Senior Parker Towns raced into the end zone for a game-winning, 21-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to push Jesuit Dallas past J.J. Pearce, 38-31, on Friday evening at Eagle-Mustang Stadium. The Rangers continue to exhibit a flair for the dramatic after scoring the go-ahead touchdown within the final two minutes of regulation for the second consecutive week.

Sophomore EJ Smith excelled in the backfield for the Rangers (3-4, 3-1), rushing for 155 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Along with 93 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, Towns completed 19-of-25 passes for 205 yards, tacking on a career-best 93 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Senior Fletcher Rosenbleeth added 11 receptions for 116 yards and sophomore Christian Allocco closed the bout with a career-high 10 tackles.
 
How it Happened

• Jesuit Dallas opened the scoring on the fifth play from scrimmage, taking a 7-0 lead after a 27-yard touchdown run by Smith. After a pair of stalled J.J. Pearce drives, Towns scored his first rushing touchdown on an option run from 11 yards out, handing Jesuit a 14-0 lead with 1:26 remaining in the first.
   
• The Mustangs came storming back in front of a homecoming crowd, scoring on their first two drives of the second to tie the contest at 14-14 with six minutes remaining in the half.
   
• Once again taking advantage of an option run, Towns scored a 32 yard-touchdown, to hand the lead back to the Rangers with 1:48 left in the half. Pearce scored a 27-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the second to tie the contest, 21-21 at the break.
   
• Pearce took its first lead of the game on a 29-yard field goal to open the third quarter before a 19-yard field goal by junior James Koshakji evened the game up at 24-24. Koshakji is a perfect 3-for-3 in field goal attempts this season.
   
• J.J. Pearce looked to take the lead after a 51-yard punt pinned Jesuit inside the one-yard line. However, the Rangers marched down the field with a 13-play, 99-yard drive capped with a nine-yard touchdown run by Smith for a seven-point lead with nine minutes remaining.
   
• After another game-tying touchdown by the Mustangs, Jesuit took the ball with 5:24 remaining. The game-winning drive saw Jesuit convert four consecutive third downs, including a dramatic, 14-yard reception by junior Matthew Priddy. Towns threw a slant in front of the J.J. Pearce sideline to Priddy, who established possession inches from the sideline to provide Jesuit a key first down in the drive.
   
• Towns put Jesuit ahead for good on a 3rd and 13, racing to the near side, diving for the end zone and breaking the lane to put the Rangers up, 38-31 with 11 seconds left.

Inside the Numbers

• The Rangers were a perfect, 7-for-7 in third down conversions in the fourth quarter, finishing the game 11-of-15 overall. By comparison, J.J. Pearce was 3-of-8 on third downs.
   
• Sophomore Tommy Roy led Jesuit with a pair of tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including a thunderous, 10-yard sack in the fourth quarter. Senior Kevin Tabet and junior William Woodard added one tackle for loss apiece.
   
• Both teams exhibited a proficiency in the run game, exemplified by Jesuit's 6.3 yards per carry alongside 6.4 yards per rush by the Mustangs. Jesuit finished the bout with five rushing touchdowns, making Friday the first time that the Rangers earned a win without a passing touchdown since last season's homecoming victory over Berkner on Nov. 4. In that game, Jesuit rushed for six touchdowns, closing the contest with 275 team rushing yards.
   
• Smith is quickly becoming one of the most efficient scorers in the Metroplex with 19 total touchdowns to his credit after Friday's win. Smith's 155-yard performance increased the sophomore's rushing average to 100.6 yards per game this season, the only Ranger running back to surpass the 100-yard per game mark heading into week eight.

Up Next
 
Jesuit Dallas will welcome Lake Highlands to Postell Stadium for its annual homecoming game on Oct. 27. A key matchup to determine district 9-6A's top seed in the UIL 6A Division II playoffs, the Rangers and Wildcats are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.