The Allen Eagles will advance to the semifinals of the Texas 6A playoffs after a surging in the second half over the Duncanville Panthers, as they won by a score of 42 to 23 at AT&T Stadium.

The Eagle offense struggled to establish a passing attack, but it didn’t matter as the running game carried the team down the field. The two-headed monster at running back of Brock Sturges and Kirby Bennett combined for 266 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just 26 carries. The play of the night came on a carry by Bennett, as he blew past Panther defenders and kept his balance along the sideline for a 78-yard touchdown run.

“We work hard in practice every day,” center Mason Norris said. “[The offensive line] is going to help our other guys be as successful as they can be, help them score touchdowns and make plays.”

Starting quarterback Mitchell Jonke finished the game with 87 passing yards and two total touchdowns, as he efficiently managed the offense and made plays with his legs when needed. Backup quarterback Grant Tisdale also made plays when called upon, highlighted by a 36-yard run on third and 11 late in the first half. Wide receiver Carson Schleker had two receptions for nine yards, but he also set up Allen with great field position on several drives by providing great punt and kick returns.

“Field position is important,” Schleker said. “We want to score the next play.”

The defense as a whole had a solid performance, as they gave up 396 total yards. The secondary had a good day against the Panther passing attack, as they held Duncanville to 224 passing yards and allowed their quarterback to complete only 60 percent of his passes. The Eagle ‘D’ did give up 172 rushing yards at 4.1 yards-per-carry, but the defensive line made several plays in the Panthers backfield throughout the game to disrupt the timing of their offense. The defense also forced two turnovers on the day, as defensive lineman Cole Maxwell forced a fumble and defensive back Jaylen Ellis collected an interception late in the fourth quarter.

“We all make each other better and feed off each other,” Ellis said. “We’ve just got to stay focused and stay hungry and then we’ll do great things.”

Next week the Allen Eagles will take on The Woodlands Highlanders at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium. Stay up with all the action here at The Eagle Angle.