Braswell wins 20-19 to reach playoffs

Braswell football players celebrated a 20-19 victory over Hebron on Thursday night at the Bill Carrico Athletic Complex in Little Elm. The win secured the team's second playoff appearance in program history and its first since 2019.

The Bengals trailed 19-14 with four seconds remaining in the District 5-6A game. Facing fourth-and-goal from the Hebron 3-yard line, quarterback Khalyl Moore found sophomore running back Chris Lark wide open in the end zone for the game-winning score. Braswell did not need to attempt a point after touchdown.

Lark finished the game with 19 carries for 77 yards and six catches for 78 yards. He credited the team for the late push. “Sometimes you just have to make plays, and it felt very good to be able to get out there, make that play and put my team in the playoffs,” Lark said. The squad now stands at 7-3 overall and 4-3 in district play. Hebron finished the regular season at 5-5 overall and 4-3 in its district.

Braswell coach Justen Evans took over the program for the first time this season. Previously, Evans spent nine years at Corpus Christi Miller, where he helped turn a struggling team into a perennial contender with three regional final appearances. Evans said the emotional reaction from his players defined the moment. “To see these kids achieve this, the tears in their eyes, the joy and excitement in their faces, that’s what it’s all about,” Evans said. “It’s not about me. It’s about them.”

The defense played a key role in the late stages of the game. Braswell prevented Hebron from gaining a first down on all three of the Hawks' fourth-quarter drives. The final Hebron drive ended with 2:15 remaining on the clock. At that point, Braswell took possession at its own 19-yard line. The offense then advanced 81 yards to score the winning touchdown.

Hebron built its 19-14 lead with 1:53 left in the third quarter. Ridge Lias threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Robert Smith III for the score. That drive followed a Hebron safety, where the Hawks tackled Braswell's Zahir Trufant in the end zone to make the score 14-12. Hebron also turned the ball over on downs from the Braswell 3-yard line just before that safety.

Braswell led 14-10 at halftime after capitalizing on two Hebron turnovers in the second quarter. Izayah Broadway intercepted a pass from Brady Brock and returned it to the Hebron 17-yard line. Two plays later, Moore connected with Anthony Rivera for a 10-yard touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, Zaylen Redmond recovered a fumble, and Trufant ran for a touchdown three plays later to set the halftime margin.

Hebron scored first in the game with a 33-yard field goal by Beau Merriman in the first quarter. Brock threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Holloway early in the second quarter to give Hebron a 10-0 lead. Brock exited the game late in the second quarter with an injury and did not return. Braswell will face Prosper Walnut Grove in the 6A Division II bi-district round next week. The teams will flip a coin Friday morning to determine the host site, as both finished third in their respective districts.