After a back and forth first half that saw the lead change six times, the DeSoto Eagles and senior quarterback Shawn Robinson were able to pull away in the second half and prevail with a 48-30 win in 6A Division II Area round game.
Southlake’s game plan was to use their senior bell cow Audricke Gaines to control the tempo, and it was working in the first half. Southlake got out to a 16-7 lead in the second quarter with that plan, but then the DeSoto offense came alive and Southlake could only keep up for so long.
DeSoto had the ball with 2:15 left in the first half at their own 15-yard line trailing by two. Robinson completions to receivers KD Nixon and Emerett Perry moved it into Dragon territory. The four plays later, Robinson threads the needle on a 34-yard pass to Nixon down the seam to give the Eagles a 29-23 lead heading into the intermission.
“That touchdown by KD definitely changed the momentum and we try and give the ball to KD as much as possible even more so tonight,” DeSoto head coach Todd Peterman said about his senior receiver that’s headed to Colorado. “Our offensive line did a great job tonight of keeping Shawn (Robinson) clean tonight against a great Southlake defensive line.”
Coming out of the second half, DeSoto had the ball and it looked like they were going to score again but Robinson fumbled at the one yard line as he was heading to the end zone. Southlake couldn’t do anything with the turnover and on the next possession running back Richie Washington scored from two yards out, his second of the evening making it 35-23.
Southlake desperately needed some points on their next drive, but as they had the ball at midfield quarterback Mason Holmes through an interception. DeSoto then drove down the field once again as running back Jamonne Williams ran it in from 17-yards for a 41-23 lead and icing the game.
“We knew when we ran 40 plays in the first half their was a good chance they would get tired and generally when we run that many plays good things happen in the second half,” Peterman said. “We felt like we were in a great position given everything that had happened.”
Robinson had 201 yards on the evening and three touchdowns on the ground and was 18-30 for 245 yards and one touchdown in the air. Nixon was responsible for 163 of those yards on 11 catches and one touchdown.
DeSoto will play Abilene on Friday in Wichita Falls.
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