Edwin Mims’ 70-Yard Punt Return Gives Daingerfield 35-28 Win Over New Boston

[By Johnny Green, Special to ETSN.fm]

MOUNT PLEASANT -- The name Mims has long been associated with greatness in Daingerfield football lore, and another chapter was added to the story in Friday's Class 2A Division I Region II championship.

Edwin Mims is the latest hero after returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown with 45 seconds left in the game, lifting the Tigers to a 35-28 victory over previously unbeaten New Boston.

It was Mims' third touchdown of the second half. Held to 31 yards on two carries and only three yards receiving on two catches in the first half, he rallied the Tigers from a 21-14 halftime deficit with scoring runs of 20 and 10 yards in the third quarter. All of his running plays came from the Wildcat formation, and he finished with 87 yards on 11 carries.

Daingerfield (11-3) plays Wall in a 2A Division I state semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Waco ISD Stadium.

It was a disappointing end to the career of New Boston running sensation Damien Haskins, who was held to 137 yards on 33 carries, his second-lowest total of the season. Haskins finished the year with 3,198 yards, surpassing both Hooks' Billy Sims (3,080 in 1973) and Paul Pewitt's James Talton (3,106, 1993) in the Northeast Texas record book.

Haskins' 26-yard scoring run in the first quarter gave him 52 for the year, tying him for seventh place on the state's all-time single-season list with Cayuga's Traylon Shead, who had that number in 2008.

New Boston quarterback Aaron Conkleton threw touchdown passes of 94 and 24 yards to Tyjae Clark, who finished with 151 yards on three catches. The long throw came in the second quarter, tying the game at 14-all, and the Lions took the lead five minutes later when sophomore Jeff Haskins intercepted Daingerfield's Keris Alexander and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown.

But Mims, who also had a 33-yard scoring run with 7:28 left in the first quarter, took over in the second half, and Daingerfield punter Carlos Macias kept the Lions penned up deep in their own territory, twice punting the ball inside the 10-yard line.

His second punt bounced out of bounds at the 2, and although the Lions were able to punch the ball out to the 28-yard line, they could get no farther, setting up the punt the Mims turned into the game winner.

The game ended with New Boston (12-1) throwing in the end zone from the Daingerfield 13-yard line, but the final pass was incomplete as time expired.

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Class 2A Division I Region II
Final

Daingerfield 35, New Boston 28

Sam Parker Field, Mount Pleasant

New Boston -- 7 14 0 7 -- 28
Daingerfield -- 7 7 14 7 -- 35

First Quarter
DAI--Edwin Mims 33 run (Carlos Macias kick) -- 7:28
NB--Damien Haskins 26 run (Cole Pace kick) -- 2:18
Second Quarter
DAI--Ramius Wallace 8 pass from Keris Alexander (Macias kick) -- 11:53
NB--Tyjae Clark 94 pass from Aaron Conkleton (Pace kick) -- 7:58
NB--Jeff Haskins 76 interception return (Pace kick) -- 2:59
Third Quarter
DAI--Mims 20 run (Macias kick) -- 6:26
DAI--Mims 10 run (Macias kick) -- 1:34
Fourth Quarter
NB--Clark 24 pass from Conkleton (Pace kick) -- 9:34
DAI--Mims 70 punt return (Macias kick) -- 0:46

                                          NB               DAI
First Downs                          17                 16
Rushes-Yards                42-176           26-179
Passing Yards                    170                150
Comp.-Att.-Int.                 5-9-0         14-22-2
Punts-Avg.                      8-38.1           5-43.2
Fumbles-Lost                       0-0                0-0
Penalties-Yards                   9-69              6-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—New Boston, Haskins 33-137, Conkleton 4-20, Gladney 5-19. Daingerfield, Mims 11-87, Shawn Hooks 3-(-1), Cordarius Anderson 7-35, Wallace 1-18, Alexander 4-11.
PASSING—New Boston, Conkleton 5-9-0-170. Daingerfield, Alexander 14-22-2-179.
RECEIVING—New Boston, Clark 3-151, Gladney 1-10, Justin Johnson 1-9. Daingerfield, Hooks 3-65, Tykeema Wilson 7-90, Mims 2-3, Wallace 1-8, Keaton Kelly 1-3.