Showdown in Shreveport
WACO -- It's very rare that a Texas High School Playoff Game is played in another state, but that's what we'll have on our hands next Saturday night as 11-5A rivals the Mesquite Horn Jaguars (9-4) and the Longview Lobos (9-4) will hook up in Shreveport in the Class 5A Division II State Quarter-Finals.
In the team's regular season meeting Longview won a hard fought 13-8 game, but Horn was without QB Collin Strahan who has been a big part of the Jaguars offensive explosion in the playoffs.
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Strahan led the Jags to a 43-27 win on Saturday afternoon at Floyd Casey Stadium over Leander (7-6), but he had plenty of help namely from Kansas commit WR JaCorey Shepherd who in the span of two minutes turned a 21-17 deficit into a 31-21 lead for Horn. Despite dominating play for the first two quarters Horn held a precarious 17-14 halftime lead.
The Jags allowed a Leander score to start the second half and trailed. However, Shepherd hauled in a 32 yard touchdown pass from Strahan to give the Jags a 24-21 edge. After forcing a Leander three and out, Shepherd struck again with a sensational 87 yard punt return for a score to all but put the game away for the Jags.
In the nightcap, Longview used a suffocating defense to smother Tomball (10-3) 24-0.
The Lobos who lost RB J'Haston Faggins in the second quarter didn't miss a beat pounding the Cougars into submission in the second half. QB LaDarrin Robertson ran for two touchdowns to pace the Longview offense which was very workman like against a tough Tomball defense.
Click below for audio from Longview TE Brandon Olson!
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