Once again, the Jesuit Rangers played a tremendous game of football last Friday night at Postell Stadium. The Rangers, coming off a harsh loss to Arlington Bowie, were hungry for a victory in their home opener at Jesuit against Plano East.
Right out of the gun, Jesuit scored off an exhilarating double pass trick play, putting the team up 7-0 from the start. After catching East off guard at the start, scoring would not come so easy for the rest of the first quarter. But Jesuit’s fierce offense could only be stopped for so long, and nearing the end of the first quarter, Quarterback Bo Schneider ’15 completed a nearly 80-yard touchdown pass to Garret Amy ’15. Jesuit carried  this momentum  to halftime, leading Plano East 21-14.
Going into the second half, Head Coach Brandon Hickman explained, ” We wanted to control the clock and establish the run game in the second half which we did.” With great blocks coming from the offensive line, Max Loughborough and Matthew Slovak were able to keep the ball moving on the ground during the second half. Slovak’s explosive running kept Jesuit on top of Plano East, hammering a 40 yard touchdown run in during the middle of the third quarter to put Jesuit up 28-14.
The Rangers appeared headed for a sure win, after going up 42- 28 late in the fourth, but Plano East would not go down without a fight. The visitors managed to rally back through a decent kick return and a 53-yard touchdown run. Carrying  momentum, the Plano East Panthers forced a 3 and out, getting the ball back with plenty of time on the clock for one last drive.
The game then came down to the wire in a classic second down and goal situation that could have been the end for the Jesuit Rangers. Looking to fool the Jesuit defense, the Panthers decided to throw while just inches from the goal line. Fortunately for Jesuit, the secondary was ready under pressure and Mac Elliot ’16 pulled off a spectacular play, intercepting Plano East’s quarterback to seal the win for the Jesuit Rangers.  Elliot explained his mindset, saying, “After having a pass completed over my head in the drive I was a little nervous before the snap, but with a short memory I was able to forget about what happened and remained composed.”
Coach Hickman was proud of his team, and explained that, “Our backs were against the wall and our kids never gave up on the 1-inch line. That will help our football team down the road playing in that big moment Friday night and guys stepping up.” Moments like that divide a good team from a great team, or a winning team from a losing team. Through composure and preparation, however, Jesuit was able to come out on the winning side. Coach Hickman continued to say that he was, “Very happy for our kids and coaches who have worked so hard preparing during the week and seeing their excitement was special. We needed to get our swagger back after last week and we did.” Ryan Brooks ’16, defensive tackle, stated, “pulling out this victory at the end will be very beneficial to our team and is a confidence booster that willhelp our defense moving forward.”
Next week Jesuit travels south for a clash with Houston’s Strake Jesuit, an intense rivalry that has developed over the past several years. It’s always great to see the two teams play, as they are very similar and both compete at a high level. Coach Hickman explained, “We must stay focused as a team after this big win and prepare very well in practice. I told the guys Sat. enjoy the win but come back Monday ready to go to work.” The Rangers will have to be ready for a tough game next Friday, since Strake Jesuit always comes out ready to play.
