Sports Texoma

DENISON -- When Jordan Taylor finally stepped behind center as the full-time starter for the first time, it was in the final game of his sophomore season.

He had played sparingly at quarterback before then, spending more time catching passes rather than throwing them. But Taylor was suddenly under pressure in taking over the Denison offense two years ago, facing Sherman for the first time.

Taylor led the Jackets to a thrilling come-from-behind victory that night and saw his team trailing against the Bearcats at half-time a year ago before a second-half surge.

This time he orchestrated from in front capping his final home game with a four-touchdown performance as Denison defeated Sherman, 43-28, at Munson Stadium on Friday night in the 111th Battle of the Ax.

"His coming out party was this game his sophomore year," Denison head coach Cody White said. "He's an outstanding player. He's a champion."

Taylor ran for 175 yards and three scores on 20 carries while completing 13-of-15 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. With two Ax victories under his belt, there was pressure to perform in the spotlight once again.

"I had a final in my government class and it was difficult to focus on that with the game coming up," Taylor said. "I was pretty nervous coming in but playing in two before this, I calmed down pretty quick."

It was the third straight time and sixth in the last seven years for the Yellow Jackets to take the rivalry game. The stretch ties for the longest Denison success against Sherman since 1942-48.

"They're a great football team," Sherman head coach Gary Kinne said. "They deserved to win tonight. They outplayed us and they outcoached us. They did a better job. But it won't always be like that, and we'll get it to where it needs to be. But tonight they were the better team."

Denison (9-1, 7-0) won the District 9-4A title for the second straight season and now has district titles in five of the last seven years and 26 overall.

"It feels amazing," senior defensive tackle Devonte Kemp said. "Three times the Ax holder and back-to-back district champs."

Both teams open the playoffs this Friday at 7:30 p.m. against 10-4A opponents -- Sherman (8-2, 6-1) faces Newman Smith at Clark Stadium in Plano while Denison battles Richardson Pearce at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco.

Although there weren't a lot of big plays by either side, the Jackets were content to move in five and six-yard chunks.

"That was the game plan coming in," senior center Corbin Boettger said. "They like to blitz a lot and we had to chip away at them."

Taylor connected with Cody Reeves for a 27-yard touchdown on the game's opening possession. On the previous play Reeves had a score called back on a penalty but the next snap resulted in a touchdown when he leaped over Robert Fallon at the front right pylon.

Late in the first quarter Sherman had a chance to tie the game but Madison Carter fumbled trying to pitch the ball to Zac Whitfield inside the Jacket 10-yard line.

Hayden Chapman recovered and although Denison was forced to punt, Reeves uncorked a wind-aided 78-yarder to the Bearcats' four-yard line. A short field allowed Denison's offense to crank back up and D.J. Jones had a 30-yard touchdown run with 7:35 left in the first half.

"That's a 14-point swing and we couldn't overcome it," Kinne said. "It's a game of inches and they were able to stop us and get the key turnover and we weren't able to stop them and get the key turnover. That was the difference."

Whitfield, who finished with 129 yards on 18 carries, answered with a one-yard touchdown on the ensuing possession which started with great field position after a 44-yard kickoff return by Nathan James.

Taylor had his first touchdown, an eight-yard run, and then added the conversion with 1:44 left in the quarter. The Jackets forced Sherman to punt with just under a minute left, getting a sack by Aaron Morrison on third down.

"When we got the ball back there we knew we had to get another score," Boettger said. "We executed well and put it in."

The first play looked like a touchdown of 69 yards by Kyle Galyon but a penalty on the play made it only a 44-yard gain. With 10 seconds left, Taylor scored from five yards out and Denison held a 29-7 half-time lead.

"We got a little momentum and with the short clock and forcing them to punt, those time-outs were huge," White said. "How the kids ran the clock, they managed things, that was big."

The Jackets finished with 12 penalties for 140 yards and had two touchdowns called back but went on to score later in those drives.

"We got a little flag happy," White said. "We've got to be better than that."

Perhaps the biggest penalty came on the opening drive of the third quarter when Sherman faced fourth and seven at the Denison 19. Carter's pass over the middle was incomplete but a dubious pass interference call kept the Bearcats' drive alive. Whitfield punched it in from three yards out two plays later.

The next two Jacket possessions ended on touchdown runs by Taylor and Jones, who finished with 109 yards on 18 carries, to give Denison a 43-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Carter led a pair of scoring drives, connecting with Geoff Hooker for a nine-yard touchdown with just over seven minutes left and then hitting John Welborn for a four-yard score on fourth down with 2:50 remaining.

Sherman tried a pair of onside kicks but Jared Mitchell recovered the first for the Jackets while the second one didn't travel the required 10 yards before James jumped on it for the Bearcats.

"Things didn't go our way," Welborn said. "It's a learning experience. It hurts, but we're going to bounce back."

Denison sealed the victory when Morrison laid a big hit on Hooker, Christian Herd forced the fumble and Stacy Golston fell on it as the Jackets then ran out the clock.

"That's the best football team we've played," White said. "To be able to get a win like that is impressive."