Staff and Wire Report

HOUSTON — While Sam Houston State rolled past Texas Southern in college football action Thursday in Houston, a former local prep standout had a hand in Texas Southern’s lone points of the ball game.

Former Patterson High School quarterback and Texas Southern freshman Justice Jones helped Texas Southern put its lone points on the board with a 16-yard touchdown pass to James Davis with 12:11 remaining in the second quarter. The touchdown cut the Sam Houston State advantage to 14-6.

Sam Houston’s Preston Sanders blocked the Tigers’ extra point, and Kenneth Jenkins picked up the ball at the 20 and ran it back for a defensive conversion.

Jones entered the game for the Tigers at the end of the first quarter and tossed the touchdown pass on his second series, a two-play, 14-yard possession that lasted 57 seconds.

Jones led the squad in passing as he completed four of six attempts for 67 yards. The stats were his first of the season and even better than Texas Southern starter Rudy Johnson, who completed six of 11 passes for 39 yards in the loss.

For Sam Houston, Brian Bell passed for 208 yards and three touchdowns as the Bearkats totaled 558 yards of offense in the victory.

The Bearkats (2-2) struck early, with Bell finding Texas A&M transfer Chance Nelson open for a 61-yard scoring pass three minutes into the game. Bell also threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Stephen Williams, and added a 32-yarder to Nelson en route to a 33-6 halftime lead at BVAA Compass Stadium.

Bell was 10 of 15 with one interception, and Nelson finished with three catches for 127 yards.

Linebacker Darius Taylor had eight tackles, including two sacks, and Sam Houston limited the Tigers (1-4) to 165 yards of total offense.

Dax Swanson's 12th career interception set up the Bearkats' second touchdown, with Trey Diller scoring on a 32-yard run after an option pitch from Bell. Swanson needs one more interception to tie the Sam Houston career record set by Ronnie Choate 1955-59.

In the second half, Keshawn Hill scored on a 36-yard run, and Ridgeway Frank had a 4-yard TD run.