The Ranger rushing contingent dominated Friday's University Interscholastic League (UIL) Bi-District game, rushing for 342 yards and five combined touchdowns as Jesuit earned a convincing, 45-14 win over Lakeview Centennial at Postell Stadium. Jesuit's win puts the Blue and Gold on a collision course with state-ranked No. 4 Longview in the UIL Area Round next Friday at John E. Kincade Stadium in South Dallas.
 
Junior Jake Taylor led the charge with 153 yards on 21 carries, scoring three touchdowns to move his season total to eight on the year. With his performance on Friday, Taylor has crossed the 1,000-yard plateau and currently has 1,055 yards to his credit. Senior EJ Smith returned from injury to score two touchdowns, rushing the ball 13 times for 136 yards. Smith averaged 10.5 yards per carry while Taylor added 7.3 yards per rush as part of a Jesuit running back corps that combined to average 6.8 yards per rush and ran the ball 50 times.
 
Jesuit's defense limited Lakeview Centennial junior Camar Wheaton to 95 yards on 21 carries and no touchdowns. Wheaton entered the game ranked 13^th in the Metroplex with 1,038 yards and 15 touchdowns but was taken out of the game due to a determined Ranger defensive unit.
 
Senior Austin Wood led the team with seven tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, while sophomore Robert Fitzgerald, senior Jack Barton and fellow fourth year Tommy Roy racked up six tackles each. Junior Parker Brown launched a career-long, 44-yard field goal late in the first quarter to compliment the Jesuit performance.
 
The Rangers will advance to battle a Longview team that captured the UIL Division II-6A State Championship last season. The Lobos advanced to the UIL Area Round with a 41-10 win over Temple and will enter next Friday's contest at Kincaide Stadium on a 27-game winning streak dating back to the 2018 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday.