By Jason McDaniel | Chron.com
Updated 12:37 am CST, Saturday, December 1, 2018
BAYTOWN – A matchup of highly regarded quarterbacks Malik Hornsby and Roschon Johnson titled their playoff tilt, but the primary conflict between their teams, Fort Bend Marshall and Port Neches-Groves, respectively, was resolved before Johnson could even establish his character.
After scoring on its first three possessions, Marshall was up 24 when the Texas pledge finally put PN-G on the board.
The Buffalos went on to a 53-14 win Friday night at Stallworth Stadium in the Class 5A Division II Region III semifinals, sending them to the regional finals for the third consecutive year.
“I’m happy with what we did (Friday),” Marshall coach James Williams said. “I hope the guys enjoy it. PN-G’s a great team, and they did a really good job coaching those kids, so it was a good win.”
And these Buffs (13-0), No. 4 in the state, are primed for a breakthrough.
They’ll face Huntsville (11-1) or the Marshall Mavericks (10-2) next week for their first regional title in their fourth attempt.
The Indians (9-4) ended their season in the third round for the third straight year.
Hornsby, a junior with multiple scholarship offers who’s reportedly leaning toward Texas A&M, threw for 182 yards and one touchdown, and rushed for 36 yards and another score – in the first half.
He finished with 224 yards and two TDs passing, and 140 yards and two TDs on nine carries.
Marshall led 39-7 at halftime.
It scored on five of its first six possessions, with one turnover on downs, and Devon Achane returned a punt 52 yards for a another score.
The first three scores by the speed-infused Buffalos went for 25-plus yards.
Hornsby found Achane for a 66-yard catch-and-run score on the third play of the game, running back Jerry Davis broke a 37-yard touchdown run on the third play on the ensuing series, and Dalevon Campbell hauled in a 25-yard scoring reception for an 18-0 lead with 3:36 left in the first quarter.
“They’re reading their keys, and they’re right,” Williams said.
“They’re putting their bodies in the right spot, so they’re jumping the plays and doing what their key tells them to do.”
Davis made it 24-0 mid-second quarter with a 4-yard TD run.
The senior had 138 yards and two TDs on 12 carries at halftime – and the Buffalos had 385 total yards and 15 first downs.
Davis finished with 153 yards and three scores on 15 rushes.
“He pounds it,” Williams said.
“Our offensive line takes pride in running the football, and he does a great job of finding the hole, being patient, and then hitting it full speed.”
Johnson finally led the Indians to the end zone after Davis’ second score, directing a 4-play, 75-yard drive he capped with a 20-yard scoring run, cutting Marshall’s lead to 24-7 with 5:38 in the first half.
He finished with 134 yards and one TD on 20 carries.
But Marshall answered with two more scores before the break – a 3-yard TD run by Hornsby and Achane’s punt-return TD.
“We’re going to try to control the line of scrimmage (and) run the ball, which opens up everything else,” Williams said. “We have so many guys who can do great things with the ball in their hands.”
The Buffalos went for two and missed after their first four scores. Achane finally punched one in on the fifth try.
This is Marshall’s fourth fourth-round berth in seven years.
It lost to Manor 26-20 in 2012, then fell victim to College Station the last two years, 31-27 in 2016 and 49-47 in 2017.
“The guys are hungry,” Williams said. “They’ve stayed patient, and worked to get better every week. We knew we had to get better throughout the season, it’s finally here now, and we’re going to do our best to have a great week of practice.”
