ALLEN, Texas- Eagle Stadium in Allen is arguably the best place to play a Texas High School playoff game. That certainly rang true today when the Mansfield Legacy Broncos took on the North Forney Falcons for the 5A DII Regional Semifinal matchup. This was a good one from the start and in the end Mansfield Legacy survives a thriller by a score of 45-35.
After North Forney stalled out the first drive, the Broncos quickly took advantage by driving down the field capped off by a 4 yard touchdown run by Grant Johnson to give Legacy a quick 7-0 lead. North Forney would respond though, driving 96 yards down the field and evening the score as quarterback Colby Suits found Jordan Carroll from six yards out.
After recovering an onside kick, the Falcons scored again as the combo of Suits and Carroll worked to give the Falcons a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Legacy would respond however as Jalen Catalon would scamper in from 18 yards out to even the score at 14. The Falcons looked to respond but a deflected pass landed in the arms of defensive end Carter Brooks and Legacy got the ball back.
Photo: Shana Willeford/TexasHSFootball
Two plays later, Grant Johnson leaped over defenders on his way to a 32 yard touchdown run to get the Broncos the lead back. The North Forney defense held and the score finished tied at the half.
Legacy was able to bust it open in the second half thanks to Catalon, who found Ife Adeyi for a 60-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to seize momentum.
The Falcons would respond driving all the way down the field behind their running backs Calvin Ribera and Nate Miller. But it was Colby Suits who capped off the drive with a one yard keeper into the end zone to pull back to within 7.
The Broncos tried to put together another touchdown drive but the North Forney defense held them to a 42 yard field goal by Ife Adeyi to make it 31-21.
Suits took the snap right up the middle for a seven yard Falcon touchdown to bring North Forney within three. Then, the powerful combination of Catalon and Adeyi worked magic again as the two hooked for a 64-yard touchdown to push the lead back up to 10.
Photo: Shana Willeford/TexasHSFootball
North Forney would not go away as Calvin Ribera ran it in from three yards out to pull right back within three. Grant Johnson would deliver another blow to make it 45-35 and after a missed North Forney field goal, the Legacy defense held the Falcons for the rest of the game.
“I just had to be prepared.” Jalen Catalon commented on starting on both sides of the ball against North Forney. “I just had to know that North Forney was going to bring it from the start and we had to bring it more. It’s a blessing having these guys to play with on both sides, I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else.”
North Forney’s season ends with a record of 10-3. Mansfield Legacy improves to 11-2 and will face Frisco Lone Star next week at a time and place to be determined.
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