Dawn's Day: Poteet senior makes key plays in playoff win over Wylie East

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ARLINGTON - A second half with two successful onside kicks, six touchdowns and 10 plays that gained more than 20 yards left heads spinning Saturday at AT&T Stadium. But as the clock rolled under 40 seconds, there were still three memorable spins left.

Those were courtesy of Mesquite Poteet do-it-all senior Walter Dawn Jr. as he set up the winning field goal in Poteet's come-from-behind 46-43 win over Wylie East in a Class 5A Division I area-round game. Dawn caught a screen pass near the 30-yard line, spun away from one Wylie East defender, then another, and then a third before he was pulled down at the 14.

Poteet (9-3), which will next play the Mansfield Lake Ridge/Tyler John Tyler winner at 9 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium, called a timeout with three seconds left. After a Wylie East penalty moved the ball to the 9, Poteet kicker Angel Sevier split the uprights from 26 yards to clinch the win.

"It feels amazing," Dawn said. "I don't want this season to be over with. I love my teammates."

There was a lot to love about the rematch of Poteet and Wylie East (10-2), who also played in Week 2. Wylie East won that matchup 50-41, and although the offenses started slowly Saturday, the big plays mushroomed in the second half.

It started with Wylie East scoring three touchdowns in the first 2:16 of the third quarter. Eno Benjamin, who finished with 31 carries for 239 yards and four touchdowns, started the scoring flurry with a 57-yard run.

Wylie East then pulled a surprise onside kick and scored a touchdown on Braden Shewmake's 48-yard pass to Jared Wyatt. The kickoff that followed was drilled into one of Poteet's blockers and recovered by Wylie East, and that led to another touchdown.

Poteet, in front 18-8 at the half, was suddenly behind by 11. But when the Pirates' offense finally got back on the field, Dawn quelled the momentum when he took a screen pass 79 yards for a touchdown.

"That kind of calmed the storm a little bit," Poteet coach Kody Groves said. "That was the play of the game."

Dawn was certainly the player of the game. He finished with 14 rushes for 141 yards and a touchdown, caught eight passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns, and he also played cornerback and safety in the second half.

Poteet needed him everywhere, especially after Benjamin's 44-yard touchdown run extended Wylie East's lead to 43-28 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Dawn's 37-yard run cut the lead to 43-35, and after Poteet forced a punt, Dawn caught a 41-yard touchdown pass. He also ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game at 43-43 with five minutes left.

Wylie East had a chance to take the lead, but on third-and-9, Shewmake threw deep to avoid a sack. Who was there to make the interception with 2:20 left?

Dawn. Of course.

That set up the final huge play by the senior, who is only 5-7 and 165 pounds. His three-spin run set up the three points that put Poteet in the third round of the playoffs.

"He's our best player. He's going to get the ball every chance we have," Groves said. "He's a special kid. I can't say enough about him and what he's done."

Twitter: @mattwixon