Photo by Tammie Martin/ossports
Tomball – Jaydon Blue expects to see opposing defense’s best effort each moment he’s on the field. Blue, one of the top tailbacks in America, has met the challenge each week.
When the heat escalated, Klein Cain explained it in two plays when Blue sliced up the middle of the field, gaining 15 yards to the Tomball 45. He followed up the run by blasting up the middle, running away from the defenders to increase the score, 39-25 as the Hurricanes claim it’s second postseason with an impressive 53-38 victory on Friday evening at Tomball ISD Stadium.
According to head coach James Clancy, with the win, Klein Cain finished conference play as the district 15-6A runner-up behind undefeated Tomball Memorial and is unsure if it will face an opponent or have a bye week.
The gifted Blue kept the Cougars on its heels all evening, fighting off defenders, running through defenders, around and away. Blue scored five touchdowns while rushing for 330 yards on 20 carries. Aaron Jordan added 103 yards on seven carries.
On the decisive drive, Blue accounted for 60 yards on two carries to give Klein Cain (6-2, 5-1) a 39-25 lead with 9:59 remaining and all it would need. Blue’s scoring runs covered 24, 25, 28, 45, and 47. The breakout game came as no surprise to the Hurricane faithful, who rose to its feet several moments during the contest.
Hurricanes junior quarterback Carson Roper played an instrumental role, balancing the offense by completing 12-of-17 attempts for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
Without an answer for Blue, the Cougar’s best second-half effort watched it score twice. Still, it trailed by as much as 21 points. Junior quarterback Cale Hellums, who passed for 130 yards on 12-28 attempts, guided the offense with a balanced attack to record it’s 31st point when Grey reeled in a nine-yard touchdown pass to make the contest a two-score advantage, 46-31 with 3:09 left.
On the ensuing kickoff, Tomball executed an onside kick after Brandon Perry coraled the loose ball at the Klein Cain 49 yard line. But the drive fizzled out after a couple of dropped passes.
Frustrations swelled as the Cougar’s endured another painful setback when Blue broke a 47-yard scoring run to put the game out of reach, 53-31 with 1:17 to go.
Hellums put up numbers worthy of a victory, passing 163 yards on 19-of-24 attempts, three touchdowns, and added 100 ground yards on 14 carriers. Senior tailback Jaylen Johnny rushed 26 times for 126 yards and two scores. Junior receiver Grey finished with seven receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Tomball (5-3, 2-3) took advantage of two multiple play scoring possessions and scored on three of its first four possessions. Hellums connected with junior receiver Jalen Grey, which met two Klein Cain defenders at the five-yard line but managed to break free and score, giving the Cougars a 7-0 lead after sophomore Carlos Alvarado’s extra point kick.
Early on, Tomball set the tone by building a 17-7 lead with 7:17 left in the second quarter before the Hurricanes battled back to take an 18-17 lead.
The Cougars’ second frame resulted in a 17-play, 72-yard payoff. Johnny and Hellums teamed up, rushing the ball sprinkled with timely passes. Hellums picked up eight yards to the three-yard line before a holding penalty pushed it back to the 13. But Johnny made up the yards on three carries that watched him score from two yards, increasing the score, 14-7.
The Hurricanes scored on it’s opening drive. Much like Tomball, quarterback Carson Roper paired with five star tailback Blue as it progressed down the field where Carson completed a 15-yard strike to junior receiver Colton Rhodes, tying the game at 7-7 following Rowdy McGuires extra-point kick.
While the defenses struggled to stay on course, Hellums and Johnny kept a flame on offense. It made good on a muffed kickoff recovered after Hurricanes receiver Cade Farragut miss played the ball at the 40 when the ball took a wicked bounce and landed on the 44 where the Cougars took possession. Later, Alvarado converted the gift into a 24-yard field goal, and the Cougars led, 17-7 with 7:17 to go in the second quarter.
Trailing by ten points, the Hurricanes scored on it’s next two drives to take command of a one-point lead, 18-17 entering halftime. Blue turned a quick pass into a 19-yard pick up at the 49. Senior running back Aaron Jordan followed with a big play of his own, rambling down to the Tomball 36. Yet, the Cougars stopped Carson two yards shy of the first down marker on the next play, forcing fourth down and two. But on the next play, Blue sliced through the left side, cut back inside, and trotted into the end zone on his first of five touchdowns.
Tomball’s failed onside kick, opening the third quarter, set the tone for the second half of play. Following, Klein Cain scored 14 consecutive points, and the Cougars never came up with enough stops to give it’s offense time it needed. Of course, Klein Cain’s defense had something to do with that, forcing three turnovers.
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