Friday Night Lights were back at Ranger Stadium last Friday the 26th against Hebron! The Rangers finished last season 10-2, falling short to Denton Guyer in the Area Round of the playoffs. However, Jesuit looked to capitalize and set the tone early for a new season in this critical opener game. A feeling of electricity consumed Ranger Stadium, as tailgates smelled of barbecue and both school’s fight songs rumbled before kick-off. The student section was filling up with the night’s theme of blue t-shirts as students piled into the southernmost side of the bleachers. The atmosphere never disappoints! This was the second consecutive home opener win in the last two seasons. Last year’s game was back and forth thriller against Flower Mound Marcus. This year, however, the Rangers came out strong and pulled away quickly, finishing with a 38-7 victory against Hebron.
STATS & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Jesuit had a total of 355 combined yards of offense. They also earned 17 first downs and converted 50% (6-12) of third downs. In comparison, Hebron had 248 total yards of offense. Jesuit’s offense handled business as senior quarter-back Charlie Schmidt ’23 led the way by completing 16 out of 19 passes for 213 yards, along with three touchdowns. Senior dual-back Jake Musso ’23 caught six passes for 123 yards and one 60-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. Just a few minutes later, Musso trudged through the defense for a 1-yard run to add two early touchdowns in the first quarter.
Cooper Cutler ’24 had two receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown in the early second quarter. Senior quarterback, Will Greenwood ’23, topped things off with a quarter-back sneak into the endzone. Additionally, Matty Wagner ’23 had two receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown with just 17 seconds left on the clock before halftime. Senior running back, Reed Pffafenberger ’23, had nine carries for nearly 73 yards, leading the Rangers with the longest rush of 52 yards. Dylan Drennan ’24 knocked in a field goal from 27 yards to make it 38 points in the late third quarter.
Jesuit’s lockdown defense was the story of the night. They only allowed 7 points the entire game and shutting out Hebron in 3/4 quarters is something to rave about. Defensive back, William Sahadevan ’23, racked up 8 tackles (5 solo and 3 assisted) for the night. Luke Buckner ’23, contributed 7 tackles of his own and a solo sack, while also tacking on two tackles for loss. Buckner’s incredible performance earned him an honorable mention as the Dallas Morning News area player of the week.
OVERALL
Overall, the defensive effort and chemistry were phenomenal against Hebron. Jesuit heads into next week to play Rockwall High School on Friday, the 2nd at 7 P.M at Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium. In order to win the anticipated rematch against Rockwall, Jesuit has to come out firing on all cylinders on defense to continue to get 3 and out stops, get turnovers, and contain the pass and the run. Likewise, the Jesuit offense must continue to put the foot on the gas throughout the game. It was a thrilling game to watch to start out the 2022-2023 season and Ranger fans hope that their terrific performance continues throughout the year!
THOUGHTS & OPINIONS
I asked some Jesuit students and football players about their thoughts about the first home opener. And this is what some of them had to say…
Blake Howells ’24, said “The game was exquisite. The Ranger’s defense was outstanding, and the fact they shut out Hebron in the first, third, and fourth quarter was quite impressive.”
Reid McMillan ’24 said, “I thought it was an absolute blowout. Great way to start the Jesuit season!”
Tristen Bird ’24, one of The Roundup’s associate editors, who also plays linebacker said, “I would say we started off strong with a big 3 and out on defense following that up with scoring 3 touchdowns really quickly after that. That set the game’s tone, leading us to victory.”
Stay tuned for more football game recaps and news! Make sure to attend or watch on www.jesuitrangers.com!
