High School Sports

By HAROLD WILSON
Staff Writer

John Tyler made history Saturday night, but for the wrong reason.

Texas High returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Cobi Hamilton caught three bombs for scores as the Tigers defeated JT 42-14 and issued the Lions their school-record ninth straight loss in the finale of the three-day Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic.

JT matched Texas High step-for-step until giving up three touchdowns in a seven-minute span in the second quarter.

Texas High added three more TDs in a six-minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters to end JT's hopes of a comeback after two Lion scores.

Hamilton headlined the Tigers attack, catching six passes for 206 yards. Hamilton's scores covered distances of 46, 64, and 70 yards, with Nathan Sorenson supplying the ball on all three TDs.

Sorenson scorched JT's secondary, hitting on 10 of 19 passes for 295 yards and three TDs.

Roderick Collier and Heathcott Slade scored defensive TDs for the Tigers, who evened the all-time series with JT at 18-18-1 with the win.

The JT passing game generated just 34 yards along with turning the ball over, as the Lion running game supplied most of the offense (175 yards).

"They were definitely big," said second-year JT coach Dereck Rush about the costly turnovers. "We have to cut out mental mistakes, mental errors. We have to play fundamentally sound, (correct) the blown coverages and get better on offense."

JT enjoyed its moments, though Texas High had an answer each time.

Jeremy Johnson rushed for 87 yards, and scored on a beautiful 22-yard run that featured four jukes, bringing JT to 28-14 at the time.

Johnson factored into the first JT TD as well, pitching the ball on an option play at just the right time for Dominic Ward to use his speed and turn the corner for 13 yards for the first Lion TD.

The Hamilton TDs proved backbreakers though, the last two coming on back-to-back passes. The game stayed scoreless for 1 1/2 quarters until field position and turnovers turned the momentum.

A 16-yard punt from JT's Tarik Spencer set up Texas High at its own 39.

The Tigers traveled the 61 yards in nine plays. Sorenson scrambled 25 yards on fourth-and-11, and Leroy Jones scored from one yard back on third-and-goal to break the scoreless tie.

JT went three-and-out on its next two series before the two back-breaking giveaways on its final five snaps of the half.

Backed up inside its own 30, Johnson drilled a pass to his left, but Collier jumped the route and returned the interception 22 yards into the blue-clad end zone with 1:32 remaining before halftime.

After two runs, Johnson's next pass suffered the same result. This time, Slade pulled in Johnson's deep pass downfield from his safety position and strolled down the Texas High sideline 65 yards for another Tiger score with just five seconds left until the intermission.

Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic

At TMF Rose Stadium

Texas High 42, John Tyler 14

Texas High�0�21�14�7� 42

John Tyler�0�0�14�0 14

Second Quarter

TEX -- Leroy Jones 1 run (Austin Gibson kick), 7:14

TEX -- Roderick Collier 22 interception return (Gibson kick), 1:32

TEX -- Heathcott Slade 65 interception return (Gibson kick), 0:05

Third Quarter

JT -- Dominic Ward 13 run (Jesse Diaz kick), 6:21

TEX -- Cobi Hamilton 46 pass from Nathan Sorensno (Gibson kick), 4:31

JT -- Jeremy Johnson 22 run (Diaz kick), 2:21

TEX -- Hamilton 46 pass from Sorenson (Gibson kick), 0:55

Fourth Quarter

TEX -- Hamilton 70 pass from Sorenson (Gibson kick), 10:58

Est. Att. -- 5000.

Tex�JT

First Downs�14�14

Rushes-Yards�30-124�34-175

Passing Yards�294�34

Com.-Att.-Int.�12-22-0�5-17-2

Punts-Avg.�2-41.0�6-28.1

Fumbles-Lost�3-2�1-1

Penalties-Yards�7-65�3-45

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Texas High: Cody Sutton 12-60, Leroy Jones 10-38, Nathan Sorenson 3-26, Randall Fant 1-3, Heathcott Slade 3-(-1), Lavert King 1-(-2). John Tyler: Jeremy Johnson 16-87, Ky'Ordric Black 10-66, De'Trich Morgan 2-15, Dominic Ward 2-13, Termaine Brown 2-11, Kedrick Chancellor 1-3, Team 1-(-20).

PASSING -- Texas High: Sorenson 10-19-0 -- 295, Fant 2-3-0 -- (-1). John Tyler: Johnson 5-17-2 -- 34.

RECEIVING -- Texas High: Cobi Hamilton 6-206, Roderick Collier 2-37, Peyton Tolliver 1-42, Slade 1-10, Logan Preston 1-4, Sutton 1-(-5). John Tyler: Black 2-6, Brown 1-13, Tarrington Joiner 1-8, Ward 1-7.

SEASON OPENER: John Tyler quarterback Jeremy Johnson (15) and his Lion teammates take a break in the second quarter after a turnover against Texas High Saturday night in the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.
(Staff Photo By Mark Roberts)