The Broncos weren’t supposed to win. They’ve never been past the fourth round in Legacy’s 11 years.
But after junior Jalen Catalon’s touchdown to start the game, the team, the fans, the band, the cheerleaders, the student section felt this might be the year to break the curse.
Senior running back Isaiah Jones filled in the holes for starter Grant Johnson who was healing a pulled hamstring. Jones did not disappoint, as he scored a 66 yard rushing touchdown that gave the Broncos a 13-3 lead over Lone Star in the second quarter.
“I felt like our team was ready all week, and we practiced with such an urgency in preparation for our game,” Jones said.
Jake Smith followed with a successful field goal giving the Broncos an 11 point lead that defense fought hard to keep until the fourth quarter.
Senior wide receiver Randy Wright’s hands connect with the ball that left Catalon’s hands 66 yards ago. Wright dodges a Lone Star defender and out-runs a second, bringing the ball in for the Bronco touchdown. The Broncos grasp a four point lead with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
The game comes down to this final play. Both crowds are screaming and yelling, everyone in the stadiums on their feet. MJ Rivers, Frisco Lone Star’s quarterback, drops back in the pocket and feels the pressure by the Broncos defensive line. Rivers falls to the ground and hurls the ball in the air. Silences washes over the crowd. They burst into pure energy as junior Jared Hooper intercepts the ball and makes a return while the sideline and Legacy crowd erupts. The Broncos defeat the Rangers, and punched a hole right through the round-four curse.
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For the first time in school history, the Broncos advanced to the state semi-finals. The Broncos found success in their rushing attack and backup running back Isaiah Jones rushed for 151 yards on seventeen carries and had one touchdown in the 24-20 victory. Jones felt mentally ready for the game and understood he had big shoes to fill.
“Before this game, I was mentally in the zone, and I was ready to perform,” Jones said. “I knew we had to come out strong, and I knew I had to step up in absence of Grant and help this team reach the next round.”
The Broncos also forced two turnovers, one missed point-after-touchdown and held the Lonestar offense to the least amount of points they’ve scored all season. Head Coach Chris Melson was pleased with the way his team overcame adversity and snuck out a win.
“I am so happy with the way the team played tonight, and how they never flinched, never accepted defeat and never quit, especially when things didn’t go our way in the fourth quarter,” Melson said. “That’s what champions do, and I’m feeling really good about them.”
With Lake Ridge taking a hard fall to Highland Park at AT&T Stadium, the Broncos remain the last MISD team in the race to state.
The Broncos will go head-to-head with the Aledo Bearcats – a familiar opponent for the Broncos. Legacy lost 24-3 the first time the two teams met in September, however, senior Randy Wright believes the outcome of the game will be different.
“We put that week three game against them in the past. It doesn’t matter,” Wright said. “All the mistakes that we made, everything that happened, the dropped passes, the fumbles, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is this upcoming game with Aledo. It’s probably going to be the toughest game of our lives, but I think we will be holding up that trophy when it’s all over.”
The Broncos will meet up with their pre-district rival Dec. 16 at 2 p.m on Pennington Field in Bedford.
“It’s beautiful [that] we get to play them again, ” Hopper said. “I feel like we should’ve won the first game against them and to be able to get another shot at them is a blessing. I’m ready to compete with my team, and we got something working well for us. We are a family and got that bond, we are going to pull through for our seniors.”
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