In a game between two teams trading long possessions and strategic field position, McKinney scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown and utilized a nearly three-minute, nine-play, game-ending drive to defeat the Rangers, 24-21, on Friday night at McKinney ISD Stadium. The Rangers fall to 5-4 on the year with a 4-2 record in district play heading into next week's regular season finale against Plano East.
 
Senior quarterback Rance Holman found classmate Wyatt Garrett for two touchdown receptions on the day, finishing the game with 155 yards and three touchdown passes. Junior Kyle Heckel caught the Rangers' final touchdown of the contest, wrapping the bout with two catches for 20 yards. Senior Christian Allocco added a team-leading six receptions for 33 yards. Junior Jake Taylor continued his stellar season with 21 carries for 86 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
 
Defensively, senior Jack Barton led the charge with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery, junior Peter Melle tacked on seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries, senior Jhalen Spicer added seven stops and senior Tommy Roy secured seven tackles on the evening as part of a Ranger defensive front that held McKinney to 4-of-14 on third-down conversion attempts. However, McKinney out-possessed Jesuit, 29:17-16:46 and rushed the ball 42 times for 239 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
 
How it Happened
 

• The two teams traded punts to start the game before McKinney drove down the field on a seven-play, 41-yard drive and entered the red zone for the first time on a 25-yard reception, second-down reception. Melle pushed McKinney back with a seven-yard sack on third down, changing a field goal attempt by Seth Cox from 37 to 44 yards. The seven-yard loss was enough for Cox to push the ball right, keeping the game scoreless.
   
• Jesuit would drive into the McKinney red zone, but the Lions picked off Holman to end the Jesuit drive.  McKinney forced another turnover on Jesuit's next drive, aiming to break open the scoring after taking the ball on the 34-yard line. Senior Ford Buckner tackled wide receiver Isaiah Rojas on a reverse for a loss of 13 yards, but McKinney converted on third-and-26 to continue the march down the field before failing to convert on fourth down to hand the ball back to the Rangers after a failed nine-play drive.
   
• A Jesuit punt gave McKinney the ball on their own 11-yard line, and the Lions took the lead on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 3:28 remaining in the half. The Rangers would stall on their drive following the score, but a 26-yard punt by junior Parker Brown was fumbled by McKinney, allowing Barton the window to jump on the ball to give Jesuit a fresh set of downs at the 36-yard line. Holman found an open Garrett from 16 yards out to tie the game, 7-7, with 1:27 left in the half.
   
• Despite a 52-yard Brown punt that backed the Lions up against their own end zone at the two-yard line, McKinney re-took the lead with a 13-play, 98-yard drive which took 5:08 off of the third quarter clock. Jesuit responded with another strong drive, taking the ball 58 yards down the field before Holman threw a lofting pass to the corner which was caught on a sensational, one-handed catch by Garrett to tie the game once again.
   
• Melle recorded an 11-yard sack to start the fourth quarter, allowing Jesuit to hold McKinney to a field goal. The Lions took a 17-14 lead with 9:10 remaining in regulation, but Holman completed a 21-yard pass to Garrett and a first-down pass to junior Charlie Cook to put the Rangers into position. Holman threw a screen pass to Heckel, who broke away from the McKinney defense and snuck the ball into the pylon for the go-ahead score.
   
• McKinney recorded the biggest play of the game on fourth-and-eight with 5:30 remaining in the fourth as sophomore quarterback Sampson Nazarko struck with a 38-yard pass to wide receiver Isaiah Rojas to put McKinney up, 23-21. The Rangers stalled on their next drive, giving the ball back to McKinney with 4:26 remaining in the contest.
   
• The Lions marched down the field to the Jesuit red zone, aided by a 43-yard rush by RJ Carver. On fourth and two, Jesuit's defense was unable to contain the Lions' run game as McKinney earned the first down needed to clinch the victory.

 
Up Next
 
Jesuit will close the regular season on Nov. 8 against Plano East. The Rangers will aim to clinch a playoff berth and likely home playoff game with the victory while hoping to earn their first win over the Panthers since 2014. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Postell Stadium as the Rangers will honor the 27 members of the senior class prior to kickoff.