Waxahachie football uses big first-half for Homecoming win against Mansfield Legacy

Travis M. Smith October 17, 2022 Football, Waxahachie High School 613 Views

By Travis M. Smith | KBEC Sports

WAXAHACHIE — Homecoming festivities did not hinder the Waxahachie Indians from returning to the winning side of things Friday.

The Tribe jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead, watched quarterback Roderick Hartsfield be named the 2022 WHS Homecoming King and held on late for a crucial District 11-6A victory at Mansfield Legacy, 31-21.

The Indians set an early tone when Trenton Kidd returned the opening kickoff 44 yards into Bronco territory. Four running plays and one tunnel screen to the left side later, Waxahachie led 7-0 with 10:08 to play in the first quarter when Hartsfield connected with running back Iverson Young for a 7-yard touchdown.

The Bronco offense managed a couple of first downs on its ensuing drive, only to be faced with a fourth-and-24 after back-to-back sacks.

Keith Abney Jr., a Utah State commit, quickly made his presence known — and it wouldn’t be the last time.

Abney returned the punt 80 yards for a 14-0 Waxahachie lead with 5:26 showing on the first-quarter clock.

That score held into the second quarter — the Indians were driving and faced second-and-4 from the Bronco 22-yard line.

An unnecessary holding penalty on the first snap of the new quarter quickly negated what would’ve been an easy Jayden Becks rushing touchdown. The Waxahachie offense ultimately did not recover from the lost opportunity and yardage, resorting to an impressive 35-yard field goal by senior Jesse Garfias.

Garfias entered the game 11-for-12 on field goal attempts.

Garfias’ 12th successful kick put Waxahachie up 17-0 with 10 minutes and change to play in the first half.

Three minutes and one possession later, Ramon McKinney Jr. completed his first pass of the night — a perfectly thrown fade route down the Indian sideline to Kidd for a 22-yard touchdown. The score came with 7:02 to play in the first half and put Waxahachie on top, 24-0.

The four-score lead was still in tact as the two teams headed into the halftime locker room. It was also glowing on the scoreboards when Hartsfield was crowned the 2022 Homecoming King and Lily Sanchez received the crown and rose bouquet as the Queen.

Legacy scored on its opening drive of the second half, using 17 plays to cover 89 yards.

Two possessions later, McKinney Jr. (3-of-3, 53yds, 2TDs) added a second touchdown pass when he connected with Abney Jr for 24 yards. The wideout did most of the work — going over the cornerback and pulling the ball back in bounds while keeping his toes on the turf.

Waxahachie led 31-6 at the 4:10 mark of the third quarter and began to empty the sidelines.

Legacy ultimately added two fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull within 31-21 but never threatened the Indian lead.

UP NEXT

Waxahachie will travel to (6-1, 3-1) Mansfield for a district showdown with tremendous playoff implications. Kickoff from RL Anderson Stadium in Mansfield is at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21.