Big-play Hendrickson tops Bowie in playoff opener

In the opening round of the Class 6A Division I football playoffs Nov. 17 at Burger Stadium, Hendrickson stuck to the script in 44-21 win over Bowie.

That meant a heavy dose of senior running back D.J. Jackson, a lightning-bug of a back who keyed a Hendrickson (8-3) ground game that amassed 342 yards rushing against Bowie (8-3), that led to a 7–3 regular season and second-place finish in District 13-6A.

“(Jackson) is a complete player, that’s what people don’t understand,” Hendrickson head coach Chip Killian said. “Most see him as a smaller guy, but he’s strong enough to run inside, great hands to catch on the outside. I just hope someone takes a chance on him at the next level.”

Following two stalled drives to start the contest, Hendrickson began its first-half scoring barrage by looking Jackson’s way. On the 5-foot-6-inch back’s seventh touch of the evening, he received a screen pass from starting quarterback Blaine Barker. A clean catch left Jackson with plenty of room to dart past Bowie’s front seven and into the secondary. From there, it was a footrace in the open field that Jackson would win with ease, sprinting 78 yards to the end zone for a 7-6 lead.

Jackson wouldn’t be confined to scoring solely through the air, either. Late in the second quarter, Jackson took a handoff into the backfield and darted left. After seeing resistance near the middle of the line, Jackson cut outside, bursting past Bowie’s linebackers and down the sideline. Seventy-eight yards later, Jackson had his second touchdown of the day, giving Hendrickson a 28-6 lead. After two quarters of play and 237 total yards from Jackson, the Hawks led 31-14

But it wasn’t all offense fueling Hendrickson’s playoff victory on Friday night. The Hawks generated three turnovers during the contest while bottling Bowie’s rushing attack to just 38 yards on 24 carries. The most notable defensive play of the night came in the first quarter, when cornerback Tobias Harris sprinted in front of a Bowie receiver for a 21-yard interception return touchdown. The senior’s turnover marked Hendrickson’s second score of the day, lengthening the Hawks’ lead.

“Our secondary has really embraced our schemes, and they do a great job during the week of preparing,” Killian said. “They’re really great to coach at halftime and between series.”

Bowie’s offense failed to respond in the second half, as the Bulldogs added just seven points after halftime in the 44-21 defeat. Hendrickson had the contest in its grasp by midway through the fourth quarter, icing the game on a 22-yard touchdown reception from Jackson with just over eight minutes remaining.

While Bowie’s season ended on Friday night, Hendrickson remains alive in the Class 6A Division II Region II bracket. The Hawks will next take the field on Nov. 24 in Brenham, facing the winner of Spring and Klein’s matchup on Saturday.

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