After two consecutive road games, the Rangers ended their regular season with their seventh consecutive victory amid Homecoming festivities that featured a helicopter, two professional athletes, and a multitude of mums.
Taking on a Richardson Berkner team(5-5, 3-4)vying for a playoff spot, Jesuit (7-3, 7-0) looked to accomplish a feat of their own, going undefeated in district for back-to-back seasons. Powered by a rushing attack that netted all six of the team’s touchdowns, including John Wunderlick’s ’17 three touchdowns on 255 net yards, Jesuit surpassed the 50-point mark for the fifth straight game en route to victory.
After PGA Tour golfer Jordan Spieth ’11 landed on the field in a helicopter to deliver the game ball, he was joined at midfield by Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Kyle Muller ’16 for the coin toss. Jesuit won and elected to receive, hoping to strike first, as Head Coach Brandon Hickman said, “we wanted to go out and get off to a good start and I feel we did that on Friday.”
The Rangers took possession at the Berkner 42 after a short kickoff and hit the ground running as Wunderlick and Evan Jackson ’17 teamed up for three consecutive first down rushes. However two penalties stalled the drive in the red zone as Jesuit had to settle for a 29-yard field goal, punched through by Israel Ollarzabal ’18.
Berkner was unable to get anything going on their first possession, failing to convert on fourth down as defensive back Jack Lynch ’17 broke up a pass on 4th-and-2. The Rams quickly retook possession, though, forcing a fumble on the fourth play of Jesuit’s subsequent drive. After a fourth down conversion just past midfield, the Rams scored on a 13-yard rush and succeeded on a two-point conversion to take an 8-3 lead.
The Rangers’ next possession again started with excellent field position at their 45, as the offense completed an efficient 3-play touchdown drive with a 22-yard Wunderlick rush, a 13-yard completion from quarterback Jacob Palisch ’17 to receiver Fletcher Rosenbleeth ’18, and another 20-yard Wunderlick rush to the end zone. Palisch then ran in the two-point conversion to put Jesuit ahead 11-8.
The Jesuit defense forced a three-and-out to end the first quarter, before Alekzander McGlone ’18 returned a punt 26 yards into Berkner territory. The Ranger offense didn’t miss a beat, starting the second quarter with a 27-yard strike from Palisch to wideout Connor Jackson ’17 before Wunderlick rushed 13 yards for his second touchdown, then punched in the two-point conversion attempt.
The defense continued to stymie Berkner’s offense, as linebacker Michael Schoettmer ’17 forced a fumble that was recovered by Lynch. A 46-yard Rosenbleeth reception, a Jackson rush, and four Wunderlick rushes later, the Rangers had tacked on another eight as Palisch ran in a two-point conversion following Wunderlick’s third score.
The teams alternated scores, as Berkner broke off a 90-yard touchdown run on the first play of their next drive, but failing to convert the two-point try, before Jesuit answered with a 10-play, 62-yard drive capped by a Palisch touchdown run. The Rams closed their deficit back to two scores with another touchdown on the next possession, failing the conversion again, but Ollarzabal booted a 28-yard field goal to give Jesuit a 37-20 lead to end the first half.
Starting with possession in the second half, Berkner drove 83 yards on 11 plays to score, but Jesuit again stifled the conversion attempt, maintaining an 11-point advantage. After the Rangers fumbled in the red zone, defensive back John Guzman ’17 picked off a pass to regain possession, setting up a 10-play, 79-yard drive that ended with the first of E. Jackson’s two touchdowns.
A defensive stop, as Berkner went three-and-out, was followed by another E. Jackson touchdown, sealing the Rangers’ 51-26 victory and ending the Rams’ season.
“I thought the keys [to this win] were our defense forcing turnovers and our offense capitalizing on them,” Hickman said. “You always want to start peaking entering the playoffs and I feel really good about our football team. Our leadership has been strong and we are very confident and focused going into post season play.”
E. Jackson praised his offensive line’s effort, saying, “the O-line made some big holes allowing John [Wunderlick] and I to have big days.”
“I thought our defense really stepped up, providing our offense with stops and turnovers which gave us a lot of momentum,” Wunderlick said.
Schoettmer added, “a big key for us last week was sticking to the game plan. We knew their running back was the key to their offense, and that was who we had to stop if we wanted to finish the district undefeated.” He added that, faced with unexpected challenges, “once we adjusted to the different wrinkles Berkner threw at us, I thought we attacked very well and handled business.”
“Our non-conference games prepared us for playoffs,” Schoettmer continued. “All three teams were talented teams that put us through a lot of adversity. We know how to handle that now because we are battle-tested.”
Wunderlick echoed the importance of experience, remarking, “we’ve already seen the best competition there is in DeSoto and Lake Travis. We’re focusing on ourselves right now and trying to make sure we’re at our prime instead of worrying about the opponents.”
Looking forward, linebacker Matt Eubanks ’17 commented, “We aren’t satisfied with just a district championship; we are preparing to make a great run in the playoffs and are very excited for it.”
“Our goal is focusing on going 1-0 each week that’s been our mindset all season,” said Coach Hickman. “As a coaching staff we feel good about this bunch battling each week for 4 quarters. This team is special and our kids are fun to coach and be around. They come to practice every day with a great attitude eager to learn and get better. I feel the guys really care about one another and are great teammates. When you care about the team first that’s when special seasons happen.”
Jesuit starts its playoff run Friday with a bi-district round home matchup against another Rangers squad in Garland Naaman Forest (5-5, 4-3), who finished 4th in district 10-6A after an 0-10 finish last year.
