GOODWELL – The Texans remain in control of their own destiny for a share of the Lone Star Conference championship after stifling Oklahoma Panhandle in a 45-26 win Saturday afternoon.
 
Tarleton snapped a streak of 11 consecutive quarters without a rushing touchdown by getting one apiece from Joseph Sadler and Jabari Anderson in the fourth quarter before Basil Jackson's second pick six of the season capped off a 21-point fourth quarter and a 45-26 victory for the Texans.
 
"Well that late turnover really helped, but we made some good stops on defense and really proud of our guys for coming here ready to go. This is a really difficult place to play and to get out of here with a win is a plus," said head coach Todd Whitten. "Our players traveled really well and we're going to really, really have to work hard in practice this week to get win number six. I really believe in our guys and I know they're going to play hard every single week."
 
With the win, Tarleton moves to 5-2 in league play with games against Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce left on the schedule. Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce sit atop the league standings with identical 5-1 records in Lone Star Conference play and 6-1 records overall.
 
"It really is important (for our defense to have confidence heading into next week's game against Midwestern State)," said Whitten. "They have really played well over the last month and they've played well against the run, but we're going to have to make sure we dot that next week as well. Again, I'm just really proud of our team all the way around."
 
Sergio Sroka got things started with a 25-yard field goal attempt with 7:43 remaining in the opening quarter before Bubba Tandy found the end zone for the first Tarleton touchdown of the afternoon just over a minute later. After an Aggie three-and-out, Zed Woerner hit a crossing Tandy in stride and he was off to the races for a 74-yard touchdown and a 10-0 Tarleton lead.
 
Tandy finished the game with 100 receiving yards on three receptions, which was second only to Del'Michael High's 126 receiving yards on nine catches. That marks the first time in school history the Texans have had two receivers top 100 receiving yards in the same game three times in a season.
 
Oklahoma Panhandle inched closer over the rest of the first half, outscoring the Texans 13-7 to cut the Tarleton lead down to just 17-13 at the break. Tarleton's only second-half score came on a three-yard pitch and catch from Woerner to Kason Fornes, who broke free to the corner of the end zone for his first receiving touchdown of the season at the 7:59 mark of the second quarter.
 
Neither team was able to break away early in the new half before newly inserted Texan signal caller, Derek Kiser, dropped a 22-yard touch pass to the back shoulder of running back Joseph Sadler for a touchdown to put the Texans up 24-13 with 2:42 left in the third quarter.
 
OPSU answered the call on the next drive with a four-yard touchdown run with 00:44 left in the quarter to make it 24-19. Tarleton's Birdel Hodge shut down the two-point conversion attempt to keep it a five-point game heading into the final frame.
 
The final quarter ignited the Tarleton offense, starting when Kiser eluded the Aggie pass rush and stepped up to deliver a strike to Del'Michael High on third-and-10 to set up the Tarleton offense at the Aggie two-yard line. The Texans answered when Jabari Anderson scampered into the end zone for a touchdown to put Tarleton up 31-19. It was the first rushing touchdown for Tarleton since the fourth quarter of the October 8 game against Western New Mexico.
 
Just over 3:30 later, the Texan ground game struck again when Sadler took it in from two yards out for his second score of the day to extend the lead to 38-19.
 
The Aggies answered back with a scoring drive of their own to pull within eight points at the 7:58 mark and took over possession with a chance to tie with 6:26 left in the game.
 
Enter, Basil Jackson.
 
Jackson stepped in front of a Shane Truelove pass and took it 55 yards to the house to put the final stamp on the game and extend Tarleton's lead to 45-26. It is Jackson's second interception return for a touchdown this season and it makes him the first player since Desmond Jackson to return multiple interceptions for a touchdown in his career.
 
The combination of Woerner and Kiser combined for a season-high passing effort of 403 yards through the air. High and Tandy combined for 226 of those yards while Taylor Massey enjoyed a career day, going for 84 yards on five catches. Kason Fornes also hauled in five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown.
 
Woerner threw for 246 yards and two scores while Kiser was 10-17 for 157 with a touchdown.
 
Jackson led the Tarleton defensive effort with a season high 12 tackles, including 0.5 for a loss and the interception for a touchdown. Dariet McDuff forced a fumble while Birdel Hodge scooped it up. Treston Ridge had a team-leading four pass breakups.
 
Tarleton will return home Saturday night to host #13 Midwestern State at 7 p.m. on Military Appreciation Night at Memorial Stadium. It will also be Senior Night as Texan Football will recognize its senior class playing in its final home game for the Purple and White.