Longhorns clinch Northwest

Legacy coach David Snyder had reason to celebrate as the final seconds ticked away Friday.

The second-ranked Longhorns had just clinched their first Northwest League title with a 30-0 road victory over Centennial, yet Snyder appeared cool and collected as he spoke to his players in the postgame huddle.

“We met our first goal tonight,” said Snyder, whose squad secured the league’s top playoff seed with its ninth consecutive win. “This is only our fourth year of existence, so I’m pretty proud.”

But the coach made little of the fact that his team’s record remains unblemished with one regular-season game remaining.

“It’s nice to be undefeated, especially in this division,” Snyder said. “But it really makes no difference. In the playoffs, everyone will have a 0-0 record.”

The Longhorns used a balanced offensive attack, striking first when Deshae Edwards pounded up the middle for a 6-yard touchdown run that capped a 16-play drive late in the first quarter.

“Our plan was to let a lot of guys get touches,” said Snyder, whose team kept the ball on the ground most of the night. “We’ve got three backs who can carry the ball, and we wanted to utilize all three.”

That plan worked to perfection, leading to a 38-yard Andres Ortiz field goal early in the second quarter to make the score 10-0.

Demetrius Hughes returned an interception 41 yards just before the end of the first half to increase the lead to 17-0.

Legacy quarterback Devin Wiedemann scored on a 9-yard keeper to open the fourth quarter, and Martell Crockett made the score 30-0 with a 4-yard touchdown run late in the game.

Legacy’s defense was just as effective, forcing two Centennial turnovers while holding the Bulldogs to 92 yards.

“Our defense has carried us all season,” Snyder said. “They came out a little flat before stepping it up tonight. That’s what we expect of our defense.”

Special teams also made an impact for Legacy, pulling off two successful onside kicks.

L.J. McMorris rushed 18 times for 110 yards to lead the Longhorns (9-0, 7-0 Northwest), and Wiedemann completed 3 of 6 passes for 46 yards.

Javanh Sanders led Centennial (3-6, 3-4) with 45 yards on eight carries.