Week Nine Recap: The Jesuit Dallas football team pieced together an eyebrow-raising outing for its homecoming weekend crowd, scoring touchdowns on each of the first five drives of the game and holding Berkner to 105 total yards of offense for a 37-0 win over the Rams on Friday at Postell Stadium. The Rangers inch closer to a district championship with the win, as the Blue and Gold captured their second shutout of the year, sixth straight win and fifth win in District 7-6A.
Senior Gage Roy led the way for the Rangers, completing 18-of-24 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns. One of Roy's touchdown throws was an 86-yard catch-and-run to Hunter Krepp, which now stands as Jesuit's longest play from scrimmage this year. Krepp, who currently leads the district in receiving yards, caught five passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Senior Truett Whitley scored the first touchdown of his career, junior Reed Pfaffenberger crossed the goal line for the first time on varsity, and senior Robert Fitzgerald scored his team-leading 13th touchdown of the year with six carries for 51 yards. Senior David Long picked up eight tackles and a pass breakup, senior Andrew Charlton recorded six stops, Ryan Allred recorded a sack and five tackles, and the tandem of senior Kyle Nolan and junior Grant Peters each forced a fumble.
Jesuit Dallas by the Numbers
0 • Jesuit Dallas secured its second shutout of the season and the fifth over the last two seasons against Berkner. The Rangers dominated the Rams, holding Berkner to 105 total yards (71 rush, 34 pass).
2 • The Rangers have only allowed two fourth down conversions against district opponents, one of which on a play that resulted in a turnover. By comparison, Jesuit Dallas has converted on 8-of-11 fourth down attempts in district play.
7 • During their last five games, Jesuit Dallas has averaged seven yards per play. The Rangers have averaged 452.0 yards per game against district competition, while district foes have averaged 234.2 yards per game.
13 • Over the last five games, Jesuit Dallas has racked up 12 sacks for a total of 56 yards. The Rangers have recorded at least one sack in every game during their six-game winning streak, and during the same span have picked up 29 total tackles for loss.
16 • The Rangers have only allowed 16 points per game to district opponents, a number aided by Jesuit's two shutouts over the last three weeks. District opposing offenses are averaging 98.8 rushing and 135.4 passing yards per game.
23 • Jesuit has converted 23-of-35 third down attempts over the last three games, while opponents have struggled and have only converted on 8-of-33 third down chances. Last week, Jesuit went 6-of-11 on third down, including a perfect 5-for-5 clip in the first half.
Player Spotlights
17 • Gage Roy • QB • Sr.
Recorded the second-highest single-game passing game since 2018 (365 yards) against Berkner last week. Enters the final two weeks of the season with 4,767 career yards and 48 career touchdown passes.
1 • Hunter Krepp • WR • Sr.
Surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for receiving this season with 187 yards and two touchdown on five receptions against Berkner...has caught a touchdown in nine consecutive games dating back to 2020.
27 • Jake Musso • WR • Jr.
Has emerged as a major offensive weapon during district play, catching 22 passes for 260 yards over the last five games...has caught at least five passes in three consecutive games.
18 • Robert Fitzgerald • DB/RB • Sr. (Northwestern Commit)
Over the last four games, Fitzgerald has racked up eight rushing touchdowns...ranks second on the team with 4 tackles, and leads the team with six pass breakups.
55 • David Long • LB • Sr.
Recorded the most tackles since 2018 with 15 stops against Nimitz on Oct. 14...has recorded five or more tackles in four of his last five games and leads the team with 60 stops on the year.
32 • Grant Peters • LB • Jr.
Forced his fourth fumble of the year on Friday, and currently has 26 tackles on the season...has added four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks...recovered fumbles against Choctaw (Sept. 10) and Pearce (Sept. 24).
Scouting the Tigers
Mustangs Defeat Tigers: The Irving Tigers were upended by 305 yards and five touchdowns from Pearce quarterback Hayden Hawthorne, dropping a 49-20 decision to the Mustangs on Friday. Irving running back Jaycob vine rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns, anchoring a run game that racked up 212 of the team's 348 total offensive yards. Zykamren Bowie added 92 yards on 11 carries. Irving's defense forced a pair of turnovers, but Pearce erupted for 519 yards and jumped out to a 49-0 lead before Irving ended the game with 20 unanswered points. David Perez scored a 32-yard fumble recovery touchdown with 50 seconds left in the game for Irving's final touchdown of the night.
