Saginaw capitalizes in fourth quarter to defeat Arlington Heights, stay undefeated

Both Arlington Heights and Saginaw were undefeated ahead of a high school football clash at Farrington Field on Oct. 10.

In a game full of missed opportunities and mistakes, Saginaw’s defense capitalized down the stretch to hold the Yellowjackets at bay. The Saginaw Rough Riders (6-0, 4-0) proved they are a team to beat in District 4-5A Division One, securing a 21-15 victory.

“We’ve made a lot of improvements over the last two and a half years,” Saginaw head coach Mike Peters said. “But to come out and be physical like that with a really physical ball club, and be able to hang in there with them and hold on at the end – that’s the message we’ve been trying to preach since trying to rebuild this thing. That’s a huge step for our program.”

The district title race is becoming one of the most competitive in Texas high school football, and the Rough Riders took a massive step in the right direction toward a title.

With the help of UIL realignment , Saginaw’s turnaround has been drastic. The Rough Riders are now 6-0 after a 1-9 season in 2023. In the previous four seasons, Saginaw recorded four total wins.

“Most of these three-year starters haven’t played in a game that matters,” Peters said. “This game mattered. To see them not waver to the pressure or back down -- that was a big positive for me.”

Now, Saginaw is arguably the team to beat. Fort Worth Paschal , another undefeated squad, also has a great case to be the district’s top squad. The Rough Riders will host the Panthers on Oct. 18; if Paschal defeats Fort Worth Polytechnic on Oct. 11, it’ll set up another undefeated clash.

Saginaw shakes off mistakes, capitalizes in the clutch

Quarterback Kaeden Grant started the scoring in the first quarter. While consistently facing pressure from the Saginaw defense, Grant stayed composed and found a wide-open Jacob Watson for an 18-yard touchdown; Carson James followed it up with a 2-point conversion run.

To start the second quarter, Roman Morales took over passing duties, and the Saginaw offense came alive. He completed five passes for 66 yards, capping the series with an accurate 21-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Aidan Collier. After an extra point, Heights led 8-7 with 7:38 remaining in the first half.

Following an Arlington Heights turnover, Saginaw marched back to the red zone, but an untimely fumble ended the drive. The recovered fumble to start the game made up for the blunder, and Saginaw got the ball back to start the second half; Collier capitalized on the bonus opportunity, returning the kick to the three-yard line.

“That was a huge momentum turn for us,” Peters said of Collier’s return.

Morales delivered a go-ahead six-yard touchdown strike to Boaz Kaloso. The Rough Rider defense did its job to ensure the momentum kept building, but two muffed punts gave Heights second chances; Starting a drive at the five-yard line, Carson James ran it in on the first play of the series to give Heights a 15-14 lead.

Saginaw took over, and an untimely defensive pass interference from Heights put the Rough Riders in the red zone. Yellowjacket defensive back Antonio Johnson, however, stopped the momentum with an interception.

Despite the special teams’ blunders, the Rough Riders sizzling defense prevented Heights from pushing away. Arlington Heights was forced to punt. An errant snap allowed Saginaw to take over at the two-yard line.

Running back Isaiah Quinones scored the go-ahead touchdown, a three-yarder.

“That’s a huge thing for any time you’re trying to chase a championship,” Peters said. “You got to be able to get in those situations and get positives out of them. We muffed a couple of punts down here and gave them an easy score, but we’re able to get the ball back, come down there and capitalize.”

The defense, once again, got a crucial stop, forcing a fumble that Najae Nicholson recovered. Although the offense could not extend the lead, the defense continued its elite play, making another stop to win the game.

On Oct. 18, Arlington Heights will face Fort Worth Wyatt. On the same day, Saginaw will host Paschal.

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