Kewone Thomas + Lufkin Close Out Non-District Play With 47-7 Win Over Monterrey

By JOSH HAVARD [Special to ETSN.fm]

LUFKIN -- With a win over the John Tyler Lions the previous week, the Lufkin Panthers entered their non-district finale against the Monterrey Prepa Tec Borregos looking to continue to build some momentum while also staying healthy.

Mission accomplished.

Kewone Thomas threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns on 10-of-14 passing, Breylon Garcia had three catches for 106 yards and a touchdown and the Panthers steamrolled the Borregos, 47-7, in front of a big crowd at John Outlaw Memorial Field at Abe Martin Stadium Friday night.

"It was good to finish non-district with a game like this," Lufkin head coach Todd Quick said. "But starting next week, everybody is 0-0."

Isaiah Phillips was held to just 48 yards, although he was able to find the end zone three times. However, Lufkin's offense was still able to put up 474 yards on a night where Monterrey was able to slow down its run game.

"It was the same type of thing as last year," Quick said. "They loaded the box with seven or eight players and played one-on-one on the outside. When they do that, you have to be able to throw the ball and we did."

The Lufkin defense kept Monterrey from gathering any momentum and the offense scored on six of its seven first-half possessions in building a 40-0 halftime lead on the way to the lopsided victory.

Monterrey was held to 197 total yards with only 35 on the ground. Lufkin's shutout bid lasted until the final two minutes after the starters had been taken out of the game.

The Panthers controlled all facets of the game in the early going to get their first score as Malik Jackson returned the first punt 40 yards to set up an eventual two-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Phillips for a 7-0 lead.

On the Panthers' next drive, Ja'Lynn Polk came up with a 64-yard pass that set up another Phillips touchdown run, this time from seven yards, making the score 13-0.

That lead grew to 19-0 on the following drive when Garcia caught a 37-yard pass from Thomas, and Lufkin's junior quarterback did the work from there in scoring on a one-yard sneak.

The Panthers' defense started to take its toll on Monterrey on the next drive with Demond McKelvey intercepting a pass deep inside Lufkin territory.

Five plays later, Thomas threw deep to Garcia, who hauled in the pass and coasted in for a 57-yard touchdown reception that made it 26-0.

Lufkin forced another turnover on Monterrey's next possession with Adam Holden ripping the ball out of the receiver's hands and returning it 36 yards.

The Panthers converted that into points on the next play when Jackson made a nice 14-yard touchdown reception from Thomas for a 33-0 lead.

Lufkin's following kickoff then landed between the Monterrey return men and the Panthers jumped on the ball at the Monterrey 27-yard line.

Phillips converted that into a score with a two-yard touchdown run that made the score 40-0 at halftime.

Lufkin got contributions from several players in the first half with Thomas completing 9-of-13 passes for 210 yards and two scores and Garcia making three catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Isaiah Phillips carried nine times for 49 yards and three scores.

Lufkin opened the second half with a Malik Jackson 108-yard kickoff return that was called back due to a block in the back just short of the goal line.

Undeterred, Thomas found Titan Williams for a six-yard touchdown just three plays later that extended the margin to 47-0 less than two minutes into the second half.

Monterrey finally got on the board with the help of a Lufkin turnover late in the fourth half when Emiliano Cortes Hernandez ran in for a three-yard score that made the final 47-7.

The Panthers will open district action on Friday night when they travel to take on College Park.