SAGINAW – After 14 years, the Early Longhorns returned to the postseason win column Friday night as they rode a hot start to a 43-21 victory over the Pilot Point Bearcats in Class 3A Division I Region I bi-district playoff action.
“It’s an unbelievable accomplishment for these kids,” Early second-year head coach Daniel Price said of securing the program’s first postseason victory since 2007. “They worked really hard and made this their goal after we went to Tarleton last year and Brock beat us in the first round. We said everything we did from then until today was to get ready for this game and win it. I’m very, very proud of all the work that they’ve put into getting themselves ready to be in this position and going out and seizing the moment.”
District 3 third seed Early (9-2) opened a four-touchdown advantage over District 4 runner-up Pilot Point (7-4) before the first period concluded, and never looked back.
“We started unbelievably fast, it was the best 10 minutes of football I’ve ever been a part of,” Price said. “We scored on the first possession, then had a pick six, a scoop and score on a fumble, a safety, and we were up 29-0 with about four minutes left in the first quarter.”
Highlighting the defensive standouts in the first quarter alone, John-Stewart Gordon returned an interception for a touchdown, Tre Beam scooped up a fumble and returned it for six points, and the Longhorns added a safety on a bad snap that Pilot Point fell on in the back of the end zone.
“To be honest, we talked about starting fast and coming out with a lot of energy,” Price said. “I was surprised it went as well as it did, but I wasn’t surprised at how we started. The boys were fired up and ready to go and they did a really good job executing early on, and we played a pretty good football game the rest of the way.”
The Longhorns finished with 352 yards of total offense – 234 rushing and 118 passing.
Along with his defensive touchdown, Beam added 214 rushing yards and a score and caught a 45-yard pass from Jaxyn Price, who connected on 7 of 20 attempts for 118 yards and three touchdowns. Gordon hauled in three receptions for 31 yards and scored twice, Ki Houston finished with two catches for 20 yards and a touchdown, and Jeremy Brown pulled down a 22-yard reception.
Early’s defense increased its season takeaway total to 26 while surrendering 359 yards – 262 passing and 97 rushing – to Pilot Point.
Next up for the Longhorns is a Class 3A Division I Region I area playoff matchup against the District 1 champion Shallowater Mustangs (9-2), fresh off a 56-18 win over District 2 fourth seed Dalhart (2-9) in the first round. The game is tentatively slated to take place Friday night in Clyde with a time yet to be determined.
“They’ve traditionally been really successful program,” Price said of Shallowater. “They’re always up there when you look at the rankings in the top 10 area. I know they’re going to be pretty good.”