Snapping the Streak: Irving broke a 32-game losing streak on Sept. 3, when the Tigers picked up a 35-34 win over Dallas Molina. The win did not come without dramatics, as a late go-ahead touchdown for Molina was reversed with less than two minutes remaining. Irving's last win prior to the victory over Molina came on Oct. 27, 2017, when the Tigers upended MacArthur, 24-20.
Heard it through the Vine: Senior running back Jaycob Vine has led a rushing attack for Irving that has resulted in 10 rushing touchdowns this year along with 130.6 rushing yards per game. Vine has 91 rushes on the year with 488 yards, and averages 5.36 yards per rush. Behind Vine is fullback Rashan Daniel, who has scored three touchdowns this year and averages 4.48 yards per rush.
The Last Time They Met...Jesuit dominated in all three facets of the game, jumping out to a 23-0 first quarter lead en route to securing its second straight shutout, 53-0, over Irving H.S. on Wednesday afternoon at Postell Stadium. Jesuit clinched the top seed in UIL District 7-6A Division II with the win, guaranteeing a home game in the playoffs, behind another incredibly strong all-around performance. The Ranger defense was led by a slew of senior Rangers that made major impacts. Senior Pierce Jackson led the team with nine tackles, followed by eight stops from senior Major Kent and six from senior Jack Judson. Senior Ryan Graham posted six tackles while senior Sy Mendenhall racked up five stops, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a safety. Senior Michael Esteve forced a fourth quarter fumble recovered by junior Charlie Freeman, and junior Ryan Allred blocked a third quarter punt that led to a safety. Junior quarterback Gage Roy was a perfect 6-for-6 behind center, throwing for 162 yards and three touchdowns. Roy connected on a 17-yard strike to senior Charlie Cook on Jesuit's first drive of the game, added a 49-yard touchdown pass to junior Hunter Krepp near the end of the first quarter and jumpstarted the Jesuit offense in the third with a 39-yard touchdown pass to senior Charlie Clements.
The Last Time at Ellis Stadium...Another dominating effort by the Jesuit Dallas football squad resulted in the Rangers' fourth consecutive win and third shutout of the 2015 season, blanking the Irving Tigers, 50-0, on Friday evening at Irving Schools Stadium. The Ranger defense provided the spark again, holding the Tigers to 50 yards of total offense, including a smothering run defense that limited Irving to only 33 net yards. Senior John Michael Priddy snagged an interception while Jack Metz secured an Irving fumble, putting the Rangers in scoring position after each Tiger turnover. Seniors Nate Thompson and Peyton Long recorded five tackles each, with Long logging three solo stops and two tackles for loss, including a sack. Senior Ryan Brooks scored a team-high three tackles for loss for 14 yards. After punting on their opening drive, the Rangers (5-1, 3-1 UIL 9-6A) scored on eight consecutive drives en route to the victory. Jesuit Dallas finished the contest with 391 total yards, including a convincing 248 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Senior Adam Holtz found the end zone twice, finishing with 44 net yards, while sophomore Evan Jackson additionally found the end zone once while gaining a team-high 72 yards. Junior quarterback Jacob Palisch collected 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground while passing for 143 yards and a pair of scores, one to senior Max Loughborough and the other to fourth year Rusty Landon.
Ranger Rival Report (Recaps Provided by the Dallas Morning News)
MacArthur 41, Richardson 21: Jerbrandin Henderson had 14 carries for 209 yards with three touchdowns and caught two passes for 75 yards and another touchdown to lead Irving MacArthur (3-5, 2-3 in District 7-6A) to a 41-21 win over Richardson (1-7, 0-5) at Joy and Ralph Ellis Stadium on Friday night. Irving MacArthur returned two fumbles for touchdowns to take an early lead it never relinquished, leading 28-14 at halftime. Richardson struggled to move the football consistently through the air and the 292 yards rushing Richardson tallied wasn't enough to overcome the turnovers. Quarterback Howard Armstrong ran the ball 24 times for 143 yards but was only able to complete four passes. MacArthur quarterback Glendon Willis was 9-15 passing for 141 and a touchdown. Donovan Ford scored a pair of touchdowns for Richardson.
