Duo threat McQueen carries team with arm and legs
Klein – Connor McQueen isn’t the most opposing figure at 5’10”, however he has a niche for finding running room in small creases, escaping defenders for first down yardage and giving defensive coordinators mild headaches.
QB Connor McQueen combined for 320 yards passing and rushing on Saturday evening to help lead the Klein Oak Panthers passed the Austin Westlake Chaparrals, 38-28 in the Class 5A Region II Area Round of the playoffs at Klein Memorial Stadium.
With the victory, the Panthers advanced to next week’s Region II semifinals where they will face the winner of Dallas Skyline/DeSoto game at time and site to be determined.
It’s only the third time a greater Houston Area team have defeated the Chaparrals. Both A&M Consolidated and North Shore defeated the Chaps on its way to titles. For A&M Consolidated in Class 4A, it was in 1991 and 2003 for North Shore, in a Class 5A.
“We’re just blessed to play another week. The kids played their tails off. Westlake is a fabulous program, one of the finest programs that the state will ever have”, said David Smith Klein Oak’s coach. Those guys have won championships, we haven’t been there. You have to overcome that, regardless, they have seniors on that team that went to the state finals and when our kids had to overcome that. We had some difficulties in the game but our kids persevered. I’m very proud of them for these seniors. The bottom line with these seniors, they’ll never walk on this field again with this black and gold on. My staff put it all together in the second half, not me. I’m very proud of that.”
The elusive McQueen, who finished 18 of 22 with 213 yards passing and two INTs also added 107 yards on 21 carries and 1-TD, directed the Panthers (9-3) on all its scoring drives. McQueen was 10 for 10 passing in the second half.
Containing McQueen proved to be a feat in its self where Westlake was concerned, as he dipped in and out of the Chaps defense while nicking up the secondary. Tuff McClain was his top target receiving, with nine receptions for 100 yards, RB Lorenzo Stewart rushed 12 times for 108 yards and 2-TDs.
A mistake pronged first half, watched Klein Oak lead 3-0 after the first quarter on Kwame Kuffour’s 40-yard Field Goal with 7:48 to go in the first quarter. Then, Westlake executed its best drive of the day, marching 66-yards in ten plays as Lewis Guilbeau called his number on a 3-yard scoring keeper, giving the Chaparrals a 7-3 lead after Michael Barden’s PAT.
On its next series, the Panthers answered with an 80-yard drive to regain the lead 10-7, after Stewart’s 12-yard sprint to the end zone.
Westlake (9-3) who rotated quarterbacks, Blake Box and Lewis Guilbeau, started its next drive with good position at its 40; a few plays later Panthers DB Dion Hill intercepted Chris Canter, who took the snap while the Chaps were attempting to execute a 4th and 4, with a fake punt. Hill jumped the route at the 39 and returned it to the Klein Oak 48, which setup its next score. McQueen capped a 2-yard TD, running behind his huge offensive line to give the Panthers a 17-7 deficit with 4:55 to go in the second quarter.
Chaps Coach Darren Allman said, “Well we expected to win the game but it’s no shame in losing to Klein Oak. I don’t think there’s any doubt that they’re a very good football team and you got to play four good quarters and they did, though they turned the ball over a couple of times, we took advantage of it but we return the favor a couple of times as well which we can’t do.”
Just before halftime with 34 seconds left, the Chaps grabbed the momentum when DL Brayven Hager stripped Stewart of the ball and LB Carsten Hood fell on the lose ball at the Klein Oak five. Two plays later Westlake trailed 17-14 after Jon Rhoades 5-yard TD reception from QB Blake Box.
In the third quarter both teams traded touchdowns with the Panthers getting the edge, after Nicky Baratti scored from a yard out to lead 30-21 with 3:00 minutes to go in the quarter. The Panthers were eight of eight on third down.
“We had a chance if we could have gotten a stop when we were within three points. But, credit to them they ran the ball well enough to keep us off the field. I think with McQueen running up inside with those ball fakes it’s really hard to defend the scheme. You have to have eight people in the box to defend that but they make it hard for you to do that because there so good with their outside screen game as well. They put you in a bind, are you going to put eight people in the box or will defend their screen game. They are well balanced; it will be hard for anyone to defend them”, said Coach Allman.
Klein Oak opened the fourth quarter scoring on Jaylon Brown 4-yard TD run, which were the finalized the Panthers point total. Meanwhile RB Brice Dolezal who led the Westlake in rushing with 126 yards on 17 totes with 2-TDs, tacked on a late 2-yard TD to capped the Chaps scoring. Guilbeau was 11 of 16 for 96 yards and seven of ten on the ground with a TD; Blake Box finished three of five for 60 yards and a TD. However, a losing effort, Chap’s linebackers Lance Duran and Jacob Mansour were outstanding but the balanced Panthers attack eventually wore down Westlake’s defense.
“I think we did a good job with the inside run consistently throughout the game. It was setting the edge that was a big problem for us, they had a lot of speed. (Lorenzo Stewart Klein Oak’s RB) is a fast player and (RB Jaylon Brown) there good backs and we just couldn’t set the edge”, said Jacob Mansour Westlake’s junior LB. We had good pursuit on the backside but we couldn’t get them to turned around.”
Game Quotes