The West Trojans ended the Mineola Yellowjackets 2021 gridiron campaign in the area round last Friday at Forney. The 37-7 thumping was a demonstration of the most fundamental skills of the sport: blocking and tackling.

The West Trojans may just have the best offensive line in the remaining 3A playoff bracket. Using wide splits, the Trojan line moved as a unit and often gave their ball-carriers a three-yard cushion between the line of scrimmage and first contact by Mineola tacklers. 

On the defensive side of the ball, West reacted to a simple read – which side of the field each Yellowjacket play was trying to exploit. Once determined, the entire defensive team surged in that direction.

Sure-handed tackling and the ability to bring two or more tacklers to the point of attack stymied the Jackets.

In the sterile environment of statistics, one specific line best describes the game. The Yellowjackets snapped the ball 44 times from scrimmage and averaged 2.5 yards per play. West executed 63 plays from scrimmage and averaged 5.6 yards per play. 

However, statistics are not the measure of a game. This playoff game began with a surge of adrenalin for the Jackets and their supporters.

On the opening possession, the Jackets faced a fourth-and-1 from their own 36-yard line. 

With the West defense drawn up and keyed to make a stop, Dawson Pendergrass cracked through an inside gap, popped into an empty second level and out-raced the Trojans 64 yards for the initial score. 

With the game less than two minutes old, Mineola took a 7-0 lead.

The Trojans returned the following kick off to near midfield. Two plays later they found the end zone when they broke a veer play over the right side for 51 yards.

The game started afresh with 9:35 to play in the first quarter as the score was tied at seven.

The Jackets managed a first down in their next possession but were forced to punt. The Trojans began a long march which was abruptly ended when they fumbled away an option pitch. The Jackets took over at their own 32-yard line. 

On a fourth-and-2, Mineola was flagged for illegal procedure and thus, chose to punt the ball away. In an oddity of the game, the Jackets were flagged five times for illegal procedure, four of which came on fourth downs as they were lined up to go for a first down in a short yardage situation. 

The Mineola punt was partially blocked and West took over near midfield. Just after the quarter break, the Trojans scored on a quarterback draw. The PAT went wide left and the score stood 13-7.

The Jackets took to the air. Two completions from T.J. Moreland to Bradyn Alley put the ball on the 50-yard line. On a second down, Moreland attempted to hit Pendergrass on a seam route up the right hash marks. A Trojan defender read the play, stepped in front of the pass and took it at a dead sprint back down that seam for a score. West led 20-7.

The Mineola defense rose up to keep the Trojans out of the end zone on their next drive. Coy Anderson, Nate Griffin, Paul Stanley and Cole Thompson each had key stops late in the drive. West kicked a field goal with a minute left to play in the half to take a 23-7 lead.

Despite the grinding West attack, the game was far from decided at the beginning of the second half. Mineola needed a break or a big play.

The Jackets earned that break with a great goal-line stand, stuffing the Trojans on four plays at the end of a long 12-play drive. The effort may have simply exhausted the squad. After picking up an initial first down, Mineola was forced to punt. A big return by West set the Trojan offense back up at the Mineola 29-yard line. 

West scored as time expired in the third quarter and took an insurmountable 30-7 lead. 

The Jackets gained mid-field on their next possession, but two negative plays and a sack yielded the ball back to the Trojans. With 4:11 remaining, West put the final points on the board.    

Playoff defeats can be tough to keep in perspective. Taking a football team two weeks into the post-season is a phenomenal accomplishment, especially when considering the suspense, thrills and joy which were experienced along the way.