Football Recap: Demetrius Perry Leads Ellison's Defense on Thursday + How To Watch

By Team Reports Oct 13, 2025, 12:40am

Football Recap: Ellison Eagles vs. Belton Tigers

HOW TO WATCH: This game can be replayed on the NFHS Network, the official streaming partner of the TX University Interscholastic League (UIL) & Belton High School. Watch Full Replay

Ellison was the 38-19 winner over Belton when they last played one another back in October of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Eagles fell 53-42 to the Tigers on Thursday. Despite 93 more yards than the Tigers, the Eagles couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.

When it comes to explaining why Ellison lost, don't look at Marlyn Smith. Despite the final result, he rushed for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only five carries, and also threw for 230 yards and one TD. A healthy portion of that aerial production (128 yards to be exact) went to Prince Hall, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.

Demetrius Perry

Total Tackles

10/09/25 @ Belton10
09/27/25 @ Odessa10
09/19/25 @ Red Oak13
09/12/25 vs Shoemaker13
09/05/25 @ Killeen13
08/29/25 vs Copperas Cove6

Even if they lost, Ellison's defensive line still kept up the pressure with five sacks. Demetrius Perry was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself. Perry is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least six every time he's taken the field this season. Ellison received some extra help from Perry, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Will Shepard produced another solid performance rushing for 123 yards and four scores while picking up 7.7 yards per carry, and also throwing for 274 yards and three TDs while completing 88.2% of his passes for Belton. Those 274 passing yards gave Shepard a new career-high. Cason Morton was another key player, picking up 93 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Ellison has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-4 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 37.8 points over those games. As for Belton, the win got them back to even at 3-3.

Looking ahead, Ellison will challenge Waco at 7:00 p.m. on the 17th. The Eagles will be up against the Lions' rather soft defense (which has allowed 41.4 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Belton, they will take on University at 7:00 p.m. on the 17th. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 989 yards in their previous games.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps