WTW Suffers First Loss to West Mesquite

By Michael Finnegan / Contributor

W.T. White’s quest for a rare unbeaten season ended in lopsided fashion on Friday with a 41-0 loss to West Mesquite at Loos Stadium.

The Longhorns managed just 121 total yards and were shut out for the first time in more than two years as they fell out of a first-place tie in District 6-5A Div. I.

West Mesquite’s Greg Gipson II returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, and the Wranglers (5-0, 3-0) never looked back.

“Welcome to big-time Texas high school football,” said WTW head coach Kenchee Ross. “It started with the opening return and we just didn’t recover.”

West Mesquite went up 14-0 when Demetrius Ballard hit Richard Clark on a 54-yard touchdown strike. Clark finished the game with four catches for 76 yards while Ballard passed for 129 yards and one touchdown.

The Longhorns (4-1, 2-1) threatened midway through the second quarter after a long run by Andrew Paredez. A West Mesquite personal foul penalty after the run put the ball at the West Mesquite 22-yard line. But Paredez’s fourth-down pass was later batted down to stop the drive at the 15-yard line.

The Wranglers tacked on two more touchdowns in the second quarter, and Damarian Robinson’s 2-yard run up the middle increased the lead to 28-0 heading into intermission.

“We just need to put this behind us and get ready for next week,” said Ross, whose team will travel to face Carrollton Creekview on Oct. 3. “Lots of football left and this will better prepare us as we get further into district play.”

West Mesquite’s Darieon Parker returned a punt 47 yards early in the third quarter, and on the next play, Kamari Carter raced in for a 22-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 34-0.

Parker led all rushers with 108 yards on five carries, while Sean Hunt caught six passes for 78 yards and a score.