Walnut Grove, 49-28.

Next week, Timberview faces Denton Ryan at 7 p.m. Thursday at Collins Stadium; Mansfield and Summit square off at 7 p.m. Friday at Newsom Stadium; Lake Ridge plays host to San Angelo Central at 7 p.m. Friday at R.L. Anderson Stadium; and Legacy plays Little Elm at 7 p.m. Friday at Lobo Stadium.

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