SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas- Riley Russell came through for Texas High Friday night, winning his first varsity start, 35-21, over Sulphur Springs.
Russell connected on 13 of 22 passes for 203 yards through the air, with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also ran one for a score.
The Tigers (2-3, 0-1) came in the game coming off a week of rest. Sulphur Springs (2-4, 0-2) lost last week to Marshall, 50-20 last week; its fourth consecutive loss.
Texas High has been favored in match-ups with the Wildcats in previous years, winning 10 of the last 13. Last year, the Tigers won 23-10 over Sulphur Springs.
Texas High got to work early in the opening quarter, piling up 21 points on three drives with an average drive duration of 25 seconds.
The Tigers forced a fumble on the opening play of the Wildcat drive that set up a 4-yard run by Chris Sutton.
Five plays later, after an interception by Elias Thurman, Sutton hit repeat and ran the ball again from the four.
The third Tiger touchdown of the first stanza, a 96-yard hook-up to Tevailance Hunt from Russel, gave Texas High a 21-point edge and Russel the season record for longest play.
Sulphur Springs' lone score of the first half came at 0:17 in the second quarter, a six-yard run by Colton Allen.
Despite winning by two touchdowns, statistically, the Tigers were outdone by their host in first downs, yards rushing, completed passes, punts, and penalty yards. It was only in yards passing that Texas High one-upped the Wildcats in terms of numbers.
"Russell did a great job steeping in for us," Coach Gerry Stanford said. "Our offensive line did well to protect him and give him time to set up."
In the second half, the the teams broken even, both scoring two touch downs, Texas High gathered both in the third frame while the Wildcats took one in the third and one in the fourth.
Russell scored on the first play of the second half, a 68-yard bolt up the middle. After Snell's kick the visitors were on top 28-7.
Sulphur Springs answered 6 minutes later with a 38-yard D'Corian Young ace to Simeon Taylar. Angel Tavera kicked the extra point cleanly through the uprights to reduce the Tiger lead to 14.
Texas High marched 53 yards in 7 plays to score at 3:34 in the third, after Russell dropped the ball into the hands of Hunt from the 38-yard line.
In the final quarter, the teams traded possession six times before Young bulldozed his way into the end zone from 1 yard out; after the successful kick by Tavera the game was done 35-21 Tigers.
"I am very proud of our defense. They came though and gave us what we needed," coach Stanford replied. "We need to get more consistent. We should have been able to distance ourselves more in the second quarter, and that is something we will definitely work on."
Texas High will host Mount Pleasant next Friday at home.
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Texas High 21 0 14 0 - 35
Sulphur Springs 0 7 7 7 - 21
First Quarter
THS-Chris Sutton 4 yard run (Logan Snell kick good), 11:18
THS-Sutton 4 yard run (Snell kick good), 9:38
THS-Tevailance Hunt 98 pass from Riley Russell (Snell kick good), 5:17
Second Quarter
SS- Colton Allen 6 yard run (Angel Tavera kick good), 0:17
Third Quarter
THS-Riley Russell 68 yard run (Snell kick good), 11:58
SS-Simeon Taylor 38 yard pass from D'Corian Young (Tavera kick good), 6:30
THS-Hunt 32 yard pass from Russell (Snell kick), 3:34
Fourth Quarter
SS-Young 1 yard run (Tavera kick good), 0:39
=THS=SS
First Downs=11=22
Yards Rushing=21-146=54-205
Yards Passing=203=181
Passes A-C-I=22-13-0=31-19-2
Fumbles-Lost=0-0=3-2
Penalties=8-64=1-5
Punts-Avg.=5-32.4=2-33
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Texas High, Trakeci Cooper 2-19, Sutton 9-73, Russell 6-85. Sulphur Springs, Lawrence Worth 13-69, Colton Allen 18-78, Young 16-98.
PASSING-Texas High, Russell 22-13-0-203. Sulphur Springs, Young 17-25-1-167.
RECEIVING-Texas High, Vonderick Stanley 4-23, Hunt 9-180. Sulphur Springs, Taylor 7-77, Ryan Humphies 6-33.