ESPN

DALLAS -- Carter head coach Allen Wilson felt his team would need to stop the big play to beat South Oak Cliff Friday night.

The Cowboys (5-2, 4-0) surrendered a landslide of big plays but rode a steady rushing attack behind bruising 6-1, 220-pound senior running back Chason White and speedy senior quarterback Dunston Owens to rally from a 14-point half time deficit to squeak by South Oak Cliff, 35-34.

White ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, and Owens added 123 yards and one touchdown on just eight carries. Carter ran 56 times and threw only twice.

"We just kept it together, came out in the second half and lined up behind our lineman and did what we do," White said. "They make it really easy cause they're big and know how to block."

The win kept Carter on pace with Pinkston at the top of District 11-4A, while South Oak Cliff (5-2, 3-1) fell behind the front runners.

“

I was nervous till we were kneeling.

” -- Carter head coach Allen Wilson

With the Carter safeties loading the box to slowdown Oak Cliff junior running back Barron Perry, quarterback Semaj Riley went to the air. He connected on 14-of-23 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns - none shorter than 20 yards.

Senior tailback Larry Jones also added a 24-yard touchdown pass to junior Jordan Mayfield on a halfback pass on 4th-and-2 and rumbled for 15 yards and a first down on a fake punt. Senior linebacker Kevin Adams provided another game-changing touchdown on a 27-yard fumble return.

Despite the win, Wilson aired his frustration over the long touchdowns.

"You work on it, but if we knew how to stop it we would have stopped it," Wilson said. "We gave up some big damn plays. We talked about it all damn week and still gave them up."

While Carter bottled up Perry on the ground, holding him to just 32 yards on 10 carries, he hit them for big chunks of yardage through the air, catching two passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Oak Cliff senior receiver Karl Watson-McMillian pitched in with seven catches for 89 yards and two scores, and senior Johnny Humphrey snagged five catches for 112 yards.

Despite all the big passes and three turnovers, Carter came charging back with its powerful running game. Senior running back Robert Andrew punched through the game-winner from 18 yards out with 8:42 left in the game.

While a missed field goal proved the difference in the game, Carter iced the contest by kneeling at the South Oak Cliff 2-yard line to kill the clock.

"I was nervous till we were kneeling," Wilson said.