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Mesquite Poteet dominates in multiple facets in 49-20 win over Frisco Liberty

FRISCO — Mesquite Poteet showed a variety of strengths in its 49-20 victory over Frisco Liberty on Thursday night in the teams’ football season opener at FC Dallas Stadium.

Poteet scored on five of its first seven possessions, with a different player getting each touchdown.

Junior receiver Deandre McNeal finished with the high-point total with a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and a two-point conversion.

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Senior Lane Novy took over at quarterback after playing linebacker during Poteet’s 11-3 run last season. Novy completed 17 of 25 passes for 293 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.

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Poteet had 644 yards of offense (316 rushing, 328 passing) in the first game for head coach Kody Groves, who replaces Randy Jackson, now at Plano East. Groves had been defensive coordinator at Poteet the last two years.

Breaking in speedy sophomore receiver Walter Dawn Jr. on its first two possessions, Poteet scored first on Dawn’s 8-yard touchdown run. He had caught two hitch-screen passes for 36 yards on the first drive. Poteet had two touchdowns called back on penalties before the 5-8, 160-pound Dawn scored his first varsity touchdown. Poteet led 8-0 after McNeal caught a jump-ball, two-point conversion pass from holder/backup quarterback Ryan Tremain.

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Poteet led 15-0 in less than seven minutes as senior receiver Kody Edwards scored on a 57-yard pass reception. Senior receiver David Ayala caught an 11-yard touchdown pass to make it 22-0 early in the second quarter.

Poteet junior linebacker Malik Jefferson, considered by some the top college prospect in the state for the class of 2015, and senior linebacker Malachi Cobb helped force four punts on Liberty’s first six possessions. Poteet stopped Liberty on downs on another possession and Cobb intercepted a pass after batting it into the air. Poteet’s versatile senior and SMU commit Nathaniel Gaines added a second-half interception as well as playing receiver and serving as deep snapper.

Poteet led 29-0 after McNeal easily stepped in for a 1-yard score up the middle. Poteet took a 42-7 lead on its first possession of the second half when McNeal scored on a 63-yard pass after breaking away from two tackles inside the 10-yard line to score.

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Liberty, coming off a 3-7 season, scored once in the first half, on a 2-yard run by junior quarterback Udgam Goyal. Goyal, who also played safety, alternated possessions with starting senior quarterback Connor Robison.

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