RANGER FIELD REPORT
Rangers Dominate Wire-to-Wire Against MacArthur: A complete team effort featuring a dominating defensive and offensive performance handed Jesuit its second district win of the season as the Rangers scored their most points since 2017 in a 72-10 win over MacArthur on Thursday at Ellis Stadium.
Senior Jake Taylor led the charge offensively, scoring three touchdowns on 10 carries to finish the game with 123 yards. Junior Gage Roy completed 11-of-13 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, including strikes to seniors Charlie Clements, Charlie Cook and junior Hunter Krepp, who scored the team's longest offensive touchdown of the season on a second quarter 89-yard touchdown reception. Seniors Sam Morales and Daniel Rodriguez addded second half rushing touchdowns for the Blue and Gold.
Junior Robert Fitzgerald pieced together another all-around performance with six tackles, a rushing touchdown and 47-yard fumble recovery touchdown. Senior Jack Judson tacked on a team-leading 12 tackles, followed by six stops from senior Peter Melle. Senior Pierce Jackson's five tackles was accompanied by four tackles from junior Landon Usry and three tackles from seniors Cooper Manning and Michael Esteve.
Senior Sy Mendenhall scored a safety for the Rangers in the third quarter, and Jackson, senior Johnny Franz and Esteve forced fumbles. Senior Timothy Brown, Jr. tacked on a recovered fumble in the third quarter. Junior Parker Brown was a perfect 10-for-10 in extra point attempts, adding five touchbacks on 11 kickoffs.
The Rangers finished the game with 569 yards of total offense, the highest total this year, scoring on all six red-zone opportunities. Jesuit's defense held the Cardinals to 2-of-12 on third downs, 6-of-13 passing and 261 total yards. Jesuit also played disciplined football, only commiting three penalties for 35 yards.
UTILIZING THE LINEUP: Heading into tonight's showdown against Nimitz, Jesuit Dallas has seen five members of the team's running back corps find the end zone. Senior Jake Taylor leads the team with eight touchdowns, but he is closely followed by junior Robert Fitzgerald, who has executed the wildcat formation to the tune of six scores this year. Senior Charlie Clements has two touchdowns this year, including a season-best 75-yard sprint against Pearce while seniors Sam Morales and Daniel Rodriguez have each scored one touchdown.
UP NEXT: Jesuit will return to Wildcat-Ram Stadium for the second time this season to battle Berkner on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The Rangers and Rams last met on Nov. 10, 2017, when the Rangers picked up a 42-7 win over Berkner. The Nov. 20 contest will also serve as Jesuit's final road game of the year as the Blue and Gold will close the regular season with home showdowns against Irving (Nov. 25) and Richardson (Nov. 30)
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Vikings Bounce Tigers: Eric Williams carried the football 28 times for 197 yards and three touchdowns as Irving-Nimitz (2-3, 1-2 in District 7-6A) defeated Irving (0-5, 0-3 in District 7-6A) 31-13 at Ralph and Joy Ellis Stadium on Friday evening. Nimitz ran the ball for 237 yards as a team and averaged over six yards per rush and needed just 86 yards passing for the win. Williams also had a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter in addition to accounting for all but 126 of Nimitz' yards from scrimmage. Irving ran for 195 yards of its own in a balanced effort but struggled to convert on third down and was shut out in the second half. Nimitz forced two turnovers that equated to 14 points to help seal the win and its defense held on to an 11-point halftime lead.
Eric Williams Developing into District Threat: Over the past three weeks, Nimitz running back Eric Williams has scored seven touchdowns on 71 carries for 530 yards. Averaging 176.7 yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry over the last three weeks, the junior tail back currently ranks fourth among rushing leaders in District 7-6A.
Coach Rogers Aiming to Return Vikings to Playoffs: Entering his eighth season as the Nimitz head coach, Brian Rogers currently owns a 26-48-0 record as the Vikings' head coach. Nimitz is currently in a four-way tie for the final playoff spot in District 7-6A, an accomplishment that alluded the Vikings since 2015. Nimitz reached the regional semifinal in 1996, the deepest postseason run in program history, and has not won a UIL Bi-District round game since 2002.
