Robert E. Lee and Mesquite Horn put on an offensive display in the first quarter, combining for 35 points. The difference was, the Jaguars kept it going while Lee fell off in an eventual 55-21 loss Friday on Earl Campbell Field at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.
The loss gives the Red Raiders (1-5) an 0-1 start to District 11-5A play, while Mesquite Horn is now 2-4 and 1-0.
Lee senior Marcus White rushed for a career-high 195 yards and a touchdown with Dalaven Baker totaling 81 yards and a TD.
It wasn’t enough though, thanks to two costly first-half turnovers and a Jaguar offense that totaled 458 yards.
“I thought the two turnovers were big,” said Lee coach Randy Huffstickler. “The two turnovers right before the half. We can probably get back in it if its 28-14, but its 42-14 (at the half then).
“But we’ve got to be able to stop people on defense, that’s the bottom line. We’ve got to make some changes and do some things. We are going to have a come-together meeting and figure out what we’re going to do.”
The Red Raiders trailed 28-14, but were driving into Jaguar territory when quarterback Joseph Seeber’s third-and-18 pass was picked off by Horn senior Devante Harris, who returned it 80 yards the other way for a touchdown and 35-14 lead. On Lee’s next possession, a 37-yard run by White again moved Lee into Horn territory, but this time a fumble was returned by Kamron Irving 53 yards with Seeber saving a touchdown. It only delayed the inevitable with Medgar Coleman catching an 11-yard touchdown on the next play to make it 42-14 at the half.
Mesquite Horn sophomore quarterback Destri White passed for 206 yards and four touchdowns. He was overshadowed by Harris. An Oklahoma commit, Harris caught three passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, returned an interception for an 80-yard touchdown and gave Horn a 30-yard kickoff return on his lone opportunity.
“I thought he was good on both sides of the football and (Horn) used him in a good way,” Huffstickler said about Harris.
Lee came out in the second half and used an 80-yard, 11-play drive that was capped by a 1-yard scoring run from Aneas Sutton to make it 42-21.
The Red Raiders were stopped after that with Horn tacking on two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the final score.
Horn took the ball first, and in a precursor of things to come, White fired a quick pass to Brian O’Bannon, who juked past his defender and raced 47 yards for a touchdown.
Lee needed one play to answer Horn with senior Baker going around the edge, and thanks to a block by receiver Dreak Scott, raced 81 yards for a touchdown. Lumi Kaba’s extra point made it 7-7 with only two minutes elapsed in the game.
The fireworks continued with Horn answering back with a 57-yard catch and run by Harris after a quick pass from White. Harris’ play was a mirror-image of O’Bannon, taking a quick pass and making the most of it.
A three-and-out by Lee was quickly capitalized by Horn, which used a 48-yard halfback pass from O’Bannon to Vincent Hobbs. Coleman took it from there for a 1-yard touchdown run and 21-7 Jaguars lead.
Lee answered immediately with junior LaQuintas Wallace returning the kickoff 68 yards into Jaguar territory. Then on first down, White followed the same path as Baker with Scott again giving the block for a 29-yard touchdown. Kaba’s kick made it 21-14.
The Red Raiders then produced their first interception of the season when LaDarrell Smith picked off a deep pass from White, but the offense was held.
Horn doubled its lead, thanks to an individual play from Harris, who out leapt two Lee defenders for a catch in the middle of the field on second-and-20, and cruised 45 yards for a touchdown. Travis Tamez kicked the PAT to make to 28-14 with 6:29 to go in the half.
Consecutive Lee turnovers and long returns in the final 1:30 of the half helped seal the Red Raiders fate as they prepare to bounce back next week at home to third-ranked DeSoto (6-0, 1-0).
Mesquite Horn 55, Robert E. Lee 21
At Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, Earl Campbell Field
Mesquite Horn 21 21 0 14 — 55
Robert E. Lee 14 0 7 0 — 21
First Quarter
HORN—Brian O’Bannon 47 pass from Destri White (Travis Tamez kick), 10:23.
LEE—Dalaven Baker 81 run (Lumi Kaba kick), 10:00.
HORN—Devante Harris 57 pass from White (Tamez kick), 8:45.
HORN—Medgar Coleman 1 run (Tamez kick), 5:48.
LEE—Marcus White 29 run (Kaba kick), 5:28
Second Quarter
HORN—Harris 45 pass from White (Tamez kick), 6:29.
HORN—Harris 80 interception return (Tamez kick), 1:16
HORN—Coleman 11 pass from White (Tamez kick), :10
Third Quarter
LEE—Aneas Sutton 1 run (Kaba kick), 6:26
Fourth Quarter
HORN—Coleman 6 run (Tamez kick), 7:30
HORN—Jay’lyn Lynch 23 run (kick failed), :41.
EST. ATT. —6,500.
HORN LEE
First Downs 20 16
Rushes-Yards 36-204 42-293
Passing Yards 254 70
Comp.-Att.-Int. 12-16-1 10-15-1
Punts-Avg. 1-24 3-26
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 7-55 6-40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Mesquite Horn, Treyvon Marsh 13-47, Destri White 11-47, Medgar Coleman 7-31, Justin Oliphant 4-23, Jay’lyn Lynch 1-23, Brian O’Bannon 1-20, Dru Smith 2-13. Robert E. Lee, Marcus White 20-195, Dalaven Baker 4-93, Aneas Sutton 10-34, Dreak Scott 1-6, LaQuintas Wallace 3-(minus 5), Joseph Seeber 3-(minus 13), TEAM 1-(minus 17.
PASSING—Mesquite Horn, White 11-15-1 206, O’Bannon 1-1-0 48. Robert E. Lee, Seeber 10-15-1 70.
RECEIVING—Mesquite Horn, Vincent Hobbs 5-69, Devante Harris 3-107, O’Bannon 2-53, Coleman 1-11, Peter Ebere 1-9. Robert E. Lee, Sutton 2-31, Luke Swanson 2-22, Scott 2-7, Diondre Allen 1-6, Dalaven Baker 1-2, White 1-2, Wallace 1-0.