Denton Guyer outlasts Allen in showdown between perennial Dallas-area powers

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ALLEN — A blocked field goal attempt, two interceptions, several sacks and numerous turnovers on downs.

That line sums up Denton Guyer’s 24-18 win over Allen, which was for many stretches a defensive brawl between two of the Dallas area’s elite on Friday night at Eagle Stadium. But by the third quarter and through the final seconds of the contest, that brawl, which saw Guyer take a 7–0 halftime lead, turned into a shootout with the teams combining for 35 points out of the locker room.

With 5:28 left in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma commit Eli Bowen returned a kick for a 77-yard touchdown to increase upon Guyer’s lead. Then, Allen running back Amir McDowell rushed for a 1-yard score. Caleb Smith’s successful 2-point conversion run put Allen within six with 3:36 left in the game.

And yet, it was a defensive play that decided the game. On third and 17 at Guyer’s 18-yard line, with 34 seconds left on the clock, linebacker Jayden Collins intercepted Allen quarterback Brady Bricker’s pass and returned it 64 yards. All Guyer quarterback Isaac Harney had to do was take a knee for the win.

“I knew we had to make a play,” Collins said. “It was seconds on the clock. If they score, then they’re up, so I knew I had to make a play, go out there and execute.”

Allen, which upset McKinney 31-7 last week to take control of District 5-6A play along with Prosper, dropped its first district game of the season on Friday. Prosper, which beat Guyer in Week 3, is in the district’s driver’s seat ahead of its meeting with Allen next week. Prosper meets McKinney in Week 11.

Guyer, last year’s District 5-6A champion, trails Prosper in the district race but is certainly still in the mix for a district title.

“For you to play at the top in the state of Texas, you just have to bring it every week,” said Guyer head coach Reed Heim, who added he felt on top of the world after the win. “This district gets you ready for the playoffs.”

It took until midway through the second quarter for either team to score. Harney found three-star wide receiver Josiah Martin for a 45-yard touchdown. Martin, who holds numerous offers from schools including Alabama, Colorado and TCU, finished with eight catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard score, for Guyer which managed 226 yards of offense and 10 first downs.

“He is a stud,” Heim said of Martin. “He’s a game-changer.”

But credit to the Allen defense, too. Allen defensive back LeBron Bauer blocked a Guyer field goal attempt in the third quarter. Defensive lineman Zina Umeozulu sacked Harney, who finished with 231 yards and two touchdowns, three times.

Allen, which had one missed field goal, did not score until late in the third quarter when running back Micah Ellis punched in a 12-yard touchdown. Bricker, who scrambled several times in the game to move Allen upfield, finished with 180 passing yards and 48 rushing yards. Guyer’s Max Hornsby picked Bricker off in the third quarter.

Heim said he’s proud of how his defense played tonight. With two games against McKinney and Prosper Rock Hill left on Guyer’s schedule, he still thinks his team has a lot of upside.

“I don’t know if we’re a great football team yet,” Heim said. “But I think we’re getting better every week. Our goal is when playoffs start, we’re playing our best football.”

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