Cavs flip switch, rally for win
SHENANDOAH — Just call them the Rally Cavs.
Down 18 points at halftime, the College Park Cavaliers stormed back and then some Saturday night to beat the Klein Bearcats 38-24 at Woodforest Bank Stadium.
Sophomore Conner Dunphy scored a 2-yard run with 5:11 to put the Cavaliers ahead. Quarterback Ty Buckmon then iced the game with a 6-yard run for the two-touchdown lead with 1:18 left.
The Bearkats (2-2) are set to begin district play next week, while College Park (3-1) has one more non-district to go, plus a bye week, before district play starts.
The game was delayed about 15 minutes in the third quarter because of a light pole turning off. That was around the time College Park started the process of getting back in the game.
College Park scored three touchdowns in the third quarter while Klein had just a field goal for a 24-24 game after three quarters.
It was a wild play in favor of Klein that made the big difference in the first half.
The Bearkats were already ahead 7-3 when a College Park drive was stalled in the red zone.
The Cavaliers attempted a 30-yard field goal by Sebastian Parra. But the hold was dropped, Parra picked up the ball and threw a hookshot like pass towards the line.
Klein senior Aaron Cooper caught it, weaved through traffic and found some space up the left sideline for an 88-yard touchdown.
Klein then scored again on a 20-yard reception by Tre Carnes from quarterback Bankston Lembcke to take a 21-3 lead into halftime.
College Park opened up scoring in the first quarter as Parra connected on a 36yard field goal with a little more than two minutes left.
Klein responded with a touchdown drive as Quentin Curtis dove over the goal line for 2 yards and six points.
College Park hadn’t allowed a point since Week 2 at Bryan after shutting out Cypress Lakes last week.
College Park scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the third quarter. Buckmon pushed through a 1-yard score to make it 21-10 Bearkats.
Off the delay from the light pole going out, College Park’s Joseph Golden picked off a pass and returned it 50 yards to the end zone to make it 21-17.
The Bearkats responded with three points on their next drive. Will Miller kicked a 35-yarder to give Klein a seven-point lead.
Holden Rook and the Cavaliers responded on the next drive. The senior was found wide open down the middle of the field by Buckmon for a 63-yard score which tied the game at 24-all.
Saturday marked the third meeting between the two programs. The Cavaliers and Bearkats were previously members of 13-6A from 201819 with Klein winning both meetings.
Klein was 2-0 before a 31-17 loss to Houston Memorial last week. The Bearkats are looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 when District 15-6A starts Friday against Klein Cain.
College Park travels to Mayde Creek for a 6 p.m. game Friday at Legacy Stadium.