Lake Highlands 38, Nimitz 0: Noelle Whitehead led the ground attack with 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Lake Highlands (7-1, 4-1 District 7-6A) defeated Irving Nimitz (4-4, 3-2) 38-0 Friday night at Wildcat-Ram Stadium. It was a one-sided first half controlled by Lake Highlands as its defense held Irving Nimitz to 44 yards and forced three turnovers, including an interception returned for a touchdown by Drew Dubuclet. The offense scored on five of its six possessions. The second half saw both teams stack up rushing yards, but neither team was able to put any points on the board and Lake Highlands secured what could be an important victory for playoff seeding. Joining the Lake Highlands ground attack was Shamar Donaldson, 87 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Deonte Dean, 56 rushing yards and a touchdown. Irving Nimitz was led by lead back Eric Williams, who rushed for 74 yards.
Grand Prairie 42, Bowie 40: Grand Prairie (6-3, 5-0) was able to stave off a comeback attempted by Arlington Bowie (1-6, 0-4) and held on for a 42-40 victory to stay undefeated in district play. Grand Prairie held a 35-13 lead at one point that was cut all the way down to 35-33 before they were able to score a fourth quarter touchdown to ice the game. Grand Prairie running back Drew Damper led the way with 254 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Savion Red finished the game with 57 yards passing and two passing touchdowns to go with 173 rushing yards and another score. Bowie quarterback DeAngelo Ponder completed 18 of 31 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Dominick Battle went for 120 yards and three scores. Grand Prairie will square off with Arlington Martin next week in a battle of unbeaten 8-6A teams.
Arlington Lamar 38, Sam Houston 28: Quarterback Jaden Morris tallied 286 total yards and three touchdowns to help Arlington Lamar defeat Sam Houston 38-28 on Friday night at Cravens Field. Lamar (2-6, 2-2 District 8-6A) outscored Sam Houston (3-5, 0-4) 17-0 in the second half and forced two turnovers on the night. Lamar wide receiver Jaylon McCoy caught 14 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Lamar running back Laron Hulet carried the ball 24 times for 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Sam Houston quarterback Justin Tone threw for 286 yards on 13 of 29 passing. He threw four touchdowns and an interception. Sam Houston wide receiver Tavi'On Jenkins caught six passes for 187 yards and a touchdown.
South Grand Prairie 34, Arlington 27: Running back A.J. Newberry ran for 137 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:09 left in the game, as South Grand Prairie rallied for a 34-27 victory Friday night at the Gopher-Warrior Bowl in Grand Prairie. South (6-3 overall, 3-2 in District 8-6A play) overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit with 17 points in the final period to pull out the win and clinch a playoff spot. SGP will play Arlington Lamar, a 38-28 winner over Arlington Sam Houston, for third place in the district next week. But it took a furious fourth quarter comeback against Arlington High (2-6, 1-3) to make that happen. Down 27-17 after the third period, Nathaniel Espinosa hit a 34-yard field goal to cut the South deficit to a touchdown. After forcing an Arlington punt, SGP ran the ball on seven straight plays, with a six-yard run by quarterback Michael Stallworth capping the drive and tying the game at 27 apiece. After another stop by the South defense with inside of two minutes left in the game, William Leonard blocked the Arlington punt and SGP took the ball at the Arlington 10. Two plays later, Newberry walked in untouched from a yard out to give South the lead. Arlington had one last chance, but SGP linebacker Anfernee Wilson recovered an Arlington fumble to seal the win. Stallworth threw for 99 yards and ran 15 times for 110 yards and a score for SGP in the win. Ryley Zalusky threw for 218 yards and a score while Rodney Talton Jr. ran for 119 yards and two TDs in a losing effort for Arlington, which still has an outside shot at the playoffs.
On The Horizon: Jesuit will finish the regular season against Richardson on Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at Eagle-Mustang Stadium. The Eagles are 1-7 on the season and 0-5 in district play, and will play Lake Highlands on Friday.A win by Jesuit on Thursday against the Tigers will clinch the outright District 7-6A championship. The title would be the fourth in program history and the first for the Jesuit Dallas football program since the 2016 season. Jesuit has already clinched the top seed for District 7-6A in the UIL Division II-6A bracket and will play the winner of Arlington H.S. and Arlington Lamar, a game set to take place on Friday night, in the UIL Bi-District round on Nov. 12.
