Hewitt Midway Ends Tyler Lee's Season In Convincing Fashion

WACO -- It was over by the end of the first quarter.

Hewitt Midway led 41-7 with the aid of a Tyler Lee interception, a punt, a fumble on a kick return and a bad snap recovered by the defense. The Red Raiders ultimately lost Friday's Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game, 76-47, at Baylor's McLane Stadium.

"Offensively, we turned it over and were going the wrong way," Lee head coach Darrell Piske said. "I guess you just chalk it up to not being in this atmosphere before and getting overwhelmed with the situation of what was at hand. We just didn't play well."

Tyler Lee's Tavon Wesley powers through Rowlett defenders during their game Sept. 26 in Garland. (Jaime R. Carrero, ETSN.fm)

Piske's team sneaked into District 11-6A's fourth and final playoff spot with a big win last week against Naaman Forest and Rowlett's Week 11 win against Sachse. Lee was put into the Class 6A Division II bracket as a No. 2 seed.

Its reward was taking on Midway, the undefeated District 12-6A champion.

The game had bad news written all over it if Lee's defense did not force critical stops and if the offense could not match the Panthers point for point.

The Raiders (5-6) won the toss and elected to receive. Quarterback Zach Hall threw an interception on the first offensive play of the game. Midway (11-0) scored the next play when Houston quarterback commitment Ben Hicks connected with Baylor receiver commitment Devontre Stricklin on a 26-yard pass.

Lee was held to a three-and-out on its next series. Midway drove 55 yards in seven plays for a 14-0 advantage.

Hall redeemed himself on an 83-yard touchdown pass on the Raiders' third series of the game, but, after a 71-yard Panthers kick return score was called back on a hold, it took Midway four plays to go 84 yards for a 21-7 lead.

A questionable fumble ruling on Lee's ensuing kickoff return set Midway up at the Raiders' 18-yard line. Jordan Devers fumbled, but it appeared the ball went out of bounds before the Panthers recovered.

Nevertheless, Eric Clayburn ran the 18 yards in two plays and notched his second of three touchdowns in the game.

Lee punted again. Midway drove 57 yards in four plays for a 34-7 lead.

The Raiders gave the ball up on a bad snap on fourth-and-6 at their own 40. Jaylan Moss scored on a 22-yard run the next play.

Hall opened scoring in the second period with a 43-yard run to cap a 92-yard drive. Midway then scored 21 straight points for a 62-14 lead at the break.

"I told them it's about pride now," Piske said. "You've got to come out and play for that Raider on your jersey and play for yourself. We've got character, so we had to show it until the final whistle."

Hall scored on a touchdown runs of six and 32 yards in the second half. He also threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Isjuwan Barker.

On the game's final drive, Lee's Ben Hicks connected with Devers on a 37-yard throw and Barker the next play for 32 yards. Junior tailback Cameron Holmes then ran for 32 yards to set the Raiders up Midway's six-yard line.

Hicks ran in from six yards out with 12 seconds remaining in the season.

Midway dove deep into its bench. The backup offense scored 14 points in the second half.

The good news is Lee will return an excellent group of skill players in 2015. Hall, Barker, Devers, Wesley and junior running back Devonte Craver should give the Raiders an even more explosive offense.

"They've got to get in the weight room and get on the track and get faster," Piske said. "Defensively, we've got to get some guys in the weight room to stop the run and play some defense."

Jordan Devers scores on a 29-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against Garland on Oct. 17. He recorded 137 yards on four catches against Midway and will return to the lineup in 2015. (Mike Davis, ETSN.fm)

Hewitt Midway 76, Tyler Lee 47

Class 6A Division II

Bi-District Playoff

At McLane Stadium, Waco

Midway 41 21 7 7 — 76
Lee 7 7 7 26 — 47

First quarter
MID--Devonte Stricklin 26 pass from Ben Hicks (Jackson Smith kick), 11:41
MID--Eric Clayburn 1 run (Smith kick), 8:12
LEE--Zach Hall 83 run (Matthew Hawk kick), 7:54
MID--Stricklin 32 pass from Hicks (Smith kick), 7:05
MID--Clayburn 29 run (kick failed), 6:30
MID--Joseph Ward 33 pass from Hicks (Smith kick), 3:47
MID--Jaylan Moss 22 run (Smith kick), :30
Second quarter
LEE--Hall 47 run (Hawk kick), 10:20
MID--Clayburn 10 run (Smith kick), 7:27
MID--Korey Chatman 7 run (Smith kick), 4:15
MID--Moss 5 run (Smith kick), :03
Third quarter
LEE--Hall 6 run (Hawk kick), 7:04
MID--Artez Rhymer 14 pass from Sam Galesmann (Dan Butler kick), 3:58
Fourth quarter
LEE--Jordan Devers 92 pass from Hall (kick failed), 11:31
MID--Galesmann 5 run (Butler kick), 10:19
LEE--Isjuwan Barker 20 pass from Hall (Hawk kick), 9:23
LEE--Hall 32 run (Hawk kick), 5:46
LEE--Mark Russell 6 run (run failed), :12

MID LEE

First Downs 31 15
Total Yards 657 610
Rushes-Yards 59-358 36-344
Passing-Yards 299 266
Comp.-Att.-Int. 21-26-0 13-20-1
Fumbles-Lost 2-0 4-3
Penalties-Yards 3-20 5-35
Punts-Avg. 3-31.3 3-31.3

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Midway, Eric Clayburn 14-136, Korey Chatman 11-56, Jaylan Moss 6-44, Sam Galesmann 10-32, Larry Parks 1-30, Josh McKerall 3-22, Ben Hicks 2-9, Andrew Sober 2-9, Treston Womack 1-8, Camron Mills 1-6, Casen Renfro 2-6, Tyris Pullen 1-3, Dylan Moore 1-0, Tanner Mordecai 4-0. Lee, Zach Hall 19-215, Tavon Wesley 9-108, Mason Parker 2-12, Juwan Banks 1-8, Mark Russell 2-9, Cameron Holmes 1-7, Tyrec Grayson 1-4, TEAM 1-(-15).
PASSING—Midway, Hicks 13-15-0--188, Galesmann 7-12-0--91, Erick Torres 1-1-0--20. Lee, Hall 11-17-1--207, Russell 2-3-0--59.
RECEIVING—Midway, Devontre Stricklin 5-110, Artez Rhymer 4-35, Joseph Ward 1-33, Bryce Johnigan 2-27, Jake Graham 1-7, David Ash 1-4 . Lee, Jordan Devers 4-137, Isjuwan Barker 6-93, Trevor Carr 1-6, Tyrec Grayson 1-4.