(Jourdanton) — The Navarro Panther 2023 football season came to a close on Friday night as the Sinton Pirates took home a 50-14 victory in the UIL Class 4A Division-II Region IV semifinals at Indian Stadium in Jourdanton.
Pirate quarterback Triston Handson threw for six touchdowns and ran for another in the victory. Sinton receiver Jacoby James hauled in four of Handson’s TD passes as the Pirates won their ninth straight game to advance to the regional finals.
Navarro senior Antwoin Mebane scored on a 30-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to get the Panthers their first score of the game. Two years ago as a sophomore, Mebane scored the game winning touchdown and two-point conversion in a walk off overtime win over Sinton in the very same round.
Another Navarro senior, Mack Berry, scored the other Navarro touchdown on the night from the defensive side of the ball. Berry picked up a Pirate fumble deep in Navarro territory and took the ball the other way for a 90-yard scoop and score with less than five minutes to go in the game.
The Pirates will face undefeated Wimberley in the Region IV finals next week. The Texans were a 63-14 winner over Ingleside in their regional semifinal. Wimberley’s only loss in the last two seasons was in the state championship last year to Carthage.
Navarro finishes their season with a 9-4 record. The Panthers were the runners-up in District 13-4A finishing behind Wimberley. Navarro has advanced to the regional semifinals in each of head coach Rod Blount’s six years at the helm.