MESQUITE – Cameron Grant looked a bit confused, unsure of the play call. Once, twice, three times he looked at his quarterback inquiring where he should line up.

Then the ball was snapped and Grant was gone, plowing through some defenders and outrunning the rest for a 23-yard touchdown.

It didn’t matter where John Tyler lined up Saturday – the Lions were ready to run.

John Tyler tied a season high in points in a 69-21 rout of Dallas Jesuit in the Class 6A Division II area playoffs on Saturday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium.

The Lions (11-1) advance to face Klein Collins (11-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday from Baylor’s McLane Stadium in Waco in the Region II semifinals.

“It was amazing,” JT captain Shaundrick Williams said. “It’s all about playing together and playing as one. When we play together we are the best team in East Texas, it’s just that simple. As you can see when there are mistakes anywhere, it can be one person, it messes up our whole thing. When we were doing that it was about our brotherhood and togetherness.”

Jesuit (8-4) scored on its first drive to tie the game at 7-7 before John Tyler reeled off 48 straight points for a 55-7 lead midway through the third quarter.

The Rangers scored two touchdowns in the next five minutes but the Lions sent a few starters back in to close things out in dominating fashion.

“We weren’t trying to let up or get comfortable and we showed what we could do,” JT quarterback Bryson Smith said.

Smith finished with 406 total yards. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 239 yards and two scores while running for 167 yards and four touchdowns. His scoring tosses were to Devlen Woods and Jaivon Williams going 2 and 1 yards, respectively.

Cameron Grant added three touchdowns on the ground, the longest his 23-yard burst. Victor Campbell racked up 81 yards including a 42-yard touchdown run on which he shed off multiple tacklers fighting his way to the end zone.

On many of JT’s eight rushing touchdowns, the runner reached the end zone untouched.

“The offensive line played their butts off,” Smith said. “Without them the team ain’t nothing because it starts with them and it ends with them. Hats off to them, they’re just doing a heck of a job and they’re going to get better.”

The defense also played its part, coming up with four takeaways. Kieran Freeman, Damion Miller and Martrevious Allison all had interceptions while Gregorio Guerrero came up with a fumble recovery. The Lions held the Rangers to 4.7 yards per play while tallying 8.3 yards per play on offense.

“Our defense is playing ferocious,” JT coach Ricklan Holmes said. “When they’re consistent and playing ferocious it’s terrifying.”

After giving up a 69-yard touchdown drive on the first series, the JT defense allowed 110 yards on the next eight series. Williams, a linebacker, said he and the coaches made some early adjustments.

“Once we got that down and we got on the same page and we started playing John Tyler football, it was a wrap,” Williams said.

Most of Jesuit’s offense came from John Wunderlick, who ran for 113 yards and caught seven passes for 70 yards.

Quarterback Jacob Palisch, a southpaw pitcher committed to Stanford for baseball, completed 18 of 43 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions. His touchdown came on a screen pass Evan Jackson took 15 yards.

Jack Lynch had two interceptions for the Rangers, first nabbing a pass from Smith that slipped through Damion Miller’s hands, then outwrestling a receiver in the end zone on a pass from Woods, who came in to spell Smith in the fourth quarter.

Jesuit has been past the area round of the playoffs once. John Tyler is back for the third time in six years.

After losing in the area round last season, the Lions are happy to be back practicing on Thanksgiving Day again.

“Kind of felt weird last year, being at the house, everyone looking around like, ‘Why Coach Holmes not at practice?'” Holmes said. “We’re trying to drag it out as long as we can with these guys.”

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Class 6A Division II Area Playoff

John Tyler 69, Dallas Jesuit 21

At Mesquite Memorial Stadium

Jesuit 7 0 14 0 – 21

John Tyler 21 21 13 14 – 69

First Quarter

JT-Cameron Grant 3 run (Devan Salazar kick), 10:42.

JES-John Wunderlick 26 run (Israel Ollarzabal kick), 8:07.

JT-Bryson Smith 22 run (Salazar kick), 6:37.

JT-Smith 15 run (Salazar kick), 2:27.

Second Quarter

JT-Grant 23 run (Salazar kick), 9:29.

JT-Grant 4 run (Salazar kick), 3:40.

JT-Smith 8 run (Salazar kick), 0:50.

Third Quarter

JT-Smith 38 run (Salazar kick), 10:43.

JT-Devlen Woods 2 pass from Smith (kick blocked), 6:30.

JES-Wunderlick 48 run (Jacob Palisch run), 5:17.

JES-Evan Jackson 15 pass from Palisch (pass fail), 1:12.

Fourth Quarter

JT-Jaivon Williams 1 pass from Smith (Salazar kick), 11:11.

JT-Victor Campbell 42 run (Salazar kick), 8:32.

JES JT

First Downs 22 33

Rushes-Yards 31-139 39-322

Passing Yards 214 257

Comp.-Att.-Int. 18-44-3 20-31-2

Punts-Avg. 6-33.7 1-64

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-Yards 9-71 10-94

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Jesuit, John Wunderlick 12-113, Evan Jackson 8-22, Jacob Palisch 9-13, Jack Tabor 1-5, Parker Towns 1-(-14). John Tyler, Bryson Smith 11-167, Victor Campbell 8-81, Cameron Grant 12-50, Roderick Hawkins 3-20, Damion Miller 1-14, Devlen Woods 4-(-10).

PASSING-Jesuit, Palisch 18-43-3-214, Wunderlick 0-1-0-0. John Tyler, Smith 18-26-1-239, Woods 2-5-1-18.

RECEIVING-Jesuit, Wunderlick 7-70, Jackson 6-84, Fletcher Rosenbleeth 2-28, Alekzander McGlone 2-22, Connor Jackson 1-10. John Tyler, Woods 5-52, Michael Givens-Washington 3-35, Jaivon Williams 3-15, Cameron Grant 2-53, Damion Miller 2-52, Ke’Andre Street 2-29, Campbell 2-14, KeEric Franklin 1-7.