After last week’s loss to Saginaw, a reinvigorated Fort Worth Arlington Heights Yellow Jacket team came out swinging, as they steam-rolled Fort Worth Wyatt, 60-34, at historic Farrington Field.
It was a dominating performance from the Yellow Jackets’ offense, which combined for 444 yards on the ground and totaled 7 touchdowns. Their defense managed to force 3 turnovers and hold the Chaparrals to 34 points and 111 yards through the air.
A great bounce back performance started with a junior running back Carson James touchdown run on their opening drive. A 6-yard rush which would be one of five for him on the night. Jones finished with an impressive 292 yards on 43 carries.
“I’m just happy man. I’m just happy I’m out here, still winning. I feel good,” Carson James said about tonight’s performance. “Tonight’s win felt good. It feels really good. It feels like a second wind [for this team], like a phoenix.”
The Yellow Jackets would go on to score on five of their next six offensive drives in the first half. Sophomore quarterback Carmelo Carter would score 2 of those 5 touchdowns, finishing with 125 yards on the ground, on 14 carries, and 2 touchdowns.
On the flipside, the Arlington Heights defense came to play as well. The defense forced four punts (one of which was blocked), a fumble, and only gave up 16 points in the first half. Quite the turnaround from last week’s performance.
“You go out and it seems like [Saginaw] were having the game of their lives,” Heights head coach Curtis James said. “I told the guys, sometimes that happens. You have to be able to battle back. I lost a big game myself back in college like that and I learned that if you can battle back and win, that means you have a special team.”
Despite a somewhat slower second half from the offense, the Yellow Jacket defense still held strong. They managed to force another fumble, intercept OD Wyatt quarterback Kentrell Steward, and only gave up a pair of scores.
It was an impressive performance from a team who’s now been able to bounce back after a tough district loss. Tonight’s win marks 11 straight wins for Arlington Heights against OD Wyatt, dating back to 2013.
“I was really proud of how the team responded this week, it was a great week of practice, and they came back and played very hard,” coach James added. “Wyatt’s always a tough game, they’re probably one of the most physical teams we’ll play all season, and it showed tonight.”
Tonight’s loss for OD Wyatt halts its five-game win streak, which only adds to the competitiveness in the division. Wyatt, Saginaw, and Arlington Heights are now tied for the 5A-1 Region 1 District 4 lead with 1 loss on the season.
As we continue on, one can only imagine how interesting the rest of this season really will be. With Chisholm Trail and Paschal on their tails, there really isn’t room for any errors. One loss could be the difference between a district title and fifth place.
Next week, Arlington Heights welcomes Trimble Tech High School on Saturday, October 25th at 11 a.m.