Tigers gallop over Spartans
Klein Collins takes advantage of its running attack to claim a 35-3 win over Stratford.
For the past month, Klein Collins and Stratford have been beating up on the bottom teams in District 15-6A. On Friday, it was time to get to business.
With first place in the league at stake, Klein Collins scored on its first two possessions and ran past the Spartans 35-3 at Klein Memorial Stadium.
Klein Collins came into the game off consecutive 63-point performances. The Spartans offered a little more resistance then the previous two opponents, but the Tigers’ offense was in high gear, generating 344 yards of offense with 292 yards on the ground.
The Tigers’ running game — with quarterback Bryson Powers running the show and D’Anthony Doyle eclipsing the 1,000yard rushing mark for the season — was too much for the Spartans to handle.
“We executed really well,” Powers said. “We have a real good run game, and that’s all on the line. They do a great job of creating the holes up front. The numbers prove it.”
Doyle went over the 1,000-yard mark in impressive fashion, taking a handoff from Powers and running up the middle for 65 yards and a score on the first offensive play of the second half.
“He’s an animal,” Powers said. “D’Anthony is amazing. I’ve been playing with him since middle school, and he’s the best running back I’ve ever been around. It’s awesome to have him back there with me.”
Powers rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers (7-1) improved to 5-0 in district with their sixth straight win. Doyle, who came into Friday’s showdown with 937 yards, ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
“Running the football is something that gets everything going,” Tigers coach Drew Svoboda said. “That’s where our entire offense starts.”
Klein Collins’ only loss was 50-49 in double overtime to defending state champion Katy. Stratford (6-2) falls to 6-2 and 4-1 in district.
The Tigers’ held the Spartans to 162 yards of offense.
Stratford quarterback Mark Murdock passed for 124 yards but threw four interceptions. The Spartans’ only score came on a 33-yard field goal from Gabriel De La Puente that cut the Tigers’ lead to 7-3 with 2:19 remaining in the first quarter.
Tate Thomlinson had two interceptions and Jacob Patino one interception for Klein Collins.
“Our defense did a phenomenal job,” Svoboda said. “If you can get four turnovers, the odds of you winning mathematically are pretty high.”