4A Team of the Week: Stephenville Yellow Jackets
It was a long night for Stephenville.
Not figuratively. Just literally. A three-and-a-half hour lightning delay pushed the start of the second half back to nearly midnight, according to Micah McCartney of the Wise County Messenger.
But once the game restarted, Stephenville rewarded its fans that stuck around for the conclusion.
The Yellow Jackets trailed 49-28 towards the end of the third quarter, but they went on a tear scoring four touchdowns in eight minutes. Running back Tate Maruska had two rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Ryan Gafford connected with receiver Tristan Gentry for two more touchdowns.
That blitz of scores gave the Yellow Jackets a 56-49 lead with four minutes to go, but the drama wasn’t done.
Decatur responded with a 75-yard drive capped off with yet another touchdown as Jed Ross connected with Nate Palmer on a slant as time expired. After that touchdown, Decatur decided it was time to go home as the Eagles elected to attempt a two-point conversion.
Ross rolled left looking for Palmer again, but this time, Stephenville’s Hyson Foreman denied the Eagles. He batted the ball away to secure a 56-55 victory for Stephenville in a game that finished after 1 a.m.
Six hours and 12 minutes after it’s scheduled kickoff of 7pm, Stephenville-Decatur came to a heart-stopping end, as @DecaturEaglesFB’s two-point conversion try came up empty, to give @SvilleYJFB a 56-55 come-from-behind victory.
Incredible.
Only in #txhsfb. pic.twitter.com/CJFcNVtBFu
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) September 9, 2023
It was certainly a night to remember for the Stephenville offense. Gafford threw for 412 yards and six touchdowns. Gentry was his favorite receiver on the night as the two connected eight times for 252 yards and four touchdowns. But it wasn’t just the passing game. Maruska also had 145 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The Yellow Jackets will hope their offense will continue to click as they prepare to take on an Abilene Wylie team coming off its first win of the season this Friday.
*Stats from MaxPreps, WFAA Live Stream
Previous 4A Teams of the Week
Week One: Wharton
Week Two: Houston Scarborough
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