Last week, the closing stretch wasn’t all too friendly to Dumas. Against a rival in Plainview, the Demons were bound and determined to not let that happen again. The home team made good on that promise, and on homecoming, no less.
It was a thrilling finish on the North Plains, as the Demons scored two touchdowns within a span of 17 seconds to take down a potent Bulldogs team via a 43-35 outcome on Friday night at Demon Stadium.
Down by seven with less than two and a half minutes remaining, the Demons charged down the field until junior running back ZJ Jara struck paydirt from 13 yards out to cut the Plainview lead to one at 35-34 with 1:04 left in the game. Junior quarterback Colton Mills then converted the two-pointer, allowing Dumas to latch onto a 36-35 advantage.
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With 47 seconds remaining, Plainview senior quarterback Seth Mayberry’s pass was intercepted by senior defensive back Christian Gonzalez, who took it back to the house for a 45-yard touchdown. The pick six sealed the victory and allowed the Demons to return to the win column.
Jara paced the Demons by compiling 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while bringing down three catches for 63 yards and another score. Jara averaged 7.9 yards per touch.
Mills was 11-of-18 for 178 yards and one TD, but also tossed two picks. Mills also rushed for 72 yards on eight attempts, averaging nine yards per carry. On defense, Gonzalez snagged two INTs for the winning cause.
Senior wide receiver Jordan Porter had a brilliant game for Plainview despite the setback, reeling in 18 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Mayberry dropped back often, going 27-of-46 for 384 yards and three TDs to counter his two interceptions, while rushing for 51 yards on 17 carries.
Dumas improved to 3-1 overall, and will meet Bushland at 7 p.m. next Friday at Falcon Stadium in Bushland. The Falcons (1-3) were blanked by No. 2-ranked (Class 4A Division I) West Plains by way of a 45-0 final score on Friday at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon.
The Bulldogs returned to even keel at 2-2, and begin their District 2-5A Division II slate against Lubbock-Cooper at 7 p.m. next Friday at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium in Plainview. The Pirates (3-1) defeated Frenship in a 57-56 overtime thriller on Friday at People’s Bank Stadium in Wolfforth.
Dumas struck first, with Jara finishing off the Demons’ initial drive with a four-yard touchdown run at the 7:45 mark. Mayberry led the charge for Plainview, answering with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Porter with 5:58 to go in the period.
Mills collected his first touchdown on the night by completing a 17-yard pass to Jara for the go-ahead score. Following a PAT from sophomore kicker Christian Saldana with 55 seconds left in the first quarter, Dumas held a 14-7 lead.
Plainview chipped away at the deficit throughout the second quarter, with senior kicker Hector Rodriguez booting a 23-yard field goal at the 5:30 mark before ending the first half with a 41-yard boot. Thanks to those six points, the Bulldogs trailed by one at 14-13 at halftime.
The Bulldogs continued to put on points to begin the second half, taking the lead with 6:14 on the clock in the third quarter. Mayberry again found Porter for an 18-yard touchdown pass, granting Plainview a 20-14 lead.
Senior Blaze Chambers then cashed in on an opportunity, churning out a 14-yard touchdown run with 11:55 remaining in the game. Mayberry then converted the two-pointer, providing the Bulldogs with a seven-point lead at 28-21.
Dumas fought back, tying the game by way of a one yard touchdown dive from sophomore Angel Jara. Following Saldana’s PAT, the Demons knotted the game back up at 28-28 with 5:34 remaining.
Plainview regained the lead, as Mayberry fired a 38-yard touchdown pass to Porter. With less than two and a half minutes left, the Bulldogs took a 35-28 lead.
However, there was indeed some black magic within Demon Stadium. Dumas marched down the field in short time, before Jara scored with 1:04 on the clock. Mills rushed into paydirt to score the two-point conversion, prompting the Demons to take a one-point lead.
The late minute Plainview drive ended abruptly, with Gonzalez’s pick six on Mayberry.
Complementing Jara and Mills on offense was senior wide receiver Blake Robinson, who caught three passes for 68 yards. His longest reception of the evening went for 50 yards. Sophomore Ruben Garcia reeled in one quarterback sack, and senior Juan Carlos Corona had one tackle for a loss.
Overall, Gonzalez pulled down two picks during the night — his second being the game-winning pick six.
Chambers rushed for 97 yards and one touchdown. The Plainview senior averaged 5.1 yards per carry, with his best run being a 25-yard scamper.
On defense, Plainview was led by senior Danny Rodriguez, senior Dominic Hinojosa and senior Zachary Soliz. Rodriguez recorded one sack, while Hinojosa and Soliz each hauled in one interception.