It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but New Diana had no problem doing just that on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 43-21 margin over the New Waverly Bulldogs. Fans of the Eagles have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
New Diana's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dejuan Johnson led the charge by throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.3 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 124 yards on only ten carries. Johnson is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last four games he's played. Davyon Mapps was in the mix as well, providing New Diana with two touchdowns.
New Diana didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jaiden Williams and Jaiydyn Johnson. Johnson also set a new season high mark in receiving yards with 174. New Diana got some further help from Ayden Hamilton: he picked up a sack, forced a fumble, and made 12 total tackles (4.0 for loss).
New Diana was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 240 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 165 rushing yards in 11 consecutive matchups.
New Diana's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-0. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.5 points per game. As for New Waverly, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.
New Diana will face off against Daingerfield at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in New Diana's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season. New Waverly does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
