Mesquite Horn looks ready for the playoffs as it rallies to beat Rockwall-Heath
J.T. Thomas’ 69-yard touchdown pass to Chris Dawn with 1:21 left gives Horn the lead for good.
The following story first appeared in The Dallas Morning News on Oct. 21, 2022
ROCKWALL — Coach Courtney Allen challenged his Mesquite Horn team to treat its matchup with Rockwall-Heath like a playoff game. That may not be the easiest task given the Jaguars haven’t competed in a playoff game since 2018..
However, after earning a berth to the postseason last week against Tyler Legacy, Horn showed the type of resiliency a coach would hope for in the playoffs.
Despite trailing for all but two minutes, the Jaguars’ defense held strong and two playoff-caliber plays sealed a 25-14 victory over Heath at Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium.
“I know that they belong,” Allen said. “But we’re still a young team that’s trying to learn.”
Horn (7-2, 4-1 District 10-6A) and Heath (5-3, 2-2) share a similar fondness for the run game, leading to a physical battle in the trenches. An early 44-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Hoover to Peyton Wingfield was the bulk of the offense through the air through three quarters.
Horn junior quarterback J.T. Thomas ran in his second touchdown of the game to pull within two of the Hawks in the fourth. The game was made as close as it was on the ground, but Thomas went and won the game with his arm.
It was with under a minute-and-a-half that Thomas slung a ball to Arkansas State commit and top Jaguars receiver Chris Dawn that he took for a 69-yard touchdown. Dawn had been the primary focus of the Heath secondary all night, but he finally got them to bite to seal the game.
“My mind is racing,” Thomas said. “We gotta remember we’re making history. I just feel so relieved I know I can trust my number one guy and the playoffs are going to be even better.”
Linebacker Armstrong Nnodim put the finishing touches on the victory with a pick six, a fitting ending to a game where the defense kept Horn competitive. Those two plays made all the difference in a playoff atmosphere, one the Jaguars will see again.