football

MABANK — Ryelan Morris accounted for 256 yards of offense and four touchdowns as Honey Grove rolled to a 56-20 Class 2A Division I bi-district win over Elysian Fields at Panther Stadium.

Honey Grove advances to the area round of the playoffs where the Warriors will play Hearne, a 31-21 winner over Timpson.

Honey Grove, the No. 5 state-ranked team, received the opening kickoff and quickly marched down the field when Dreightan Patt got around the edge for a 40-yard run which set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Mason Banker to give the Warriors an early 7-0 lead.

Elysian Fields (7-5) went three-and-out on their first possession then failed to convert a fake punt near midfield which gave Honey Grove excellent field position at the 47 yard-line.

Honey Grove (10-1) took advantage of the miscue as quarterback Morris danced his way for a 25-yard run to the Elysian Fields two-yard line. Morris scored on the very next play on a short 2-yard score up the middle to give Honey Grove a 14-0 lead.

Elysian Fields finally got some offensive rhythm on its next drive when Brandon Kennedy hauled in a short pass across the middle from quarterback Brody Parker. Kennedy turned the catch into a 64-yard gain to the Honey Grove one-yard line as he juked a pair of defenders and sprinted all the way near the goal line. The Yellowjackets scored two plays later when Parker scored on a 1-yard sneak to cut the Warriors lead to 14-7 late in the first quarter.

Honey Grove extended their lead to 21-7 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Patt but Elysian Fields continued to put up a fight as the Yellowjackets answered with a score of their own on their next possession.

Elysian Fields trimmed Honey Grove’s lead to 21-14 late in the second quarter when Parker tossed a long pass that hit Kennedy in stride for a 51-yard score down the right side.

Honey Grove responded with another touchdown by Patt when he found a hole up the middle and found the end zone on a 25-yard touchdown run. The Warriors then intercepted a pass and returned it deep into Elysian Fields territory which led to another score just before halftime when Morris hooked up with Austin Freeman on a 22-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone with just two seconds left in the first half.

Elysian Fields had managed to go toe-to-toe with one of the top ranked teams in the state throughout most of the first half but the Warriors scored two touchdowns in a span of 1:13 to turn a close game into a comfortable, 35-14 halftime lead.

Honey Grove put the game away in the second half when Morris rushed for a touchdown and then hit Lane Foster on a 16-yard touchdown pass to give the Warriors a commanding, 49-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.