Richardson Berkner High School quarterback Cornell McGee IV and wide receiver Dameon Crowe proved too much for the Lake Highlands High School defense, with the duo leading Berkner to a 55-35 victory on Friday night at Wildcat-Ram Stadium.
Lake Highlands (3-2, 2-1 District 7-6A) had no answers for the Berkner offense, which moved the ball up and down the field all night with 450 yards and capitalized on turnovers to pull away.
The game did not start well for Berkner, going three-and-out on offense and allowing Lake Highlands’ special teams to come up with the first score as Ayden Webb recovered a bad snap on the punt and brought it into the endzone.
However, the Rams got on the board with a 39-yard touchdown run by Jamary Williams, and McGee IV and Crowe connected on their first touchdown to take a 13-7 lead as Lake Highlands struggled to get in sync offensively.
McGee IV and Crowe connected two more times in the first half to build a two-possession lead, but Lake Highlands quarterback Tripp Holley kept the Wildcats in the game with a pair of touchdown runs, including a score just before halftime to cut the deficit to six.
Lake Highlands marched down the field to start the third quarter and reclaimed the lead on a 36-yard pass from Holley to Tripp Marshall off a creative use of misdirection and fake handoffs. Still, the defense could not stop McGee IV and Crowe, who added two more touchdowns in the second half.
Lake Highlands moved the ball much better in the second half, but a fumble in the red zone became a missed opportunity that Berkner used to its advantage. The Rams finished the game with 14 unanswered points as Lake Highlands failed to convert on fourth down.
McGee IV threw for 267 yards and six touchdowns, while Crowe had eight catches for 160 yards and five touchdowns. Williams added 175 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Holley had 248 passing yards and four total touchdowns, and 6A’s leading rusher, Deonte Dean, finished with 118 rushing yards for Lake Highlands after a slow start.
Berkner (3-2, 3-0) takes over first place in District 7-6A and faces Irving (0-4, 0-2) on Friday. Lake Highlands plays Irving Nimitz (0-5, 0-3) on the road on Thursday.
