Tigers pounce in 2nd half to clinch berth
SPRING — Looks can be deceiving.
When Klein Collins coach Adrian Mitchell glanced at his team’s 0-4 record following a tough slate of non-district competition, he knew that experience would pay dividends down the road.
He was correct in his assessment.
The Tigers scored 35 unanswered points in the second half and clinched their eighth straight playoff appearance Saturday with a 42-17 victory over Klein in District 15-6A action at Memorial Stadium.
It was the fourth consecutive triumph for Klein Collins (4-4, 4-0), which rushed for 337 yards.
“It’s been a matter of (the players) getting back to us,” Mitchell said. “These guys are believing in each other, not trying to be heroes, not trying to do more than what they’re capable of. It’s been a matter of all these guys just buying into Klein Collins football, as basic as that sounds.”
Klein Cain (7-2, 4-1) also has four victories in the district, and only two other teams between Tomball (6-2, 2-2), Klein (4-4, 2-2) and Klein Oak (3-5, 2-2) have the ability to reach that mark. Klein Collins also holds head-to-head tiebreakers against all three.
The Tigers are seeking their sixth district championship in seven years and control their own destiny in that regard. Klein Collins closes the regular season against Tomball Memorial and Klein Forest.
The Tigers started the season with losses against No. 5 state-ranked Atascocita, No. 7 Westfield, Tompkins and Willis. Those teams have a 27-5 combined record this season.
“We just got into district and were able to re-establish our focus and take care of our business,” Mitchell said. “That’s why we are where we are right now. … Iron sharpens iron. You want to play against the best teams you can possibly play because once you get to district, get to the playoffs and try to make a run, you can say you’ve seen some of the best opponents.”
Klein will take on Klein Oak and Tomball to finish the regular season with its playoff hopes on the line. The Bearkats are looking to earn their first postseason berth since 2018.
Klein took an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter with a 25-yard field goal from Will Miller. Klein Collins responded with a touchdown as Josh Castillo reached the end zone on an 8-yard run.
The Bearkats took back the lead midway through the second period as Myles Arterberry scored on a 2yard run. The Tigers came up with a big turnover as Chris Gant corralled an interception with 2:21 remaining. Klein Collins was unable to cash in, however, as the clock expired on the ensuing drive.
Klein grabbed a twoscore advantage on its first possession of the third quarter as Quentin Curtis found paydirt from 3 yards out. Klein Collins fired back, however, as Jeremiah Hasan-Hackney scored on a 30yard jaunt up the middle.
“If your mindset is, ‘Oh man, they just scored on us — it’s the end of the world,’ it’s doom and gloom, and you’re going to shut down,” Mitchell said. “These guys did not shut down. From that point moving forward, it was lights-out football. Once we started getting that ball rolling offensively, we’ve got some really, really good backs, and our line is really starting to get it.”