RANGER RIVAL REPORT
Recaps Courtesy of The Dallas Morning News
Lake Highlands 56, J.J. Pearce 42: Mitch Coulson fought through a hurt leg to rack up 413 total yards, two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns as Lake Highlands (6-0, 3-0 District 7-6A) won 56-42 over Richardson Pearce (1-5, 1-2) Friday night at Wildcat-Ram Stadium. It was a game of scoring runs and Richardson Pearce had a 14 point lead with just over two minutes left in the first half. Lake Highlands answered with three straight touchdown drives and stole all the momentum of the game, proving to have too much offense for Richardson Pearce to handle. Noelle Whitehead, 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and Will Hutton, 178 receiving yards and three touchdowns, were the other stars for Lake Highlands. Caden Dotson also threw a big touchdown pass early in the second while Coulson battled his injury, though ultimately returning before halftime. Richardson Pearce was lead by Burke Wahlberg, 407 passing yards and four touchdowns, and Tyriq Stubbs, 157 total yards and two touchdowns.
Nimitz 31, Irving 13: Eric Williams carried the football 28 times for 197 yards and three touchdowns as Irving-Nimitz (2-3, 1-2 in District 7-6A) defeated Irving (0-5, 0-3 in District 7-6A) 31-13 at Ralph and Joy Ellis Stadium on Friday evening. Nimitz ran the ball for 237 yards as a team and averaged over six yards per rush and needed just 86 yards passing for the win. Williams also had a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter in addition to accounting for all but 126 of Nimitz' yards from scrimmage. Irving ran for 195 yards of its own in a balanced effort but struggled to convert on third down and was shut out in the second half. Nimitz forced two turnovers that equated to 14 points to help seal the win and its defense held on to an 11-point halftime lead.
Richardson 34, Berkner 7: Senior quarterback Aaron Bertrand accounted for all of his team's touchdowns as Richardson (4-2, 3-0) dispatched Richardson Berkner (2-4, 1-2) in a District 7-6A game at Eagle-Mustang Stadium. Bertrand completed 9 or 12 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. He also rush 21 times for 96 yards, including scoring runs of 17, two and two yards. De'Andre Johnson caught both of Bertrand's scoring strikes. One covered eight yards, the other 31 yards. The Richardson defense limited Berkner to just nine first downs and 145 total yards of offense.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET....
Oct. 16, 2015...Returning to Irving Schools Stadium for the second consecutive week, the Jesuit Dallas Rangers looked comfortable in their home away from home, jumping out to a two touchdown lead in the first quarter before cruising to their second consecutive shutout, 40-0, over Nimitz on Friday evening.
Posting back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2010, Jesuit Dallas (6-1, 4-0 UIL 9-6A) held Nimitz to 85 net yards, including only 32 passing yards. The Rangers have shut out four opponents this season; the most under the tenure of head coach Brandon Hickman, and have outscored district opponents 166-21 four games into the 9-6A campaign.
Senior Peyton Long scored a pair of fumble recoveries, finishing the contest with three total tackles. Fellow senior John Michael Priddy finished the game with two solo stops and three assisted tackles, while senior Ryan Brooks led the team with two tackles for loss.
The Rangers scored on all five first-half possessions, taking a decisive advantage into the second stanza and eliminating any hope for a Viking upset. Junior Jacob Palisch hurled a career-high 228 passing yards, completing 12-of-15 passes and throwing for a pair of touchdowns. In addition, senior Adam Holtz set a new career best with 150 net rushing yards, while classmate Max Loughborough, junior Evan Jackson and Palisch each scored rushing touchdowns.
Seniors Connor Lanpher and Rusty Landon picked up receiving touchdowns, with Lanpher snagging six passes for a team-leading 76 yards. Senior John Wengierski kicked a pair of field goals, including a career-high 47 yarder that ended the opening half.
Jesuit Dallas opened the district battle with a 12-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a one-yard plunge by Loughborough that opened the evening's scoring. After forcing a three-and-out on defense, Palisch marched the Rangers 77 yards in only seven plays before taking the ball into the end zone himself to increase the lead to 14-0.
A 25-yard field goal by senior John Wengierski and a gorgeous, 13-yard touchdown pass on a post route from Palisch to Lanpher increased the lead to 23-0. Jesuit Dallas regained possession of the ball with 23 seconds remaining in the half, responding a three-play, 33-yard drive that set the stage for Wengierski's career-long boot. Setting up from the center hash, the senior rocketed a low-angle kick that cleared the crossbar with ease, sending the Blue and Gold into the break ahead, 26-0.
In the second half, the Rangers and Vikings traded turnovers in the early portion of the third quarter, ending when Adam Holtz broke off a 60-yard run down the left sideline to the four-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Evan Jackson that bolstered Jesuit's lead. After forcing another punt by the Vikings, Landon took a quick pass from Palisch and raced 35 yards down the field, staying inbounds all the way to the end zone for another Ranger touchdown.
