Foxes get revenge on Longhorns

LOGAN - For the Foxes, what a difference three weeks - and two healthy starters - make.

Fifth-seeded Fort Sumner-House scored early and often against fourth-seeded Logan during a 52-0 victory Friday in the eight-man football playoffs. The game ended midway through the third quarter due to the mercy rule.

The Foxes avenged a 38-34 district loss to the Longhorns on Oct. 6 where Fort Sumner blew a three-touchdown lead in the third quarter.

One of those Foxes players who didn't play during the earlier game against Logan was quarterback Joaquin Segura, who loomed large during Friday's victory. Segura threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 79 yards and another touchdown.

Foxes running back Jayden Ward - who also didn't play previously against Logan - scored two touchdowns on 136 yards rushing in just six carries.

Fort Sumner totaled more than 500 yards of offense.

"We got a little healthier," Fort Sumner coach Brad Holland said. "And I thought we did a better job up front. We played better and executed better, and we had fewer penalties than we've had in the past few weeks.

"I'm proud of my kids; I'm proud of the way they responded."

Meanwhile, the Longhorns struggled in all phases of the game. They totaled just 53 yards of offense, with often-pressured quarterback Brock Burns going 10-for-20 passing for 58 yards. The Longhorns also committed two turnovers.

Fort Sumner's receivers and running backs repeatedly burned Logan's defensive secondary.

What disappointed Logan coach Dwayne Roberts was the Foxes' linemen dominated much more than they did in the previous matchup.

"They had the same line (on Oct. 6), but they just pushed us around tonight," he said. "Our guys just didn't find the fire tonight. We just didn't play our best game tonight, let's leave it at that.

"And (Fort Sumner) came ready to play; they were fired up."

Fort Sumner scored on six of its first seven possessions, with many drives using three plays or fewer. The Foxes led 38-0 after one quarter and 46-0 at halftime.

The Longhorns didn't lack chances to score.

They recovered a fumble at the Foxes' 11-yard line in the first quarter when a kick returner flubbed Burns' punt. But four plays netted no or negative yardage against the Foxes' defense.

In the second quarter, Logan marched to the Foxes' 5-yard line thanks to three penalties on the defense and pass receptions of 16 and 27 yards by Aydin Kotara and Stratton Schoonover, respectively.

But on second and goal from the 5, the Longhorns fumbled on the exchange in the backfield, and the Foxes recovered.

With the mercy clock running because of Fort Sumner's 38-0 lead, the Foxes managed to score at the halftime buzzer when Jett Vick caught a 33-yard pass from Segura in the end zone.

The Foxes received the kickoff to open the second half, and they needed just six plays to score. Vick caught a 49-yard pass from Segura for the Foxes' 52nd point to end the game and the Longhorns' season.

Fort Sumner-House (6-2), the defending state champion, next plays at top-seeded Melrose (10-1) on Friday in the semifinals. The Buffaloes blasted the Foxes 50-0 the previous weekend and crushed eighth-seeded Tatum 56-6 in their first-round playoff game.

"They're a good football team, very well coached," Holland said. "We've got our hands full."

Roberts said the Longhorns, who finished 7-4 and second in their rugged district, performed better this season than what many in the community expected. He said some questioned whether his team would finish above .500.

"We far exceeded what people were giving us credit for this year before the season started," he said. "That's what I just told the guys: I've been on the receiving end of this, too, and it's no fun to lose like this in the playoffs, but it was a great season."

Logan loses just two seniors: Burns and fullback-linebacker Izaiah Kneitz.

"They were fantastic team leaders," Roberts said. "I got to coach them their whole high-school careers. It's been fun watching them mature. You can't replace them because they're a big part of what we've been doing."