Tigers thwart Kennedale, Wing-T offense
Texas High’s Norton praises Toombs after 27-7 win
ROYSE CITY, Texas— Sometimes you have to look in the past for help in winning football games.
After Friday's 27-7 victory over Kennedale at Royse City ISD Stadium, Texas High coach Barry Norton was quick to credit former local coach Johnny Toombs with helping the Tigers corral the Wildcats' tricky WingT offense.
“Coach Toombs used to run the Wing-T, and he was gracious enough to come up and help us with ideas on how to handle Kennedale's offense,” Norton said. “Other than one drive, our defense played great the whole game. We stopped their best plays and didn't let their running back (Jewan Washington) get out on the edge. We kept everything inside.”
With the front four dominating the line of scrimmage, the Tigers held Kennedale to 224 yards rushing, nearly 160 under its average. The Wildcats attempted only three passes, all incomplete.
Washington, who had over 200 yards in Kennedale's win over the Tigers last year, managed 122 yards on 20 carries, but the last 20 came on the game's
final play against mostly Tiger reserves.
Meanwhile, the passing of Kody Hunter and the running of Tre Walker allowed the Tigers to build a big lead that Kennedale couldn't surmount with its running game.
Hunter completed 9 of 15 passes for 140 yards and first-half touchdowns to Kevin Harris (35) and Marquan Daniels (41). His 39-yard bomb to Jarion Anderson in the third quarter set up his four-yard keeper for a TD that made it 20-0.
Walker ran 24 times for 149 yards, including a 19-yard TD on his final carry of the night with 4:05 remaining in the game.
Kennedale (1-4) scored with 7:21 left in the game on an 11yard run by Donny Darville, capping a 15-play, 66-yard drive.
“We did enough offensively to get the job done, but we still need more consistency,” Norton said. “We had a chance to put the game away int he first half had we taken advantage of our opportunities.”
Frustrated by opportunities afforded by excellent field position most of the first half, the Tigers struck for two long-distance scores in the final 3:43 to take a 13-0 lead at intermission.
The Tiger defense held Kennedale to 111 rushing yards and four first downs—the last coming on an 18-yard run on the final play of the half—and kept the Wildcats bottled up in their half of the field for the most part.
Hunter, who had a potential 42-yard touchdown dropped late in the second quarter, punted the ball to the Kennedale 5-yard line to set up the game's first score.
Kennedale gained four yards in three plays and punted the ball back, Texas High took over at the Wildcat 35, and on first down Hunter heaved the ball deep to Kevin Harris, who easily beat his defender, and took the pass for a touchdown. The PAT kick failed, leaving the score 6-0 with 3:43 remaining in the half.
It appeared it would stay that way after Kennedale returned the ensuing kickoff to its 45, but was unable to make a first down. But for the second time in the game the Wildcats faked a punt, and for the second time it failed, a pass falling incomplete from the punter.
A false-start penalty on first down shoved the Tigers back to their 43, but they managed to pick up a first down on an 10yard screen pass to Walker, who also had an 11-yard run.
A sack and a one-yard loss on a Walker run set up 3rd and 15 at the Kennedale 41, and Hunter aired it out again, sailing the pass into the end zone toward two Tiger receivers. Marquan Daniels came down with it on the left side of the end zone with only 10 seconds remaining in the half.
Besides the dropped pass for a potential touchdown, the Tigers also missed a golden chance on their first possession after Kennedale's first fake punt resulted in a two-yard loss courtesy of a Will Brown tackle. Texas High passed on all four downs in the series, picking up a first down before Hunter's fourth throw was picked off by Ronald Brooks at the Wildcat 11.