4th Consecutive Playoff Appearance By Cedar Hill
The Cedar Hill High School Football Team clinched its fourth consecutive playoff appearance with a 45-23 victory at Waco Midway on Friday night as the Longhorns scored six touchdowns on six plays.
Cedar Hill junior quarterback Cedric Harden Jr. had his third four-touchdown game of the season and his first three touchdown pass game.
Harden Jr. completed all three of his pass attempts for touchdowns (3-for-3 for 80 yards) and scored on his lone carry, a 43-yard run. He has 22 touchdowns on the season – 14 rushing and eight passing.
Junior running back Jaylen Jenkins scored two touchdowns on his only two carries (37 yards) for his first two-touchdown game since a 36-26 win over Arlington on September 3.
Harden Jr. scored four touchdowns each against both Waco teams in 6A-11 and now has seven career touchdowns against Midway. He had three in last season’s regular season finale win over the Panthers.
Senior running back Robert Richardson scored his first Cedar Hill touchdown on a 1-yard run. (his only carry of the game) Richardson won a gold medal as a member of the UIL Class 6A 4×200 Meter Relay Team and a bronze medal at Nationals.
Senior wide receiver Keunte Rhinehart caught a 24-yard touchdown pass and now has a team-high three touchdown receptions on the season.
Junior wide receiver Jairrus Nicholson caught his second varsity touchdown pass (34 yards) and his second touchdown pass in as many weeks.
Sophomore wide receiver Keione Bright caught his first varsity touchdown pass (22 yards).
The Longhorns (5-4, 4-2) scored a season-high 45 points, eclipsing their previous mark of 38 points on September 17. They will go to the postseason for the 16th time in 17 seasons.
It was also head coach Carlos Lynn’s 40th career victory at Cedar Hill.
The Longhorns, who led 13-3 at halftime, scored 32 points in the second half and held off a late rally from the Panthers (1-8, 1-5). Cedar Hill improved to 4-0 all-time under Midway, including 2-0 with Lynn as head coach.
Cedar Hill will honor its 44 seniors on Senior Night at 7 p.m. Thursday vs. Mansfield at Longhorn Stadium.
The Longhorns need a victory or a Waxahachie loss to DeSoto in order to earn 6A-11’s #1 seed, which would set up a rematch with Bryan, whom Cedar Hill defeated, 27-0, in the opening round last season.
Earning the #2 seed would mean a first round matchup with perennial Texas power, Temple.
