By Will Motlow

For The News Courier

 

KILLEN – After trailing by 4 at halftime, Brooks scored 30 unanswered points in the second half to claim a 48-18 win over West Limestone and clinch home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

“I really have to give it to our defensive coaches,” Brooks head coach Jerry Hill said. “They made some good adjustments at halftime, and our kids responded to those adjustments. That’s really the key. I feel like our offense moved the ball well all night, but we had some drives stall in the first half.”

West Limestone (4-4, 3-3) scored the only two touchdowns of the first quarter and held a 12-0 lead after touchdown passes of 54 and 20 yards from Caleb McConnell to Andrew Martin and Aaron McWilliams, respectively.

A Skyler Beck interception, the first of six for the Lions, helped set up a 53-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Prestage.

After a Ricardo Maston interception, Prestage broke a 66-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 14-12 lead. However, McConnell found McWilliams in the end zone again before the half to give the Wildcats an 18-14 lead.

The Wildcats took the opening drive of the second half inside the Lions’ 5-yard line but were stopped after Cody Butler recovered a fumble on the 6. Beck then connected with Devan Henson for a 94-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 21-18 lead. Henson had 105 yards receiving on two catches.

Beck scored late in the third quarter on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to give the lions a 28-18 lead.

The Wildcats drove into the red zone, but Aaron McCluskey intercepted his second pass of the night to give the Lions the ball on the 4-yard line. A couple of plays later, Prestage broke an 89-yard touchdown run to give Brooks a 35-18 lead.

Deion Bonton scored on a 42-yard touchdown run on the Lions’ next possession. For the night, Bonton rushed for 127 yards on 13 carries.

Two plays later, Maston intercepted a McConnell pass, his second and the Lions’ sixth of the night, and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown to finish the scoring at 48-18 with 7:38 remaining in the game.

McConnell was 15 of 32 for 233 yards and three touchdowns on the night.