The Paris News

North Lamar started Friday’s game with plenty of sizzle, with senior quarterback Ryan White connecting with T.J. Shirley for a 26-yard touchdown on the first drive.

The problem for the North Lamar team is the sizzle disintegrated into a fizzle in the fourth quarter.

Van Alstyne senior running back Orion Thomas scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:02 remaining in the game, and a last-second pass by White tumbled to the grass in the end zone as North Lamar suffered a 27-21 setback against the undefeated Van Alstyne Panthers on Senior Night at R.L. Maddox Stadium.

The regular season ends Friday when North Lamar attempts to wrap up a playoff spot on the road against Commerce (1-8, 1-3), which lost to Anna 14-0 this past Friday. North Lamar could clinch a playoff berth outright with a win over Commerce. North Lamar could also make the playoffs with a loss of less than 17 points.

Van Alstyne is scheduled to host Paris High (6-3, 4-0) in a game that will determine the District 10-3A champion.

North Lamar (2-7, 2-2) held a 21-14 lead in this past Friday’s game early in the final quarter. Van Alstyne (9-0, 4-0) tied the game at 21-all after a four-yard run by Thomas, which was set up by a fumble by North Lamar junior running back Dakota Boles on North Lamar’s 17-yard line.

The ensuing North Lamar drive lasted only three plays before it ended with an interception by Van Alstyne defensive back Soloman Biscarro on Van Alstyne’s 43-yard line. Thomas, who rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries of mostly long runs through the middle of the North Lamar defense, gave his Van Alstyne team the lead after an eight-play, 57-yard drive. Thirty of those yards were gained after two North Lamar penalties.

“We played hard,” North Lamar head coach Tommy Felty said. “We just didn’t tackle well and they hurt us with the inside run. We made some mistakes and had some turnovers when we had the lead. Van Alstyne took advantage of those turnovers.”

North Lamar took over on its own 35-yard line with 57 seconds remaining in the game. White completed two passes to David Bozarth and a pass to Austin Parson, and North Lamar accepted a Van Alstyne penalty to make it to Van Alstyne’s 22-yard line in the waning seconds. White’s final pass attempt was broken up in the end zone to end the game.

“It’s just disgusting knowing we were right there with them all the way up until the end,” said North Lamar senior wide receiver Canyon Conley, who had one reception for 11 yards. “It was just a couple of foolish plays, mental mistakes and we fumbled the ball a few times. But that’s just the way things go sometimes.”

The game actually began with a lot of promise for North Lamar, which unleashed an aerial attack early in the first quarter.

North Lamar received the opening kickoff and began on its own 35-yard line. White, who passed for a season-high 146 yards, found Shirley for a 26-yard reception on the first play of the game. Boles carried the ball for 13 yards on the next four plays, which set up White’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Shirley. Cody Daniel’s extra point attempt was blocked.

Van Alstyne quarterback Chris Burge threw a touchdown pass to Biscarro and tacked on an extra point to take a lead late in the opening quarter.

White threw a touchdown pass to Bozarth in the second quarter to put North Lamar in the lead, but Thomas broke free for a 41-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. Daniel had a 22-yard field goal late in the third quarter to give North Lamar a 15-14 advantage.

North Lamar sophomore Ethan Elliott recovered a fumble and returned it 88 yards to give his team a 21-14 lead, but Van Alstyne finished with the final 13 points of the game to maintain its flawless record.

“It was pretty much everybody,” Conley said. “I wouldn’t blame this on the offense or the defense. There were just some different things that went wrong on both sides of the ball.”

VAN ALSTYNE 27,

NORTH LAMAR 21

Van Alstyne 7 0 7 13 — 27

North Lamar 6 6 3 6 — 21

First quarter

North Lamar – T.J. Shirley 26 pass from Ryan White, 9:08 (Kick blocked)

Van Alstyne – Soloman Biscarro 22 pass from Chris Burge, 0:20 (Burge kick)

Second quarter

North Lamar – David Bozarth 10 pass from White, 2:09 (Conversion failed)

Third quarter

Van Alstyne – Orion Thomas 41 run, 10:53 (Burge kick)

North Lamar – Cody Daniel 22 field goal, 3:25

Fourth quarter

North Lamar – Ethan Elliott 88 fumble return, 10:50 (Fumbled snap)

Van Alstyne – Thomas 4 run, 5:31 (Burge kick)

Van Alstyne – Thomas 11 run, 1:02 (Kick failed)

VAHS NLHS

First downs 16 15

By run 11 6

By pass 3 5

By penalty 2 4

Rushes-yards 40-257 32-126

Passing 84 146

C-A-I 9-17-0 8-19-1

Total yards 341 272

Punts-avg. 4-32 3-45

Fumbles-lost 3-1 3-2

Penalties-yards 6-65 8-75

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING: North Lamar – Dakota Boles 28-127, Ryan White 2-0, Sam Harrington 2-(-1). Van Alstyne – Orion Thomas 24-225, Chris Burge 15-27, Tanner Neill 1-3.

PASSING: North Lamar – Ryan White 8-19-1, 146. Van Alstyne – Chris Burge 9-17-0, 84.

RECEIVING: North Lamar – T.J. Shirley 3-87, David Bozarth 3-27, Austin Parson 1-21, Canyon Conley 1-11. Van Alstyne – Soloman Biscarro 4-47, Chance Grayson 2-18, D.J. Seay 2-14, Tanner Neill 1-5.

INTERCEPTIONS: Van Alstyne – Soloman Biscarro 1.

RECORDS: North Lamar 2-7 (2-2). Van Alstyne 9-0 (4-0).

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