A definitive defensive effort and a timely interception return for a touchdown propelled Jesuit Dallas to its first win of the season with a 31-10 victory over Wylie on Friday evening at Wylie ISD Stadium. The Rangers close non-district play with a 1-2 record ahead of next Friday's district opener at Postell Stadium against Plano West.
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Jesuit held Wylie to 240 total yards of offense, limiting the Pirates' passing game to 67 yards on 22 pass attempts while converting two interceptions. Junior
Peter Melle recorded the first defensive touchdown of the year on a 33-yard interception return in the third quarter while senior
Ethan Lane added his first career interception. Melle's interception return for a touchdown is the team's first "pick six" since 2015, when John Michael Priddy '16 recorded a 98-yard interception return in the playoffs to send Jesuit past Mesquite Horn.
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Senior
Jack Barton led the team with 10 tackles while classmate
Tommy Roy recorded three tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks that cost Wylie 19 total yards. Roy would finish the contest with six tackles alongside junior
Jack Judson while seniors
Chase Walker and
Mitchell Campbell recorded five tackles each.
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Senior
Rance Holman threw three touchdown passes, closing out the contest with 149 yards. Senior
EJ Smith made his season debut in the victorious effort, catching two passes for 39 yards and a touchdown while adding eight rushes for 50 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Junior
Jake Taylor rushed the ball a team-high 11 times for 52 yards and caught a touchdown reception while senior
Wyatt Garrett caught his third touchdown of the season on a 24-yard reception in the first quarter.
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The Jesuit defense held Wylie to 2-of-13 on third downs, and the special teams made a splash as well on a blocked field goal by junior
Cooper Manning in the second quarter. Jesuit totaled 287 yards in the win and held the ball for 25:23, out-possessing an opponent for the second time this season en route to the win. Junior
Parker Brown added a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter to cap Jesuit's scoring.
How it Happened
- The Rangers marched down the field for a game-opening touchdown, taking a 3-0 lead after a nine-play, 75-yard drive. On a second and four from the Ranger 45-yard line, Smith broke off an 18-yard run on his first carry of the season to put the Rangers into Pirate territory. Holman fired a perfect pass to the middle of the field, finding Garrett in stride for the 24-yard touchdown.
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- Roy sacked Wylie quarterback Marcus McElroy on third-and-five to force a punt by the Pirates on their first drive of the game. Jesuit would go three-and-out before Lane recorded his first career interception on Wylie's ensuing third down. Campbell tipped McElroy's pass at the line of scrimmage, a ball which fell into the hands of Lane at the Wylie 42-yard line. Another nine-play drive ended with a 22-yard field goal from Brown to increase the Jesuit lead to 10 points.
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- Wylie intercepted a pass from Holman on the first play of the second quarter, but a 26-yard field goal from kicker Andrew Cunningham was blocked by Manning to keep the first half shutout intact. Cunningham would break the scoreless skid with a 32-yard field goal with 25 seconds remaining in the first half, but Taylor put the Rangers into scoring position with a 60-yard return to the Pirate 35-yard line. Holman floated a fade route pass to Smith, who caught the pass over two defenders for a huge touchdown reception heading into halftime.
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- In the second half, Jesuit increased the lead to 21 points after an eight-yard pass from Holman to Taylor. Smith opened the drive with a 22-yard carry, junior Charlie Cook added an 11-yard reception to bring the Rangers into the red zone and Taylr broke away for a 13-yard run to bring the Rangers inside the 10-yard line.
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- The Jesuit defense broke the game open on Wylie's next drive as Campbell tipped another pass into the air. Melle grabbed the deflected pass at the Wylie 33-yard line and fought his way through the Pirate offense to score Jesuit's first defensive touchdown in four seasons, giving Jesuit a 28-point lead with 5:57 remaining in the quarter.
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Jesuit will return to Postell Stadium to battle Plano West, who ended non-district play with an 0-3 record after falling to Mesquite on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Postell Stadium as the Rangers begin a district slate that will feature four home games over the seven-week district schedule.