Coming off back-to-back District 10-2A, DII losses to second-ranked Mart and runner-up Wortham, Meridian Yellowjackets still hope to make run at first playoff berth since 2017
With four games remaining in the 2023 Texas high school football regular season, the Meridian Yellowjackets find themselves fighting an uphill battle in their quest to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Despite a valiant effort by the Jacket defense, the Wortham Bulldogs wore down Meridian, powering their way to a convincing 48-10 victory last Friday night at Jacket Stadium. Certainly, the schedule did the Jackets no favors as they lined up against not only to the two preseason favorites for the District 10-2A, Division II title, but two of the best teams in the state by facing the second-ranked Mart Panthers (2-0 in district, 6-0 overall) last week before hosting the Wortham Bulldogs (2-0, 5-1) last Friday night.
Now, after dropping the first two games in district to a pair of the best teams in the state, Meridian must brush off the dust and get ready to take on the next best team on the schedule.
This week, the Jackets (0-2, 1-5) continue District 10-2A, DII competition by hitting the road to visit the Dawson Bulldogs (1-0, 4-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Ed Mitchell Field. Coming off an overwhelming 57-0 victory against the Hubbard Jaguars (0-2, 0-6), Dawson entered the season as one of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s favorites to make the playoffs behind Mart and Wortham.
“Dawson has a lot of speed at the skill positions,” Meridian head coach Jim Kerbow said. “However, they are smaller upfront than what we seen the past two weeks, so that should help us in getting our running game going again. They are simple offensively. So, if we can tackle and play with great technique, it should be a good football game Friday night.”
Using a balanced attack to build a 21-0 halftime lead, Wortham methodically compiled 305 yards of total offense as junior quarterback Jon Ross Black rushed for three touchdowns. Black finished with 99 yards rushing on 12 carries while completing seven of 11 passes for 68 yards. Junior running back Yancy Bean also ran for 50 yards and a score, while junior Jessie Saldana and senior Cash Perez added rushing touchdowns.
Forced to defend a short field, the Meridian defense could not keep Wortham out of the end zone, and the Jacket offense could not capitalize on an interception before intermission. But in the third quarter, the Bulldogs put 20 unanswered points on the scoreboard to secure to the win.
“Defensively, we came out firing, stopping them on their first drive, which began inside our 40-yard line,” Kerbow said. “But as the game wore on, we struggled with the physicality of the game.”
Sophomore Jesse Scott led the Jacket defense with 10 tackles, followed by senior Brayden Wehmeyer with six tackles and an interception, along with senior Noah Alvizo with five.
Offensively against Wortham, the Jackets could not put any points on the board until late in the game. Meridian struggled to move the ball as the Bulldogs limited the Jackets to only 36 yards rushing on 19 attempts, and two turnovers proved costly.
Without much of a running game, the Jackets were forced to pass and experienced some success through the air as freshman quarterback Josh Nunez connected with Wehmeyer for a 38-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter.
Nunez completed six of 16 passes for 131 yards, and junior Matty Jones completed eight of 18 passes for 92 yards. Wehmeyer led receivers with three catches for 73 yards, followed by junior Ian Gomez with two receptions for 69 yards, while Scott pulled down four passes for 44 yards.
“We struggled all night running the football,” Kerbow said. “Their size and ability of their front seven stifled our running game. We felt like our kids gave great effort Friday. But turnovers, big plays, special team miscues and the lack of running game hindered us from being in the game.”
Photos by WENDY OROZCO
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