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Gift wrapped: Lobos spot Poteet early lead, fall 50-14 in playoff opener
BY CHRIS O'DELL, codell@starlocalnews.com
CARROLLTON -- For Little Elm, it was a case of what could go wrong, did go wrong during Friday night's 50-14 playoff-opening loss to Mesquite Poteet at Standridge Stadium.
The Lobos (5-6) turned it over on the game's opening kickoff and saw the Pirates (9-2) score on a 36-yard pass from senior quarterback Tanner Ramsey to senior receiver Buck Rodges on the ensuing play.
"I guess that was a preview of things to come," Little Elm head coach Donald Stowers said.
It didn't take long for the Pirates to capitalize, marching 35 yards before Ramsey capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to give them a 14-0 lead with 8:42 left in the opening quarter.
"I'm a momentum coach," Poteet head coach Randy Jackson said. "When the other team puts it on the ground, we're going to try and score."
The early mistakes put Little Elm in a do-or-die situation early in the game and the Lobos responded with a crucial touchdown drive to trim the deficit to one score. Kinner made up for his earlier fumble by marching Little Elm down the field before punching it in from four yards away for a 14-7 contest with 45 seconds left in the first.
Things looked to change in Little Elm's favor after the team's defense came through with a stop on Poteet's following drive. However, Kinner fumbled for the second time in the game on Little Elm's first drive of the second quarter and the Pirates recovered at their opponents' 20-yard line.
"It's hard for any team to overcome that many turnovers," Stowers said. "We've experienced that before and ended up on the losing end. Tonight it was the worst it has ever been."
Poteet needed just five plays to extend the lead to 21-7 after Ramsey added a 3-yard touchdown run for his second of the night.
Things only got worse from there for the Lobos, as the team's ensuing drive stalled and punter Jaylen Price netted just 10 yards after a 21-yard Poteet return.
The Pirates then displayed more quick-strike offense and needed just four plays for Ramsey to find Rodney Douglas all alone in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown that made it a 28-7 contest with 1:45 left in the opening half.
"It makes life a lot easier on you if you can get some quick touchdowns like that," Jackson said.
Little Elm ran a hurry-up offense on the next drive in hopes of making it a two-score game at the break. Senior quarterback Devante' Pullum managed to put the Lobos inside the Poteet 20-yard line before a turnover on downs at the 12 spelled the end of the drive and the half.
The Pirates didn't take their foot off the gas in the third and began the quarter by marching into the Little Elm red zone before settling for a 28-yard field goal from Brett Rattan for a 31-7 lead.
Kinner then showed why he has gained nearly 3,000 yards on the ground this season by breaking free for a 79-yard score down the sideline. The long sprint made it 31-14 with 7:53 remaining in the third.
"That big run kind of got us back in it," Stowers said. "It gave us a little life."
The senior running back ended the game with 237 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries and also caught one pass for 18 yards.
The Lobos followed Kinner's 79-yard score by holding Poteet to a three-and-out and taking over at the Pirates' 34-yard line after a short punt.
Staying true to the theme of the game, the Lobos fumbled it away once again after Pullum put the ball on the ground and Poteet fell on it at their own 25.
Ramsey made the most of the opportunity and found Douglas once again for a 40-yard score and a 37-14 lead with 52 seconds left in the third.
"[Ramsey] played great," Jackson said. "I can't say enough about his performance tonight."
The senior signal caller completed 13-of-23 pass attempts for 176 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while adding another 74 yards and two scores on the ground.
Ramsey's counterpart, Pullum, was less effective and managed just 31 yards, no touchdowns and two picks after completing just 3-of-10 attempts. Pullum's first interception came immediately after Douglas' 40-yard score and gave the Pirates a 37-14 advantage heading into the final frame.
"Our whole game plan is to try and control the clock," Stowers said. "It doesn't quite work that way when you're playing from behind."
Poteet added two insurance touchdowns in the fourth after Jaylon Smith found paydirt from 13 yards away with 5:57 remaining in regulation and James Swindle added a 1-yarder with 2:29 left on the clock.
"[Little Elm] has an outstanding offense," Jackson said. "But it's not a come-from-behind offense."
In a fitting ending, Little Elm ended its final possession with a Pullum interception before Poteet took a knee on the final play of the game to earn a 50-14 victory.
The Pirates will now take on Dallas Lincoln in a 1 p.m. Friday matchup from Mesquite Memorial Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Lobos end their season with a 5-6 mark after earning the final playoff spot from District 9-4A.
"For us to bounce back and make the playoffs after everything this year was really a testament to the kids and all the hard work they put in," Stowers said.
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