In a wild contest that featured over 1,000 combined offensive yards and 80 total points, Jesuit Dallas fell to Arlington, 55-25 on Friday evening at Postell Stadium. The Rangers saw an early lead slip away as the Colts scored 38 unanswered point to shake off the debut of the new and returning stars for the Blue and Gold.
Junior
Kevin Shuman threw three first-half touchdowns in his varsity debut, completing 17-of-31 passes for 195 yards. Classmate
EJ Smith caught two touchdown passes, including an electric, 67-yard reception to provide Jesuit with a 22-17 lead midway through the second quarter, to finish with a team-leading 80 yards. Senior
Jack Hajdu caught the season's first touchdown, closing out the game with five catches for 79 yards. Smith added a team-high 81 rushing yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Senior
Pierce Strong led the squad with eight tackles, including seven solo stops and a pass breakup. Junior
Jack Barton snagged an interception and finished the contest with four solo tackles while senior
Jacob Jowdy and junior
Tommy Roy secured six tackles each. Senior punter Bernie Gonzalez landed three punts inside the 20-yard line, averaging 40.4 yards per punt in a strong season-opening performance.
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How it Happened
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- Jesuit opened the season with an efficient, eight-play drive that culminated with a 23-yard pass from Shuman to Hajdu, spotting the Rangers an early 7-0 lead three minutes into the opening quarter. The defense held the Colts to a field goal in the red zone before taking the lead on a 12-yard pass from Shuman to Smith.
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- Arlington took the lead with touchdowns on back-to-back drives, but Jesuit struck back in resounding fashion. On a first and 10 from their own 33-yard line, Shuman found Smith across the field, providing the platform for an electrifying, 67-yard run down the sideline to give Jesuit a 22-17 lead with 1:22 remaining in the half. However, the Colts would take a 24-22 into halftime after scoring on the final play of the half.
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- The Rangers aimed to recapture momentum with an onside kick attempt to open the second half, but an Arlington recovery led to a 63-yard touchdown reception and a nine-point lead. The Colts took a 16-point advantage on their ensuing drive after holding the Rangers without a score during their first drive of the second half.
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- Barton's first interception of the season with 4:50 left in the third quarter gave the Rangers another opportunity to cut into the lead, but the Colts' defense stood strong and improved their lead with a 33-yard touchdown, taking a 45-22 lead into the fourth quarter.
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- Senior James Koshakji closed the Jesuit scoring, converting a 36-yard field goal with 57 seconds remaining in the contest.Â
Inside the Numbers
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- The Rangers averaged 11.5 yards per reception on Friday, led by Smith and Hajdu, who averaged 20 and 15.8 yards per catch, respectively. Senior Nick Hafertepe tacked on four receptions for 18 yards alongside Travis Whisler, who snagged three catches for 37 yards.
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- Shuman excelled during the first half, completing 12-of-17 pass attempts for 152 yards and three touchdowns. The junior's 67-yard touchdown pass to Smith was the Rangers' longest scoring play since a 94-yard touchdown during Jesuit's record-setting win over Lakeview Centennial in the 2017 UIL Bi-District Round.
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- Several Rangers excelled on the defensive end in their respective varsity debuts. Sophomore Max Mazur recorded three tackles, including a two-yard tackle for loss, as Houston Hummel tacked on three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Jhalen Spicer made two solo tackles, adding a pass breakup.
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Up Next
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Jesuit Dallas will travel down Interstate-35 to battle DeSoto on September 7 at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, DeSoto quarterback Shun'Darion Ward threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns to leading the Eagles in a 38-28 win over Odessa Permian. DeSoto entered the year ranked fourth in the Dallas Morning News area rankings.
