Round 3 of the Texas High School Football playoffs is underway! On Friday, November 24th, 2023, the NRG Stadium in Houston, TX, hosted a thrilling triple-header, starting with The C.E. King Panthers versus The Hightower Hurricanes.
The game kicked off with C.E. King sending the ball to Hightower. Hightower’s offense quickly showed their prowess, with Jeremy Payne, #6, scoring the first touchdown early in the game. Hightower’s defense swiftly regained possession, setting up quarterback Joseph Stewart, #1, to connect with Jeremy for his second touchdown.
C.E. King struggled offensively, repeatedly punting the ball back to Hightower. However, a breakthrough occurred when Panther’s free safety, #13 Isaiah Flanagan, intercepted a pass, leading to a pick-six that put the Panthers on the scoreboard. The first quarter concluded 14-7, with Hightower in the lead. The second quarter was mostly a deadlock until 2:30 left in regulation when C.E. King’s #33 Kmard Kimble equalized the game at 14-14 before halftime.
The third quarter mirrored the second with both teams finding it challenging to penetrate the red zone. Hightower eventually managed a field goal to take the lead. Following a C.E. King interception, Hightower’s Joseph Stewart threw another touchdown pass to Jeremy, widening their lead. C.E. King responded just before the third quarter ended, with Kmard Kimble scoring another touchdown, making it 21-24.
In the final quarter, Hightower maintained their momentum. Joseph Stewart scored a rushing touchdown, while C.E. King’s quarterback, #1 Darius Clark-James, found wide receiver #0 Vincent Jones for a touchdown. Despite C.E. King’s efforts, they couldn’t regain possession, leading to a final score of 31-28 in favor of Hightower.
Although C.E. King delivered a strong performance, Hightower emerged victorious and will now face The Summer Creek Bulldogs in the regional finals of round 4.
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