SPRING, Texas — In what started off as a sluggish contest manifested into a game for the ages as the Spring Westfield Mustangs fended off crosstown rival, the Spring Lions, in a 15-12 overtime win Friday night at Leonard George Stadium.
The Mustangs held the lead for nearly all four quarters before allowing the Lions a touchdown with less than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, had you left at halftime, you might’ve been surprised by the outcome of this game.
In the first quarter of play, it only took Westfield four total plays to score two touchdowns in less than five minutes. On the first drive, Westfield needed to convert on third down and long. Who else better to throw it to than speedy running back Rayshawn James as the junior deceived the Lions defense on a wheel route out of the backfield, catching the ball and taking it 58-yards to the house.
Then on the next drive, Westfield’s head coach Matt Meekins used some slight sorcery. On first and 10, Meekins called a bubble screen wide receiver pass, using his star receiver James Young to deliver the double pass to wide open downfield receiver Noah Massey for the 61-yard score.
Enter Spring.
The Lions would not back down after a decimating first half of action. Instead, they answered back in the second half. Early in the third quarter, Spring desperately needed to convert on a pivotal third down and short. Rather than run the ball, Spring chucked it up to wide receiver Darbe Pearson who levitated above the Mustang defender and waltzed into the end-zone untouched to cut the lead in half.
Later in the fourth quarter with less than ten minutes left, the Lions would consume nearly six full minutes of clock in one drive as they ground down the field to the red-zone. After getting stuffed near the goal line and missing several pass attempts, the Lions resorted to a key, useful tactic that they often use: putting a big man at running back. On fourth down, defensive lineman Willie Smith came in at the tailback positions and rushed into the end-zone to make the score even at 12-12.
This small victory would be short-lived as Spring would have three more chances to score and win it with less than 5 minutes left in the game, even after causing turnovers. This would lead to an unwanted overtime for Spring as many of their players suffered cramps in regulation play.
Westfield would go on to do what Westfield does best, sealing the victory in crunch time as kicker Brandon Amaya would nail the 37-yard field goal attempt in overtime to end the game, 15-12.
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