Hillcrest crushes Thomas Jefferson 52-12 to secure playoff home field
The Panthers' dominant regular-season finale sets up a bi-district matchup where they aim to end a 20-year postseason win drought.
By Daniela Ortega ·
Hillcrest defeated Thomas Jefferson 52-12 at Loos Stadium on Thursday night, securing the runner-up position in District 5-5A Div. II. This victory guarantees the Panthers home field advantage for next week's bi-district playoff game. Hillcrest seeks its first postseason victory since 2006, having lost seven consecutive playoff games.
K.B. Fox led the offense with four touchdown passes in the first half. Three of those passes went to Khari Bass, who also scored on a 63-yard reception on Hillcrest's first play from scrimmage. That score erased an early 12-second lead by Thomas Jefferson. Fox completed four of six passes for touchdowns and added a 25-yard rushing score in the third quarter.
The Panthers scored on five consecutive possessions to open a 42-12 halftime lead. Jayden Harris ran in a touchdown after a bad punt snap by Thomas Jefferson. Wilford Finley Jr. scored on a 22-yard run following a fumble recovery by Zion King. Dash Davis added a 29-yard receiving touchdown on a fourth-down play with 36 seconds left before halftime.
Aaron Oliva carried the ball for 167 yards in his final game for Thomas Jefferson. He accounted for more than 86 percent of the Patriots' total offense. Oliva rushed for 14 scores and nearly 1,700 yards during the season. Thomas Jefferson ran the ball 43 times and threw just one pass, relying on a slow ground game to control time of possession.
Thomas Jefferson briefly cut the deficit to 14-12 with a 75-yard drive. That drive included two fourth-down conversions and ended with an 11-yard touchdown run by Yovani Vail. Hillcrest head coach Adrian Madise described the contest as physical, noting that the performance helped the team prepare for an East Texas first-round matchup.
Hillcrest averages 49.3 points per game during its current three-game winning streak. The Panthers averaged 12.3 yards on 28 offensive plays in Thursday's win. Thomas Jefferson head coach Bobby Estes praised Oliva's effort, stating that the senior workhorse got banged up early but played through it.
Estes acknowledged that Hillcrest's speed on the edges was a factor in the loss. He noted that while the Patriots performed well in the trenches, the disparity in speed was evident. Hillcrest will face an opponent to be determined in the bi-district round next week.
