After the dust settled on the District 5-3A-Division I race, the Whitesboro football team emerged as the league’s second-place seed.
The reward: a bi-district matchup with perennial state power Grandview. The Bearcats and Zebras met Thursday night in Grand Prairie.
Whitesboro (7-3) entered Thursday night’s contest coming off a 56-0 rout of Dallas A+ Academy, while Grandview (6-4) earned a forfeit victory over Keene last week. The last time the Zebras took the field was in a 55-49 loss to Mexia on Oct. 30.
Grandview is led by quarterback Mason Landers, who has passed for 2,174 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 572 yards and nine scores.
Jax Doty (30 catches, 440 yards, seven receiving touchdowns), Briggs Jentsch (1,027 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 22 catches for 313 yards and two receiving touchdowns) and Kason Sanders (49 catches, 1,032 yards, eight receiving touchdowns, 423 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns) also contribute.
In the win over A+ Academy, Colt Fagan threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns. Rhett Fagan (82-yard touchdown reception), Camron Howard (three catches, 63 yards, two touchdowns) and Ayce Nelson (22-yard touchdown reception) caught the scoring passes.
Rhett Harper (56 passing yards, three carries for 31 yards and two rushing touchdowns), Scout Regelean (20-yard reception, two carries for 20 yards and a rushing touchdown), Lucas Taylor (six carries, 27 yards and a rushing touchdown) and Wyatt Winchester (two catches, 56 receiving yards) also contributed.
Elias Degraffenreed led the way defensively with seven tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack. Shayne Gabbert also contributed three interceptions.
Thursday night’s winner advances to face the winner of Thursday’s matchup between Atlanta (8-2) and Mount Vernon (6-4) in the area round.
