It was a defensive battle for the first couple of possessions as both teams moved the ball some but couldn’t sustain the momentum.
Denton struck first in the first quarter, getting a safety on a Chisholm Trail punt, when the snap went wide and rolled into the back of the endzone for a 2-0 lead.
In the second quarter, the Ranger defense came up big, getting an interception from Terrance Dukes to set up the offense on the Denton side of the field. Israel Kaloso had a 16-yard run, and on the next play Joey McGowen found a wide-open Omari Johnson for the score and a 7-2 lead. From there, it would be a back and forth remainder of the first half.
Following the score, Denton had a one play scoring drive following a long kick-off return to lead 9-7. While the next Ranger drive stalled, the special teams forced a fumble on a punt return, and Kaloso scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 31-yard run, breaking several tackles along the way to give the Rangers the 14-9 lead.
Denton put together a long scoring drive late in the half, scoring and converting the two-point conversion to go back ahead 17-14. The Rangers didn’t panic and got right back to work. On a third down, McGowen escaped pressure and found Johnson for a 36-yard strike. Three plays later, Kaloso found the end zone, pushing the pile for a five-yard score. Chisholm Trail got a bonus possession, as their special teams came up big again, forcing and recovering the football on the ensuing drive. McGowen hit Johnson, who made a highlight reel one handed catch, and two plays later, McGowen gave the Rangers a 28-17 lead on a 14-yard touchdown run.
In the second half, Denton scored on their first three possessions to take a 38-28 lead, but the Rangers continued to battle. McGowen had pressure in his face and fired a pass to Xavier Gonzalez for a 14-yard completion. Two plays later, Kaloso scored from 22-yards away to pull the Rangers within 38-35.
“Our kids battled,” Head Coach Byron Bode said. “We were down on the scoreboard early on, but our kids battled back and got us the lead at halftime. We shot ourselves in the foot in the second half, and Denton got the momentum, but our kids continued to battle, and we were able to pull within three points at the end. I’m proud of our kids and their effort. We just have to finish the ball game.”
In addition to the coaches addressing the team after the game, senior Matthias Leach addressed the team, something Coach Bode praised him for, saying he wants to go out the right way and has become a vocal leader for Chisholm Trail.
Stat leaders for the Rangers offensively was McGowen, who threw for 196-yards and a passing touchdown and had a rushing touchdown. Kaloso finished with 155-yards and three touchdowns. Johnson was the leading receiver with 95-yards and a score. Defensively, Pale Uli led the team with 13 tackles and a tackle for a loss.
“Joey {McGowen} and {Israel} Kaloso are the bell cows for our offense,” Coach Bode said. “Kaloso is a heck of a runner, and Joey has really come into his own, he made some great plays tonight. {Omari} Johnson had a great game and made some great catches for us.”
Defensively, he added they are getting better every week, rallying to the football, and are coming into their own as a unit.
This week, the Rangers will travel to West Mesquite.
“West Mesquite is a fast, athletic team,” he said. “They have a great QB, and they’re a fast paced, up-tempo team. They’re a physical across the board, and Coach Sandoval does a great job with those guys. It will be a great challenge for us.”
Kick-off from Mesquite Memorial Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7.
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