Frisco Lone Star Takes Advantage of Mistakes + Ousts Lufkin

WACO – Marvin Mims caught seven passes for 253 yards and three scores as the Frisco Lone Star Rangers rolled to a 49-21 win over the Lufkin Panthers in Class 5A Division I,  Region II area playoff action at Baylor’s McLane Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

In a game that was headlined by two of the best defenses in the state, Mims stole the show. A defense that forced six turnovers also did its share of the damage as Lone Star turned an expected showdown into a runaway in front of a surprised crowd.

“We just made too many mistakes, and you can’t do that against a good team,” Lufkin head coach Todd Quick said. “When you kick it off, none of the other stuff matters. Today, we didn’t make the plays when we needed them.”

Lufkin’s Kewone Thomas, who attempted to play through an injury, left the game in the first quarter after the Panthers fell into a 14-0 hole.

Jahrell Stephens was effective in relief as he threw for 209 yards and a touchdown with a pair of interceptions on 16-of-20 passing. He also ran for 88 yards and two scores.

Ja’Lynn Polk did his part with 109 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.

However, that wasn’t nearly enough against a potent Lone Star team.

Lufkin was its own worst enemy in a first half that featured four turnovers and Thomas leaving the game due to an injury.

The Panthers lost two fumbles on their first three offensive plays. Lone Star took advantage of the second fumble with a Julian Landry 2-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

Lufkin’s third turnover of the game turned into a 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown from Noah Bolton that made it 14-0.

Lone Star’s only turnover of the second half proved to be a costly one as a muffed punt led to a spectacular 16-yard touchdown pass from Stephens to Polk that cut the margin to 14-7.

Lufkin carried that momentum into the next drive with Stephens scoring on a 13-yard touchdown run that tied it up at 14-14 with 8:13 left in the first half.

Lone Star’s Darrin Smith got the Rangers back on track with a 41-yard run and Julian Larry hit Mims for a 26-yard touchdown strike that made it 21-14 with 5:01 left in the first half.

Lufkin appeared to get some momentum just before the half when Leo Acevedo made a 30-yard field goal. However, the Panthers elected to take the points off the board due to an unsportsmanlike penalty.

That move proved to be costly as Lufkin fumbled on the next play with Lone Star recovering in the end zone for the touchback.

Lone Star turned disaster into another touchdown on the first drive of the second half as Larry broke out of a sack attempt from a pair of Lufkin defenders before racing for a 38-yard touchdown and a 28-14 lead with 10:26 left in the third quarter.

Lone Star then got the biggest play of the game when Larry hit Mims for a 91-yard touchdown that upped the lead to 35-14 with 1:23 remaining in the third.

That lead grew to 28 points when the Larry-to-Mims connection once again torched Lufkin, this time to the tune of a 75-yard pass that made it 42-14 with 10:09 left in the game.

Lone Star got one final touchdown on a Malik Bailey 2-yard touchdown run that made it 49-14 in the final two minutes.

Lufkin put one final touchdown on the board when Stephens scored on a 4-yard quarterback keeper, making the final 49-21.

Lufkin finished its season at 10-2, while Lone Star improved to 10-2.