High School Sports

By HAROLD WILSON
Staff Writer

John Tyler's special turnaround season sailed right along its new course thanks to the Lions' special teams.

Jesse Diaz kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime and moments later Dominic Ward blocked Mesquite's game-tying attempt from 43 yards back to send JT to a heart-stopping 17-14 win Friday night at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

Kedrick Chancellor scored on a 100-yard kickoff return and 11-yard run, Ward blocked two field goals late and Diaz atoned for a miss at the end of regulation to give JT (5-2, 2-0 in 11-5A) its fifth straight win of the season -- the Lions' second in overtime and third in the closing seconds.

"The snap was good, the hold was good -- everything was good," Diaz said. "It went right through."

JT trailed 14-0 in the second quarter, but used Chancellor's kickoff return to get jump-started and the junior burner's TD run on a counter right to get even late in the third quarter.

With less than six minutes remaining, JT preserved its chances when Ward raced in from the right side to knock down his first of two kicks on the night -- this time a 33-yard try by Bradley Baladez.

Joe Bayonne later drug down Mesquite junior quarterback Brad Smithey -- who played in place of injured Skeeter blue-chipper Luke Halpin -- from behind just inches shy of a first down at the JT 34.

The Lions gained back possession with 1:43 showing and reached the Skeeters' 25 with time running out, only to see Diaz just miss on a 42-yard game-winning boot before the junior kicker more than made amends.

Mesquite (3-4, 0-2) dropped its second straight tight game; nearly pulling off the win despite playing without its top two players, including Oklahoma commit Marcus Trice, a two-way starter at receiver and defensive back.

Ky'Ordric Black led JT with 15 carries for 102 yards. Black tied Ward for a team-high three receptions, while Chancellor contributed 135 all-purpose yards.

Defensively, JT played its best statistical game of the season, holding Mesquite to 182 total yards and shutting the Skeeters out in the second half.

Wasted chances characterized the first half, with JT failing to score in the first 28 minutes despite three trips inside the Mesquite 40, which included a fumble at the Skeeter 24.

After totaling just nine yards in the first quarter, Mesquite traveled 61 yards with its hurry-up attack in 12 plays, with Smithey rolling out and finding Lynrick Pleasant just inbounds near the pylon to break the scoreless tie.

JT used a 52-yard return kickoff return by the speedy Ward to boost another promising drive, which ventured to the Mesquite 7. Facing a fourth-and-2, JT called a timeout but upon returning to the field, fumbled away possession after a miscommunication on the snap. The live ball rolled past Johnson and Mesquite's K.J. Rhodes rushed to get it, picking the prize up just inside the 30 and running free the other way to a 71-yard TD with less than two minutes remaining until the intermission.

Prior to the break, JT finally caught one -- a break -- when Chancellor fielded the ensuing kickoff at the goal line, headed left, zipped back right and picked up a key block downfield from Black to complete the length-of-the-field jaunt and slice the Mesquite lead in half just before halftime.

"Those were big plays by Ward, Chancellor and Diaz," said JT head coach Dereck Rush. "The special teams really came up big."

John Tyler 17, Mesquite 14

At Earl Campbell Field,

Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium

Mesquite 14

John Tyler 17

Second Quarter

MES -- Lynrick Pleasant 17 pass from Brad Smithey (Bradley Baladez kick), 7:06

MES -- K.J. Rhodes 71 fumble return (Clark Gaddis kick), 1:50

JT -- Kedrick Chancellor 100 kickoff return (Jesse Diaz), 1:31

Third Quarter

JT -- Chancellor 11 run (Diaz kick), 0:06

Overtime

JT -- FG Diaz 45

EST.ATT. -- 6000.

MES JT

First Downs 12 13

Rushes-Yards 29-76 41-165

Passing Yards 106 47

Com.-Att.-Int. 17-31-0 8-16-0

Punts-Avg. 5-31.0 5-35.0

Fumbles-Lost 4-0 2-2

Penalties-Yards 5-35 4-30

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Mesquite, Brad Smithey 13-36, Darien McNealy 4-21, Greg Fason 9-20, Robert Marshall 2-1, Jake Lanford 1-(-2). John Tyler, Ky'Ordric black 15-102, Jeremy Johnson 15-57, Kedrick Chancellor 7-35, David Bush 1-0, De'Trich Morgan 1-(-7), Team 2-(-22).

PASSING -- Mesquite, Smithey 12-22-0 -- 105, Lanford 5-9-0 -- 1. John Tyler, Johnson 8-16-0 -- 47.

RECEIVING -- Mesquite, Lynrick Pleasant 4-66, Tim Paris 3-16, McNealy 3-(-7), Marshall 2-19, Colt Patterson 1-6, Fason 1-4, Aaron Richard 1-3, Chris Williams 1-3, Smithey 1-(-4). John Tyler, Dominic Ward 3-28, Black 3-8, Tarik Spencer 2-11.

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