Bearkats putting struggles in the past
After tough start, Hallmark has Klein in the thick of the postseason chase
Klein’s in the playoff hunt.
It still faces an uphill battle, likely needing to beat Dekaney and Westfield in its final two games to qualify, but it’s a part of the discussion – and that’s a big step for a group that started the season 2-5. The Bearkats shocked rival Klein Oak 31-26 last Friday to move into a threeway tie for fourth in District 15-6A.
“We started the season very young and inexperienced, playing a lot of sophomores, and just made a lot of mistakes early against good people, and we ended up with some losses there early in the year,” coach Shane Hallmark said. “But the team stayed together, which wasn’t hard to get them to do.
“They really stayed together and refused to quit, and we started to see improvement over the last couple weeks.”
The first signs came in a loss to Klein Collins.
Klein fell to 2-5, but it took one of the best teams in the Houston area down to the wire, eventually falling 28-14.
“We were worried about (getting blown out) going into that game, but our defensive coaching staff and players did a heck of a job making a plan for Collins,” Hallmark said.
“They did a good job on (running back Justin) Pratt – about as good as you can do on him – and it was going to be tough for us to win that game, but to fight and battle and go into the fourth quarter 7-7, and then go to 14-14 (with 9:30 remaining) and have a chance, says a lot about the kids.”
The Bearkats used that showing to build confidence and momentum for Oak.
“Our guys figured out, ‘Maybe we can play with people,’” Hallmark said. “‘If we don’t make mistakes and do the little things, maybe we can be in some games,’ and it carried over.
“We don’t believe in moral victories. We told the kids that. ‘Feel good about the way you played but we still did not come out on top and we don’t want to be satisfied with that.’ But, even still, they knew they could play with anybody after that game, so they came out against Oak and played a heck of a game.”
Hallmark credited his defense for coming up with key fourth-down stops and his offense for putting long drives together in the second half.
They also received an inspired performance from quarterback Grayson Lemke.
The sophomore threw three touchdowns against a defense that started the year as the same ballhawking group from last season.
“We’ve known the kid was good,” Hallmark said. “There’s no doubt about it.
“But we had a senior and a junior who had been playing, and he had the option to be on the varsity team … and he wanted to go to the JV and play a lot, which told me a lot about him right there.
“And then when Nick Kohler, our quarterback who started the year, got his jaw broken against Spring, basically he came up and (the job) was open, just like spring training and fall camp … and it was Lemke (who earned the start).”
Linebackers Reid Evans and Javon Roashe paced the defense against Oak.
Roashe, a junior, forced two turnovers despite barely practicing last week while dealing with an ankle injury.
Now the Bearkats are thinking the playoffs – and that’s a good thought to have.
“We always want to be relevant,” Hallmark said. “At Klein High School, you expect to be relevant, and we haven’t been relevant in a couple years. We had a few good years there, but last year was a down year, with all the injuries, and we really weren’t relevant at all, and then this year didn’t start out very good.
“Used to, I might say if I make the playoffs at 5-5 I’d just as soon not go, but right now with this team and what we’ve been through, if we can finish 5-5 and get in the playoffs, I’ll be happy.”
The odds are against them.
Montgomery, with Klein Oak and Dekaney to go, has the easiest remaining schedule, and Klein will have to win out, which means upsetting Westfield in the regular-season finale, to have a chance.
But first the Bearkats must beat Dekaney this week to have even that opportunity.
“Our kids are playing hard and getting after it, but we find ourselves a little bit undersized against our opponents every week,” Hallmark said. “So if we can block their down five or down four … and run the ball a little bit, and not force Grayson to have to throw the ball a whole lot, we’ll be OK.”