You may recall what the progeny of the NFL’s all-time leading rusher did in a freshman football game against DeSoto (Texas) last fall.

EJ Smith, the son of legendary Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, is now a sophomore at Jesuit (Dallas). Friday night, Smith’s team faced DeSoto once again, this time at the varsity level.

In the second half, he channeled his father’s ability to take over a game, nearly leading Jesuit to an upset of the defending Class 6A Division II state champions.

Smith, a running back and wide receiver, scored four touchdowns down the stretch in a narrow 41-36 defeat. Here’s video of Smith’s night, courtesy of Overtime Football:

Smith finished with 52 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries along with six receptions for 87 yards and a score. All four of EJ Smith’s touchdowns came in the second half, as Jesuit rallied from a steep 28-6 deficit to nearly pull off the comeback.

As the Dallas Morning News tells it, Smith caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Parker Towns with 2:33 left to get Jesuit within five at 41-36, and his team then recovered a fumble and drove to DeSoto’s 19-yard line in the closing minute before a DeSoto interception clinched the victory.

Smith’s effort in Week 1 of the Texas high school football season, however, was likely a sign of many good things to come.