Jesuit sent a resounding message to their new competition in the realigned District 9-6A Friday night at Richardson’s Eagle-Mustang Stadium, as the Rangers trounced Richardson for their 10th consecutive district win.
Jesuit (2-3 overall, 2-0 district) gained 348 rushing yards, led by senior John Wunderlick’s 85 yards and two scores on 9 carries, as the defense held Richardson (0-5, 0-2) to three points on 185 total yards on Friday en route to an emphatic 42-3 road victory. The win gave the Rangers back-to-back district wins and helped them retain a share of first place in District 9-6A.
Head Coach Brandon Hickman said the team “focused on starting strong and getting off to a good start early,” and the Ranger offense did just that, hitting the ground running, as quarterback Jacob Palisch ‘17 connected with wideout Grayson Hassell ‘18 for a 39 yard touchdown a mere 62 seconds into the game to put the Rangers ahead 7-0. The defense then wasted no time in retaking possession as Hank Bitterman ‘18 forced and recovered a fumble on Richardson’s first play from scrimmage.
After a Jesuit turnover at the Richardson 7-yard line, the Ranger defense forced a three-and-out, punctuated by a sack by senior defensive end Andrew Miskell ‘17 that forced the Eagles to punt from their own 1-yard line. The Rangers took advantage of their favorable field position as they took over inside Richardson territory, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run by Palisch.
Richardson again failed to crack the Jesuit defense, going three-and-out for the second time. Starting from their own 27, the Ranger offense quickly moved the ball downfield, rushing for a combined 73 yards on 10 plays on a drive that culminated in Wunderlick’s first touchdown on a two-yard rush.
Down 21-0, Richardson managed to gain their first first down on their next drive, but two false start penalties quickly halted their momentum as the Ranger defense forced another punt. Starting this time from their own 15, the Rangers used big plays including a 20-yard completion from Palisch to receiver Fletcher Rosenbleeth ‘18 and a 25-yard Wunderlick run to drive 85 yards on five plays for another touchdown on a Connor Jackson ‘17 reception.
Yet another Richardson three-and-out allowed the Jesuit offense to take control at their 43, and they quickly extended their lead to five scores on the drive’s fourth play, a 15-yard rush for Wunderlick’s second touchdown of the game.
The Eagles managed to enter the Jesuit red zone, but their drive stalled at the Ranger 20, with a missed 36-yard field goal attempt. Backup quarterback Parker Towns ‘18 entered the game as the second half came to a close, 35-0 Jesuit.
In the second half, the Ranger defense continued to stifle Richardson, holding the Eagles’ offense to a field goal and only 121 total yards. Offensively, the Rangers continued to pound the ball on the ground, with a Hank Clements ‘18 43-yard touchdown run the highlight of the half.
Overall, the Rangers finished with season bests in rushing yards (384), total yards (476), and yards allowed (185). “This last game showed us that our offense can really put points on the scoreboard and that our defense can handle anyone when we put our mind to it,” Miskell said. “We worked our tails off during offseason, summer workouts, and non-district so that we could excel in district play, and the effort we put in is finally starting to show up on both offense and defense.”
Senior captain and defensive lineman Dalton Allen ‘17 commented that “[the team] can always improve on the details as far as offense and defense goes, but overall our energy and effort is what ultimately led us to the large margin of victory against Richardson.” Fellow captain Jack Metz ‘17 agreed that “the win against Richardson was a big test mentally for our team,” and “as a unit we were focused and played to our level,” leading to the win.
“I’m proud of the focus we kept all week after a big win the previous week,” Hickman commented. “[Also] it was nice to see some of our backup players get a lot of reps during the game. These guys put in just as much work and deserve to get playing time. It was a total team effort.” He added that the team still has room for improvement: “We must eliminate fumbles and continue to tackle better.”
Running back Evan Jackson ‘17 stressed how the team is “starting to build up confidence as a program to know that we can compete with any team we line up against… All we have to do is go out and play our game.” Jackson, who averaged 10.6 yards per carry on Friday, continued, “When the line is protecting as well as they have the last two weeks, there’s not a team in Texas that can stop us.”
The team that will attempt to stop the Rangers is Dallas Skyline (2-3, 2-0), a co-leader in the district standings who could prove to be a crucial matchup in determining the district’s championship.
Allen said the team wants to “come out with tons of energy and excitement because as of now the district championship is in our total control.” He continued, “We are trying to take each game one week at a time and become 1-0 this week.”
“We have a lot of confidence going into this week’s game and are playing good football,” said Hickman. “Anytime you play Skyline our kids have an extra bounce in their step, are more upbeat and focused. It’s become a great high school rivalry over the past few years, and I have a lot of respect for their program.” He added, “Our kids will be well prepared and it should be a great game and atmosphere.”
