The C.E. King Panthers jumped out to an early lead over Allen thanks to a touchdown pass from quarterback Darius Clark-James. However, Allen was able to take a 15-10 lead into halftime as they relied on their ground game, led by Amir McDowell and Quinton House-Hammonds.
However, the third quarter belonged entirely to King. Running back Dionne Sims gave King the lead on the opening play with a 75-yard touchdown run. From there, Clark-James took over through the air. He tossed touchdown passes of 81 yards to Vincent Jones, 48 yards to Ca’Marion Mackey, and 31 yards to Jones again in just over three minutes. This explosive quarter saw King outscore Allen 28-7 and build a comfortable 38-22 lead.
King’s potent offense was too much for Allen to handle. Clark-James finished an impressive 20 of 28 passing for 368 yards and five touchdowns. Jones was his favorite target, finishing with 236 receiving yards and three scores. The Panther defense also played a key role, holding Allen to just 144 total yards in the first half.
The 45-28 loss drops Allen to 0-2 on the young season, the program’s worst start in over 20 years. They will look to get in the win column next week against Arlington Martin. But for King, behind Clark-James’ arm and Sims’ legs, they remain undefeated and in control of district play early on. The Panther offense is firing on all cylinders as they prepare for their next test at Pearland High School.
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