Gladewater’s Daylon Mack the ETSN.fm + Dairy Queen Offensive Player of the Week

It's hard to stop a freight train -- something the Atlanta Rabbits defense found out the hard way last Friday night.

Gladewater's Daylon Mack, one of the top 2015 recruits in the entire nation at defensive tackle, showed his versatility in the Bears' second-round playoff matchup with Atlanta.

Mack (6-2, 310), a recent Texas A&M commit, was turned loose on offense by head coach Jerrod Baugh and it paid off in a very big way. Mack ran for a team-high 178 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, including the game-winning 67-yard score and two-point conversion to spark Gladewater's 34-33 win.

For his efforts, East Texas' leader in forced fumbles and one of the area's top tacklers for loss earned ETSN.fm/Dairy Queen Offensive Player of the Week honors. Mack joins teammate James Reese, who received the same honor for his performance against Spring Hill on Oct. 4.

Gladewater found itself trailing 30-20 entering the fourth quarter when Mack simply took over. His 38-yard run to paydirt cut the deficit to 30-26. After a field goal gave Atlanta a seven-point lead with 7:16 remaining, the Bears' season hung in the balance.

On fourth-and-2, Mack took the handoff, bounced off his own quarterback then an Atlanta defender and traveled all the way to the end zone from 67 yards out. Mack got the call again on the two-point play, and plowed in to give the Bears' the eventual game-winning points with 5:59 to go.

Mack, who ran a 4.84 laser-timed 40-yard dash and was named the overall defensive MVP at May's ETSN.fm Football Recruiting Combine, now has nine rushing touchdowns on the season.

Gladewater (6-6), which has won three straight, faces Gainesville (11-0) in a Class 3A Division II Region II semifinal at 4 p.m. Saturday from Royse City ISD Stadium.