LONGVIEW, Texas-Andrew Samples tossed four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter, and Atlanta rallied for a 28-20 win over New London West Rusk in a Region II-3A Division I bi-district football playoff Friday night at Spring Hill's Panther Stadium.
West Rusk (8-3) led 7-0 after one quarter and 20-7 at halftime, but Atlanta (6-5) scored 20 unanswered points to complete the dramatic comeback.
The Rabbits recovered a botched kickoff return with 9:04 remaining to set up the final touchdown.
L.J. Harper put West Rusk on the board at the 5:38 mark of the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run that followed a 65-yard interception return by Darius Richardson.
Harper later connected with Trevor Henson on a 5-yard touchdown pass and then hit Jaylon Chilton for 15 yards to give the Raiders a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
Samples hooked up with Ferron Hall on a 65-yard scoring toss with 5:12 to play, and the Rabbits trailed 20-7 at halftime.
Late in the third, Samples hit Jawan King on a 6-yard scoring toss to make it 20-14, and he later found King for 17 yards with 9:48 remaining to give the Rabbits a 21-20 lead. His 6-yard TD pass to Kade Wood with 3:59 to play put things away for the Rabbits.
Atlanta will face Kemp in next week's area round. Kemp defeated Lone Oak, 42-14, in its bi-district playoff.
Newton 69, Paul Pewitt 0
CARTHAGE, Texas-Darwin Barlow scored three times in the opening quarter and four times in the game, leading No. 1 ranked Newton to a 69-0 win over Paul Pewitt in a Region III-3A, Division II bi-district contest at Bulldog Stadium.
Newton moves to 10-0 on the year and will face Grand Saline, which blanked Blue Ridge, 23-0, in the next round. Paul Pewitt ends its season at 8-3.
Newton scored 33 points in each of the first two quarters and added a late field goal.
Barlow scored on runs 42, 40 and 18 yards in the opening frame, and the Eagles added a 13-yard run by Val Fowler and a 7-yard run by Nate Williams to build a commanding 33-0 advantage.
Nate Williams brought a punt back 80 yards for Newton to open the second quarter, and the Eagles added a 19-yard pass from Josh Foster to Dominique Seastrunk, a 1-yard run by Fowler, a 60-yard run by Barlow and a 55-yard scoring jaunt by Deantoy Dotson to make it a 66-0 game at halftime.
After a scoreless third, Caleb Colon booted a 27-yard field goal late in the fourth to end the scoring.
Paul Pewitt 0 0 0 0 - 0
Newton 33 33 0 3 - 69
First Quarter
NEW-Darwin Barlow 42 run (Caleb Colon kick), 11:38.
NEW-Barlow 4 run (Colon kick), 7:38.
NEW-Val Flowers 19 run (Colon kick), 4:15.
NEW-Barlow 18 run (kick failed), 3:21.
NEW-Josh Foster 7 run (Colon kick), 1:32.
Second Quarter
NEW-Foster 80 punt return (Colon kick), 9:18.
NEW-Dominique Seastrunk 19 pass from Foster (kick failed), 6:19.
NEW-Flowers 1 run (kick failed), 5:02.
NEW-Barlow 59 run (Colon kick), 2:33.
NEW-Foster 54 run (Colon kick), 0:38.
Fourth Quarter
NEW-Colon 19 FG, 11:50.
Paul Pewitt Newton
First Downs 8 18
Yards Rushing 46-96 29-454
Yards Passing 30 25
Passes A-C-I 3-1-0 6-2-1
Fumbles-Lost 6-4 2-0
Penalties 2-10 2-10
Punts-Avg. 6-33.0 0-0.0