Johnson High secures playoff spot with 42-6 win over Austin High
The Jaguars' defense forced three turnovers, and quarterback Jonah Montgomery added three rushing touchdowns in a decisive District 26-6A victory on Thursday.
By Jonathan Reed ·
The Johnson High Jaguars entered Thursday night's District 26-6A game at Bob Shelton Stadium with a 4-5 overall record and a 3-2 mark in conference play.
A loss would have likely ended the team's postseason hopes, but the Jaguars won 42-6 to lock in a bidistrict playoff berth.
The defensive performance drove the result. Johnson's unit generated three turnovers that placed the offense in favorable field position, according to the game report.
Cornerback Zavier Antoine intercepted a pass from Austin High early in the second quarter and returned it to the one-yard line. Quarterback Jonah Montgomery then ran for a touchdown to extend the lead.
Antoine described the team's turnaround as a necessary correction after a poor start to the season. The Jaguars lost five of their first six games, including a 41-28 defeat to Hays on Sept. 25.
"It was really a wake-up call to the offense, defense and special teams," Antoine said. "We knew we were so much better than that, so much better. So we got back on our feet, and now we're in a playoff spot."
Since the loss to Hays, Johnson has outscored its last three opponents, Del Valle, Akins, and Austin High, by a combined margin of 200-13.
Montgomery, who threw only four passes in the contest, scored three times on the ground. He also completed a deep pass to receiver Devan Brown for a touchdown with eight seconds remaining in the first half.
The Jaguars established a 21-0 lead at the break. Running back Ayden Johnson opened the scoring with a 31-yard rush late in the first quarter.
Austin High, now 3-6 overall and 3-3 in district play, faced complex tiebreaker scenarios following the loss. Coach Jason Cecil acknowledged the disappointment but expressed confidence in his players' daily effort.
"Everybody's hugely disappointed," Cecil said. "We didn't do the things we had to do to win the game, and the result was what the result was. But I love these kids. I'm proud of them."
The Maroons' only score came from a six-yard pass from backup quarterback Whit Davenport to Lorenzo Hoopman with two minutes left in the third quarter. Johnson added a final touchdown via a 28-yard run by Maddox Martinez with 5:58 remaining in the fourth quarter.
