Waco Midway Dominates Grand Prairie As Panthers Start Their Playoff Run

HEWITT,​ ​Texas —​ ​The​ ​Grand​ ​Prairie​ ​Gophers​ ​came​ ​out​ ​and​ ​punched​ Waco ​Midway​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mouth​ ​to​ ​start​ ​the game,​ ​but​ ​like​ ​any​ ​great​ ​champion​ ​the​ ​Panthers​ ​shook​ ​it​ ​off​ ​and​ ​regained​ ​composure.​ ​Midway would​ ​go​ ​on​ ​to​ ​dominate​ ​the​ ​Gophers​ 46-18 ​in​ ​what​ ​was​ ​the​ ​last​ ​home game​ ​for​ ​the​ ​2017​ ​senior​ ​class​ ​at​ ​Midway’s​ ​Panther​ ​Stadium.

In its first playoff game in 28 years, ​Grand​ ​Prairie​ ​wasted​ ​no​ ​time​ ​finding​ ​the end​ ​zone.​ ​Tylexis​ ​Straughter​ ​took​ ​an​ ​option​ ​pitch​ ​75​ ​yards​ ​for​ ​a​ ​Gophers​ ​touchdown​ ​on​ ​the​ ​first play​ ​of​ ​the​ ​game.​ ​The​ ​Gophers​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​recover​ ​a​ ​Will​ ​Nixon​ ​fumble​ ​on​ ​the​ ​ensuing​ ​kickoff, but​ ​the​ ​Panthers​ ​defense​ ​held​ ​strong​ ​and​ ​forced​ ​Grand​ ​Prairie​ ​to​ ​punt​ ​the​ ​ball.

“It’s​ ​the​ ​first​ ​playoff​ ​game​ ​and​ ​I​ ​think​ ​the​ ​kids​ ​were​ ​a​ ​little​ ​nervous,”​ ​said​ ​Midway​ ​Coach​ ​Jeff Hulme.

The​ ​Panthers​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​answer​ ​the​ ​Gophers​ ​touchdown​ ​with​ ​a​ ​James​ ​Fullbright​ ​run​ ​of​ ​yards and​ ​the​ ​game​ ​was​ ​tied​ ​7-7​ ​with​ ​8:38​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​quarter.​ ​Parker​ ​Null​ ​snagged​ ​his​ ​fourth ​interception of​ ​season​ ​on​ ​Grand​ ​Prairie’s​ ​next​ ​possession​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Panthers​ ​only​ ​needed​ ​four​ ​plays​ ​to​ ​drive the​ ​ball​ ​thirty-six​ ​yards​ ​and​ ​take​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​14-7,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​5​ -yard​ ​quarterback​ ​keeper​ ​by​ ​Tanner Mordecai.

Grand​ ​Prairie​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​30​ ​yard​ ​field​ ​goal​ ​attempt​ ​for​ ​Jose​ ​Carranza,​ ​but​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​snap forced​ ​the​ ​kick​ ​to​ ​push​ ​and​ ​bounce​ ​of​ ​the​ ​upright.​ ​The​ ​Gophers​ ​wouldn’t​ ​get​ ​back​ ​into​ ​scoring position​ ​for​ ​the​ ​remainder​ ​of​ ​the​ ​first​ ​half.

The​ ​Panthers​ ​managed​ ​two​ ​more​ ​first​ ​half​ ​touchdowns​ ​and​ ​both​ ​of​ ​them​ ​game​ ​on​ ​passes​ ​from Mordecai​ ​to​ ​CJ​ ​Williams.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​touchdown​ ​was​ ​from​ ​16​ ​yards​ ​out,​ ​while​ ​the​ ​second​ ​was​ ​from 7​ ​yards​ ​out.​ ​Midway​ ​took​ ​a​ ​28-7​ ​lead​ ​into​ ​halftime​ ​over​ ​Grand​ ​Prairie.​

​“It​ ​was​ ​huge​ ​because​ ​we​ ​get the​ ​ball​ ​to​ ​start​ ​the​ ​second​ ​half​,” Hulme said of that first half sequence, “We’ve​ ​been​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​that​ ​the​ ​past​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​weeks​ ​and​ ​I think​ ​that​ ​gives​ ​our​ ​kids​ ​a​ ​boost.”

Midway​ ​dominated​ ​the​ ​second​ ​half​ ​of​ ​the​ ​game​ ​and​ ​even​ ​had​ ​a​ ​little​ ​fun,​ ​as​ ​they​ ​put​ ​in​ ​DE Jaxon​ ​Player​ ​and​ ​let​ ​him​ ​get​ ​a​ ​rushing​ ​touchdown​ ​in​ ​his​ ​last​ ​home​ ​game​ ​of​ ​the​
​season.​ ​

“I bugged​ ​Coach​ ​Hulme​ ​to​ ​let​ ​me​ ​run​ ​the​ ​play​ ​and​ ​we​ ​practiced​ ​it​ ​some​ ​during​ ​the​ ​week,”​ ​Player​ ​explained​, ​“I​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​give​ ​credit​ ​to​ ​my​ ​offensive​ ​line,​ ​they​ ​opened​ ​up​ ​the​ ​hole​ ​and​ ​I was​ ​going​ ​to​ ​run​ ​over​ ​anyone​ ​that​ ​got​ ​in​ ​my​ ​way,​ ​I​ ​think​ ​some​ ​of​ ​those​ ​defenders​ ​got​ ​scared.”

Tanner​ ​Mordecai​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​find​ ​split​ ​two​ ​Gopher​ ​defenders​ ​and​ ​hit​ ​Demarcus​ ​DeGrate​ ​on​ ​a 23​ ​yard​ ​touchdown​ ​pass.

“It​ ​was​ ​really​ ​good​ ​to​ ​get this​ ​victory,” Mordecai said following the game, “We’ve​ ​been​ ​feeling​ ​that​ ​loss​ ​to​ ​Cedar​ ​Hill​ ​for​ ​a​ ​year​ ​and​ ​we​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure that​ ​didn’t​ ​happen​ ​again.”

The​ ​Gophers​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​something​ ​unusual,​ ​which​ ​was​ ​block​ ​two​ ​PAT’s​ ​and​ ​return​ ​them for​ ​scores​ ​that​ ​totaled​ ​4​ ​points.​ ​Grand​ ​Prairie​ ​found​ ​the​ ​end​ ​zone​ ​once​ ​more​ ​on​ ​a​ ​36​ ​yard​ ​pass, but​ ​it​ ​wasn’t​ ​able​ ​to​ ​change​ ​the​ ​outcome​ ​of​ ​the​ ​game.​

​Grand​ ​Prairie​ ​ended​ ​their​ ​season​ ​with​ ​a record​ ​of​ ​5-6,​ ​but​ ​were​ ​able​ ​give​ ​the​ ​community​ ​something​ ​to​ ​celebrate​ ​by​ ​putting​ ​an​ ​end​ ​to​ ​the playoff​ ​drought.

Midway​ moves to 11-0 on the year​ ​​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​their​ ​pursuit​ ​for​ ​a​ ​state​ ​championship​ ​next​ ​Friday​ ​when​ ​they​ ​play Byron​ ​Nelson​ ​in​ ​Arlington​ ​at​ ​AT&T​ ​Stadium. The​ ​game​ ​is​ ​scheduled​ ​to​ ​kickoff​ ​at​ ​8:00pm CST.

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