Lovejoy survives Colleyville Heritage 38-35 in OT
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Updated: September 26, 2026
COLLEYVILLE — Colleyville Heritage erased an 11-point halftime deficit and took the lead twice after halftime Friday night. Lovejoy answered each time, then turned quarterback Nixon Slaughter’s overtime touchdown run into a 38-35 win in the District 3-5A Division II opener at Mustang-Panther Stadium.
Lovejoy set the pace early. Slaughter finished the Leopards’ opening drive with a touchdown run, but Andrew Roy’s field goal cut the lead to 7-3. Heritage then forced a fumble by Lovejoy’s Luke Gahan. Ashton Ellis caused the turnover, and the Panthers capitalized on the short field with a touchdown pass from quarterback Lane Vargas to Trevi Preische. Heritage led 10-7 late in the first quarter.
Lovejoy reclaimed the lead after stopping the Panthers on fourth down in the second quarter. Slaughter threw a touchdown pass on the ensuing possession, then connected with Gahan for another score before halftime. The Leopards had built a 21-10 advantage, but Heritage’s defense and passing game gave the Panthers a way back into the game after the break.
The Leopards (5-0, 1-0) led 21-10 at halftime, but the Panthers (2-3, 0-1) made the second half a test of Lovejoy’s unbeaten start. Heritage recovered an onside kick to open the third quarter and drove for a 1-yard touchdown run by Vargas. The score cut Lovejoy’s lead to 21-16.
Heritage’s defense followed with a stop that kept the comeback alive. Isaiah Omar tackled Slaughter on third down and blocked Lovejoy’s field-goal attempt on fourth down. Jerrod Wiley recovered the blocked kick. Vargas later found Preische for a touchdown that put the Panthers ahead 22-21 late in the third quarter.
The lead did not last. Lovejoy went back in front 24-22 on a fourth-quarter field goal, but Vargas connected with Preische again for a long touchdown pass. Heritage led 29-24 with 6:03 remaining. Lovejoy answered with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to take a 32-29 lead with 2:28 left.
That gave Vargas one more possession in regulation. He moved the Panthers into Lovejoy territory, and Roy made a field goal with nine seconds remaining to tie the game at 32. In overtime, Heritage took the first possession and settled for another Roy field goal. Slaughter responded on Lovejoy’s possession with a touchdown run to end the game.
Heritage had trailed by double digits after Lovejoy scored twice in the second quarter. Slaughter’s touchdown pass to Gahan helped send the Leopards to halftime up 21-10. The Panthers’ second-half rally, including the blocked kick and Preische’s two go-ahead catches, forced Lovejoy to win it on its final possession.
Slaughter finished with 284 passing yards and two touchdown passes. He also ran for three scores. Vargas threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns, all to Preische, who had eight catches for 201 yards. Lovejoy next hosts Community, while Heritage travels to The Colony.
by Ayman Lokhandwala
Before kickoff, Lovejoy head coach Todd Dodge discussed this matchup with Chris Doelle on the weekly Lovejoy Football show. Listen to the episode.
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