Playoff-bound Belton tops University for fourth straight district win

BELTON — Belton built 20-point leads then staved off furious rally attempts the past two weeks to maintain its place at the top of District 8-5A-II. The Tigers entered halftime of Thursday night’s tilt sporting a 21-point advantage over Waco University, and this time kept the gap intact. They also kept their shot at a league title in the process. A week after securing its sixth straight postseason berth, Belton earned a first-round home playoff date by knocking off Waco University, 31-13, as it played its last regular-season game at rain-slickened Tiger Field. Winners of four straight, the Tigers (7-2, 4-0) move ahead to a road tilt against fellow district unbeaten Brenham to end the district schedule next Friday in a game that should decide the league champion. Will Shepard threw for two touchdowns and ran for one, Javid Planz and Nash Jordan combined for 197 yards rushing, and Gavin Ross grabbed seven catches for 60 yards and a score to vault Belton past the Trojans (3-6, 1-3), who won last year’s league crown. A 5-yard touchdown grab by Ross was followed by Planz’s 27-yard scoring catch to stake Belton to a 14-0 edge less than 6 minutes in. Planz finished with 126 yards on 19 touches, with 99 of those coming on the ground. University started gaining traction to pull back within seven on an Eric Gutierrez 36-yard touchdown scamper with about a minute left in the first quarter, after which Belton’s defense got two crucial stops that led to a pair of touchdowns in the final 2:18 of the half, helping the Tigers take a 28-7 cushion into the break. Azian Wilkinson’s interception sparked a 10-play drive that Shepard capped with a 3-yard TD run. Belton then stuffed University’s fourth-and-1 rushing attempt from the Trojans 34-yard line with about 1 ½ minutes left and cashed it in with Brody Lee’s 5-yard touchdown plunge with 14 seconds left in the half. Morgan Pascoe’s 40-yard field goal moved the lead to 31-7 midway through the third frame, and Belton kept University scoreless for the final 16-plus minutes after the Trojans’ Montrel Phenix nabbed a 21-yard TD pass from Kash Konowal late in the third stanza.

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Belton High School Athletics

PLAYOFF-BOUND BELTON TOPS UNIVERSITY FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT DISTRICT WIN

JON BROOKS

Temple Daily Telegram | 11/1/2026

PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Farrow