Watsahatchee scored the final touchdown and held on to beat the Forney Jackrabbits 35-14 in the home opener at Stewart Lumpkins Memorial Stadium.

The win was built on a sustained running game and clock management; Watsahatchee’s Talen Strange rushed for more than 100 yards, and Jordan Smith finished a 10-play, 66-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to make it 35-14. "35 14 Indians on their way to home opener win," the Play-by-play announcer said during the broadcast.

Why it matters: Watsahatchee’s ground control and time-of-possession advantage prevented Forney from mounting a late comeback. Forney committed multiple turnovers on recent possessions, including an interception and at least one lost fumble, which the broadcast cited as key to Watsahatchee’s ability to maintain the lead.

The most decisive factors were Watsahatchee’s rushing attack and several critical defensive plays. Talen Strange had what the broadcast called his second 100-yard rushing game of the season; Watsahatchee repeatedly converted short-yardage situations to keep the clock running in the fourth quarter. The Indians used a short-yardage “bull” package in late-game downs to pick up multiple first downs, and the announcers credited the offensive line for opening running lanes throughout the second half.

Forney’s offense showed flashes — quarterback Peterson made several successful scrambles and completed runs on rollouts — but the visiting team lost yardage on a number of stalled drives and failed to sustain momentum after two turnovers in a short span. The broadcast described one sequence in the third quarter when a tipped pass on fourth-and-6 resulted in Watsahatchee taking over on downs, a play the Play-by-play announcer called a turning point that preserved the Indians’ lead.

Key plays described on the broadcast:
- A late fourth-quarter drive by Watsahatchee covered 66 yards on 10 plays and ended with Jordan Smith’s 17-yard touchdown run, which the Play-by-play announcer said sealed the game.
- Talen Strange exceeded 100 rushing yards; the broadcast noted that Strange had multiple positive runs in the second half and was a consistent force between the tackles.
- Forney suffered at least two turnovers on consecutive possessions late in the game (a fumble and an interception), which the commentators said curtailed Forney’s comeback chances.
- On a fourth-and-6 attempt late in the third quarter, a tipped pass fell incomplete and was described by the broadcast as a critical defensive stop for Watsahatchee.

The broadcast credited Watsahatchee coach Tolleson (referenced by the announcers) with a game plan to keep the ball on the ground and control the clock. As the Color commentator put it during the game, "This Indian ground control game has controlled the game tonight." The Play-by-play announcer also noted the Indians’ emphasis on time of possession early in postgame commentary.

Game context and logistics mentioned on the broadcast: the game was the Indians’ home opener and their last non-district game before district play. The commentators previewed the upcoming district opener against Duncanville with a kickoff time referenced in the broadcast. The radio broadcast closed with standard postgame notes, statistics and a postgame show announcement.

Details not specified in the broadcast: official rushing and passing stat lines for Forney’s quarterback and Watsahatchee players (beyond the references to Strange’s 100+ rushing yards and Smith’s 17-yard scoring run), exact turnover tallies beyond the consecutive late-possession turnovers, and an official attendance figure were not provided on the air.

—Quoted material in this article is attributed to on-air speakers identified in the broadcast as the Play-by-play announcer and the Color commentator.