GROESBECK, Texas — Thursday Night Lights kicked off the opening round of the UIL football playoffs, and Axtell set the tone early in Class 2A Division I with a 31–14 win over Cayuga in the bi-district round at Groesbeck High School.

Both teams struggled to find rhythm in the first half, with Axtell holding a 3–0 lead at the break. The Longhorns broke the game open in the third quarter when quarterback Levi Leathers hit AJ Fetsch for a long gain to set up the first touchdown of the night. Leathers finished the drive by taking it in himself for a 10–0 lead.

Axtell’s defense flipped momentum again when an errant snap sent Cayuga quarterback Gunnar Douglas scrambling before losing the ball, allowing the Longhorns to recover. Moments later, Damian Fernandez ripped off a long touchdown run t

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