Cubs Trip Tigers: Belton Falls to Brenham, Awaits Other Results to Learn Playoff Fate

BELTON — Belton closed in on its fourth straight playoff berth by winning back-to-back games heading into Thursday’s finale. All the Tigers needed to do to get there was knock off the district champs. Belton got halfway there, building a 10-point lead by the break, but Brenham’s 28-point outburst in the third frame went unanswered as the Cubs shut out the Tigers after halftime to finish an undefeated run through District 10-5A-II by posting a 42-24 win at slick Tiger Field. Belton (2-8, 2-3) still can advance to the postseason with a Waco win or Waco University win tonight. Brenham (9-1, 5-0) capped its league title with its fifth straight win after getting 244 yards rushing and three TDs from league-leading rusher JaKoby Dixon, who scored on runs of 8 and 83 yards in the third quarter. Belton’s Will Shepard threw for 260 yards and scored on runs of 1 and 49 yards and Kegan Sherwood added a 3-yard TD tote as the Tigers stayed in front most of the first half by relying on a commanding ground game and a stingy defense. Shepard fell into the end zone from less than a yard out to cap the Tigers’ eight-play, 36-yard drive that was set up when Belton stopped Brenham’s fake punt late in the first quarter as the Tigers piled up 13 first downs to the Cubs’ five over the first 24 minutes. The Cubs responded when Jordan Harvey found Chris Guidry for a 46-yard touchdown strike on the first play of the second frame to make for their lone lead of the half at 7-6. Belton led as much as 21-7 midway through the second period after Sherwood scored on a pitch left then Azian Wilkinson intercepted an underthrown Harvey pass to snuff out Brenham’s ensuing drive and set up Shepard’s second TD sprint, during which he pulled the handoff to keep it through the middle. Dixon later notched an 18-yard scoring run to pull the Cubs back within a touchdown before Cole Angell’s 31-yard field goal closed the first-half scoring by giving Belton a 24-14 edge with 16 seconds left. BRENHAM 42, BELTON 24 Brenham 0 14 28 0 — 42 Belton 6 18 0 0 — 24 Bel — Will Shepard 1 run (kick failed) Bre — Chris Guidry 46 pass from Jordan Harvey (Bleu Cienega kick) Bel — Kegan Sherwood 3 run (Cole Angell kick) Bel — Shepard 49 run (Shepard run) Bre — JaKoby Dixon 18 run (Cienega kick) Bel — Angell 31 field goal Bre — Tristen Shugart 21 pass from Harvey (Cienega kick) Bre — Dixon 8 run (Cienega kick) Bre — Ryder Stewart recovered blocked punt (Cienega kick) Bre — Dixon 83 run (Cienega kick) TEAM STATISTICS Bre Bel First downs 14 19 Rushes-yards 40-264 29-159 Passing yards 96 260 Comp.-Att.-Int. 4-9-1 18-28-1 Punts-average 2-38 3-54.3 Fumbles-lost 0 2-2 Penalties-yards 7-44 5-52 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING — Brenham: Dixon 26-244, Xyran Upshaw 6-18, Cartelle Brown 1-8, Jeremiah Blackshire 3-6, Harvey 1-3, team 3-(-15) Belton: Shepard 9-72, Gino Zecca 15-54, Sherwood 3-23, Damien Tiumalu 1-9, Brandon Marcano 1-1. PASSING — Brenham: Harvey 4-9-1-96 Belton: Shepard 18-28-1-260. RECEIVING — Brenham: Guidry 2-55, Shugart 1-21, Dixon 1-20 Belton: Zecca 3-97, Gavin Ross 7-88, Collin Sallee 4-48, Achilles Palomares 3-19, Collin Taylor 1-8. PHOTO CAPTION: Belton’s Jahari James (24), Damien Tiumalu (85) and Kegan Sherwood bring down Brenham’s JaKoby Dixon on Thursday night.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Belton High School Athletics

CUBS TRIP TIGERS: BELTON FALLS TO BRENHAM, AWAITS OTHER RESULTS TO LEARN PLAYOFF FATE

JON BROOKS | TELEGRAM STAFF

Temple Daily Telegram | 11/8/2024

PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Farrow/Special to the Telegram