Quanah Register
Sunday, December 4, 1994
Quanah, Texas
Opinion
Section
Page B-1/Local Interest
Irving - That cold arctic chill you felt come across Texas Stadium Saturday night was not a bitter winter front coming through, it was the painful agony of knowing that Quanah High blew the best chance it ever had of playing for a state championship. Outplayed for most of the game against Dobie, Quanah inexplicably was ahead with just ten seconds left. Trailing 14-9 late in the fourth quarter, Mark Beasley was intercepted for the third time. It seemed that Dobie had just sealed our fate. But, for some crazy reason, Dobie linebacker John Jackson declined to take a knee and started to run the ball back. Without any timeouts, Quanah received a huge early Christmas present when wide receiver Phillip Dexter leveled a monstrous blow to the linebacker cutting across the field. The ball jarred loose and took one bounce on the turf. Wide receiver Jason Sanders picked it up on one hop and raced twenty-seven yards to the endzone. Just like that, Quanah was ahead and bound for the state championship.
But then, cruel fate, dealt its most vicious blow. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Mark Beasley was sacked by Dobie linebacker John Jackson and the ball fell to the turf. Safety Dexter Johnson returned the two-point conversion fumble ninety-seven yards the other way and suddenly Dobie was ahead by one, not down by one. In a cruel turn of fate, Quanah's championship dreams were dashed in seconds. Following the failed onside kick, Dobie quarterback Steven Sullinger took a knee and the celebration was on for the Dobie players, fans, and parents.
Dobie 16, Quanah 15. The scoreboard in Texas Stadium illuminated the pain of Quanah.
As the players stormed the field in celebration, Quanah's Mark Beasley could only sit on the bench, inconsolable in defeat. The son of legendary CEO Frank Beasley, he was going to be the star quarterback that was going to finally deliver a state championship to Quanah. The whole city of Quanah had waited forever to finally witness Quanah High win a state championship. All they had to do was just not do anything disastrous on the two-point conversion. Failing to look to his blindside and holding on to the ball too long, now Mark Beasley will forever be remembered as the quarterback who blew the best chance Quanah ever had to win a state championship. Mark will always be the one that everyone remembers who lost the game, pure and simple. Sure, he's still going to Texas, and he had a great career. But only your last game is remembered, and this one will haunt Mark Beasley for a lifetime. Instead of being the town hero, he'll return the town goat. Such a shame for a young man who had a great career. His legendary father, CEO of Tricon Enterprise, Frank Beasley could only look on in horror as the final seconds ticked away. He was going to have it all, a great company that he founded and a son that finally brought a title to Quanah. Turns out fate only gave him one out of two.
For wide receiver Phillip Dexter, he'll always be left to wonder what would have happened had Quanah kept the lead. For a young man that had to endure the tragic death of his father, this was going to be the shining moment that he forever would have been remembered. Phillip Dexter should have returned to school tomorrow the hero, the young man who leveled that jarring hit that enabled Quanah to head to the state championship game. Instead, he'll return to school tomorrow with an empty feeling of what could have been. He'll return knowing that for only a brief moment, he became as big as the game itself. Following in the footsteps of his older brother's (Jeff Dexter) heroics in a 32-29 win over Vernon, he was set to become a legend himself. Jeff Dexter caught the game winning touchdown against Vernon just four years previous in a playoff game in Vernon with no time left on the clock. Instead, watching from the stands on Saturday night, he watched cruel fate again deal another nasty blow. Phillip's only season on the team ends in a bitter defeat.
For Jason Sanders, the star wide receiver, this will go down as one of most sickening losses of all time. He had just scored what-should-have-been the game winning TD with ten seconds left. Instead, he could only look in horror as Dexter Johnson raced down the sideline to help Dobie steal the victory. For Aaron Jennings, he'll only be left with the lasting image of being the star running back that never got to play in the title game. Mark's best friend forever, they were destined to ride off into the sunset as champions in their senior year of high school. Turns out fate sometimes can play its cruel hand at the most unfortunate times.
For the people of Quanah, they'll only be left with the memory of the "Famous Fumble." Everyone thought this was our year. Senior-laden offense with a good defense. Instead, it will be another long, nasty winter with thoughts of what could have been. Football is truly a way of life here. It's part of our blood and our culture. The way we lost to Dobie on Saturday night, it darn near felt like one of your loved ones just left you. Almost, with a strong emphasis. Instead of heading to Houston next weekend, Dobie will face Plano for the state championship in the Astrodome. Quanah High will face only questions. Questions of what might have been.
As for Dobie, well, they are the Grinch that truly stole Christmas.