Big plays help Falcons soar to victory

The Second Baptist Eagles and the Kinkaid Falcons were ranked as the No. 1 and No. 2 private school football teams in the city, respectively, in the Houston High School Football Media Poll.

On a night when points and yards were hard to come by, three big plays by Kinkaid made the difference as the visiting Falcons won the matchup 24-17 on Friday night.

The teams combined for six punts and four first downs in a scoreless quarter. Midway through the second, Second Baptist’s Everett Skillern busted through the middle of the Kinkaid defense for a 35yard touchdown run, but Kinkaid scored on the first play of the ensuing drive on a 62-yard touchdown halfback pass from Dillon Bell to Alex Gottsegen.

Kinkaid coach Nathan Larned explained that was a play his players had seen run against Second Baptist in film from the previous season.

“It’s a play we’ve been working on all week,” Gottsegen said. “We knew it matched well against them. It was just up to Dillon and me to execute, and we did.”

In the closing minutes of the third quarter, David Capabianco found Gottsegen short over the middle, and Gottsegen broke a tackle and took the ball down to the 4-yard line. Bell scored on the following play.

“We thought we had a good look with them having a high safety over the top,” Gottsegen said. “I ran a hitch and got a nice block from my outside receiver after he ran the vertical, and I broke the tackle.

“I thought I got in, but I guess I got tripped up just short of the end zone.”

On the third play of Kinkaid’s next offensive drive, following a three-and-out forced by the Falcons’ defense, Bell ran right, broke two tackles and sprinted for a 44-yard touchdown.

“At the end of the day, our best players finally got some space and made a play like we expect them to do,” Larned said.

Second Baptist added a touchdown with a minute left in the game, but the ensuing onside kick was unsuccessful, and Kinkaid took a knee to end the game after picking up a first down.

When the game ended, the large contingency of Kinkaid students ran on to the field and mobbed the players.

Kinkaid overcame a lost fumble, a missed fourthand-short conversion and a lost muffed punt return.

“Our defense bailed us out,” Larned said. “We stayed patient in the first half knowing that it was going to be a field-position battle, so we didn’t try to do anything too elaborate on offense.

“We just kept running, hoping we could pop one and flip the field.”