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High-powered Sachse looks to knock off undefeated Mesquite
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
Mesquite and Sachse are two teams with very different histories, but a common goal.
The Skeeters and Mustangs are each coming off banner seasons and neither is ready for it to end.
It will, though, for one team when they meet in a Class 5A Division I bi-district playoff game on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Wildcat-Ram Stadium.
The Skeeters were actually off last week with a bye, and while some teams would prefer not to have a layoff before the playoffs, they feel it will work out well.
"I didn't know how I was going to feel about it when we first drew it, and I was actually a little concerned, but it worked out pretty good," Robinson said. "We just worked on the fundamentals, got some bumps and bruises healed up and just tried to stay sharp and focused."
Mesquite, which is ranked 12th in the Associated Press Class 5A state poll, has steadily gained attention as the winning streak has grown. But the Skeeters have refused let their success go to their heads. The memory of a 1-9 season in 2010 is still too fresh in some of their minds to allow that to happen.
"Like I said a couple weeks ago, going what we went through two years ago makes you humble," Robinson said. "As good as things get, we know what it feels like to be on the other side, so it really just helps you keep perspective."
Sachse (8-2) was not too far away from matching Mesquite's undefeated run. The Mustangs only two losses came when Lakeview rallied from 21 points down for a 49-41 win in early October, and a setback to Garland when the Owls scored in the final minute for a 23-20 victory.
But Sachse has refused to allow either game affect them for long, as they have taken care of business against the remainder of the schedule, including a 56-21 thrashing of Naaman Forest last week to wrap up a playoff berth.
"We felt like we gave a game away against Lakeview and even the Garland game is one we felt we should have won," Sachse head coach Mark "Red" Behrens said. "That shows we had a chance to win every game, but it turned out like we wanted. We got second place in the district and we are going back to the playoffs."
The teams have very different pedigrees. Mesquite played its first game in 1904, has made a number of playoff appearances, and of course, it has the state championship in 2001. Last season, the Skeeters broke a four-year postseason drought by advancing to the Class 5A Region II quarterfinals.
Sachse started a century later, playing its first varsity game in 2004. The Mustangs built for several years before breaking through with their first postseason appearance, and first playoff win over Jesuit, last year.
As different as those histories are, none of that matters on Friday when both teams feature players who have been in this position before.
"It is important because it is not brand new to be here," Robinson said. "Anytime you have that experience, it can only make you better because you know what to expect and what it takes to win."
Mesquite and Sachse feature two of the most explosive offenses in the state and they are led by two of the best quarterbacks around.
The Skeeters' Alex Cooper has completed an eye-popping 77 percent of his passes for 2,803 yards and 25 touchdowns against only two interceptions. Cooper has added 477 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Rashard Higgins has been one of the top receivers in the area with 64 catches for 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns. Dameon Gamblin, Jordan Bracy and Dezmon Jackson are among the other pass-catchers who have had an impact.
The Skeeters have not had to rely on the running game as heavily, but the talent is there if needed, as Junior Session and Tyson Gray have combined for more than 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns.
"Their quarterback (Cooper) is as good as I have seen this year. He is outstanding throwing on the run, he is just so precise that even when you think you have him in trouble, he can still make plays," Behrens said. "Their receivers are very good, their running back is solid, they can really do a lot of things."
The Mesquite coaches have a similar assessment of what they will see from the Mustangs.
Kent Myers has thrown for 2,630 yards and 28 touchdowns and also leads the team in rushing with 972 yards and 13 scores.
Sachse also boasts a deep corps of receivers with Bruce Brookins, who averages 18 yards per catch and has 10 touchdowns, Tyrique Edwards and Austin Williams.
The pass-happy Mustangs have added another dimension with the emergence of Devine Ozigbo, who has now rushed for 747 yards.
"Sometimes when you go into a game, you have a good idea what they are going to throw at you, but they are so well-rounded," Robinson said. "They have a very good quarterback, they have playmakers at wide receivers and the running back is good, so we are going to have to be aware of all of them and that is not easy to do."
Although sometimes overshadowed by the offense, both defenses have done their job.
Mesquite is allowing only 18.3 points and 298 yards per game. The Skeeters got a boost from the return of Anthony Canady, who had missed the first nine games with an injury.
He joins a group of big-play guys on the defense that includes Charles Grant, Chris Thompson, Quincy Peyton and Marlin Simmons among others.
Sachse has given up 26.1 points per game, but since a 49-41 loss to Lakeview, they have held four consecutive opponents to 23 points or less.
Austin Bush leads the Mustangs with 104 tackles, while Isaiah Smith has 103 tackles, including seven for loss, six sacks and three forced fumbles. In the back seven, Marcus Hubbard has 78 tackles and three interceptions, while Deondrick Williams has 74 tackles and 3 pass breakups.
There are also game breakers on each side in the return game as well as solid kickers, as Mesquite's Marco Rodriguez has booted eight field goals and Sachse's John Pannell has four.
The Mustangs might be the underdog based on seeding, but as they showed last year when they took down top-seeded Jesuit, they cannot be overlooked.
"They (Mesquite) are explosive, but so are we. I think the team that can make the most stops is going to win," Behrens said. "The kids are playing with a lot of confidence and they are not going to shy away from anybody. We'll go play our game and let the chips fall where they may."
As for Mesquite, it has taken care of business in all 10 weeks, winning each game by 14 points or more. They are hoping to carry that same formula for success into Friday and beyond.
"We can't let our guard down, we need to be ready to play," Robinson said. "You never know how it is going to play out, we just need to treat it like another week. But we're playing well and playing confident, so we feel good about that and are looking forward to Friday."
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