The final week of the 2024 Texas High School Football regular season kicked off on a beautiful Thursday night in Pasadena, as the Manvel Mavericks (5-4, 5-2) took on the Dobie Longhorns (5-4, 4-3). After a 1-4 start,
Manvel had won four straight, including a massive win against Pearland Dawson last week, to battle back and put themselves in position for a playoff spot. On the other side, Dobie had won three straight games to stay in playoff contention. A win for Manvel would clinch the Mavericks a playoff spot and knock out the Longhorns, while a Dobie win would create a three-team tie for the final two playoff spots.
Game Recap
Dobie opened the game with a surprise onside kick, which Manvel recovered, setting them up in great field position. After driving down to the Longhorn 16-yard line, Dobie’s Aiden Sanchez forced a fumble on a sack, and Julian Thomas recovered the fumble, returning it all the way to the end zone for the touchdown to open the scoring. The ensuing Manvel kickoff was fumbled and recovered by Adrian Taylor, giving Dobie the ball at the Maverick 10-yard line. One play later, Cameron Mathews took the handoff 10 yards for another Dobie score. With 9:25 left in the opening quarter, Dobie led 14-0.
Manvel got on the board late in the first, as Xaiden Brown took the toss left and into the end zone for a touchdown. The PAT was no good, leaving the score at 14-6. On the following Dobie drive, a few big plays got the Longhorns down to the Manvel one-yard line, where Mathews ran in his second touchdown of the game. Mathews powered in the two-point conversion to put Dobie up 22-6.
After a couple of punts, Manvel got the ball with 8:09 remaining in the half. It took them only three plays to reach the end zone, as Cam Renfro found Joshua Irvin running wide open down the middle of the field for a 60-yard touchdown. On the next Dobie drive, a 61-yard pass from Willard Joiner III to James Spivey set up the Longhorns deep in Manvel territory, and five plays later, Bryce Evans powered his way in for a one-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the score at 28-13 Dobie.
Manvel got on the board one more time before halftime, as a 62-yard run by Kenneth Malone-Hayes set up the Mavericks at the Dobie one-yard line. On the next play, Renfro kept it and ran left into the end zone for the touchdown, making the halftime score 28-20.
Both teams exchanged punts to open the half, but Dobie struck first in the third quarter. Starting from their own 32-yard line, Mathews took a handoff, cut back across the field, and stormed past the defense for a 68-yard touchdown, his third of the game. Following a Manvel punt, Dobie struck again on a nine-yard touchdown run by Evans, extending the lead to 42-20 with 1:49 left in the third quarter.
Manvel responded with 14 unanswered points. Renfro broke three tackles and dragged a defender into the end zone on a 48-yard touchdown run. Then Malone-Hayes added a three-yard rushing score, making it a one-score game, 42-34, with 5:33 remaining.
Dobie began their next drive at their own nine-yard line, looking to run out the clock. On the seventh play, Mathews broke free for a 71-yard run to the Manvel one-yard line. On the next play, Evans ran in his third touchdown of the game, making it 48-34 with 1:19 left. Manvel drove deep into Longhorn territory but turned the ball over on downs with 18 seconds left.
Dobie, needing to win by more than 17 points to clinch a playoff spot, went back to work. A 21-yard pass from Joiner to Spivey, followed by a pass interference penalty, set up the Longhorns at the Maverick 37-yard line with six seconds remaining. Joiner heaved up a prayer, and Tariq Riley came down with it for the touchdown, sealing a 54-34 win and Dobie’s playoff spot.
Player Stats
Dobie:
- QB Willard Joiner III (SR): 6/13, 180 yds, TD, INT, 3 carries, 3 yds
- RB Cameron Mathews (SR): 24 carries, 243 yds, 3 TDs
- RB Bryce Evans (SR): 9 carries, 70 yds, 3 TDs
- WR James Spivey (SR): 5 recs, 143 yds, 1 carry, 5 yds, 0/1 passing
- WR Tariq Riley (SR): 1 rec, 37 yds, TD
- DL Aiden Sanchez (SR): 4 Sacks, 2 FFs, PBU
- LB Julian Thomas (SR): Sack, FR, TD
Manvel:
- QB Cam Renfro (JR): 16/22, 191 yds, TD, INT, 13 carries, 47 yds, 2 TDs, Fum
- RB Kenneth Malone-Hayes (SO): 8 carries, 122 yds, TD
- WR Joshua Irvin (SR): 9 recs, 177 yds, TD
Next Week
Dobie will face District 21-6A champion Ridge Point, while Manvel takes on the winner of Hightower/Elkins.
