Spring – In district 13-5A there’s no room for off nights. With high expectations and pressure to win teams know that a fall off of any kind could end their season.
Tyler Stehling’s 56 yard touchdown pass to Rhodes with 1:53 to go in the game led Klein Collins Tigers to a 28-21 defeat of the Dekaney Wildcats Saturday evening at Klein Memorial Stadium to improve to (5-0,2-0) for the second straight season.
Marquise Cardinal and Richard Smith had first half touchdowns, Cardinal exploded up the middle for a 44 yard run and Junior Receiver Smith broke free from Cornerback Mayo Akindele for a 21 yard reception to give Klein Collins a 14-7 first half lead.
“Those guys can run (Marquise Cardinal and Shane Rhodes). If we just execute and give the quarterback time those things will happen,” said Klein Collins Coach Drew Svoboda.
Both of the Tigers scoring drives took only 7 plays, the first covered 85 yards and the second 61.
“Awesome, this is what you play for nail bitter to the end. In the 4thquarter we were down by 7. I would’ve of thought but I don’t know if anyone else thought we would’ve got a win out of this one. We were thinking it’s my shot we hadn’t been executing very well like we should but I was thinking it was my shot to come up with a play,” said Shane Rhodes Klein Collins RB/Slot Receiver.
The Tigers defense led by Ryan Santos and Charles Jackson kept Wildcats talented running back, Trey Williams in check in the first half.
“We made too many mistakes early in the game got behind 14-0 then we went ahead. Two great plays by them put us in a hole. Then we came back with the ball on the 8 yard line to finish the game. Their safeties were 7 yards from the line of scrimmage. They had 9 in the box we blocked most of them that’s the story of the game,” said Dekaney’s Coach Willie Amendola.
“We rushed the ball pretty well we threw the ball pretty well and scored 21 points but probably left 14 points on the board and that blocked field goal hurt us to. We have to clean up some things on the kicking game but we’re fine. We talked in the locker room all week it’s going to come down to execution the last three minutes of the game and they out executed us in the last three minutes. They scored and we came down and almost scored but we didn’t,” said Dekaney’s Coach Willie Amendola.
Dekaney (4-1, 1-1) used great field position with a 42 yard kickoff return from La Darien Davis to put them at the 49 yard line of Klein Collins. From there the Williams and Quarterback Jarrett Irving rushed the ball down to the 7 yard line where they came up empty on a 24 yard field goal attempt that was blocked by Jackson.
“We’re proud of them they played great, they gave a great effort, they played tough, and they played hard. Klein Collins maybe ranked 8th in the state. We took them down to the wire and had a chance to win, so we’re proud of the effort, we’re proud of how they worked in practice and we’re just going to keep on getting better. This is game 5, we have a ways to go still. So we have to improve every week,” said Dekaney’s Coach Willie Amendola.
In the second half the Wildcats bounce back from a frustrating first half. LB Rodney Young and DL Darius Greene shut stuff the Tigers running game early on.
“I just saw the man open, I just trusted my instincts to throw it to him and it happen to be right there and we scored it for a touchdown. Our defense played a hell of game and our offense toward the end we started moving the ball again, our offensive line was blocking and we just came out with the win. There a heck of a football team (Dekaney) and we’re lucky to come out with a win today,” said Klein Collins Quarterback Tyler Stehling.
Dekaney scored 14 unanswered points to take a 21-14 lead when Irving found Caleb Coleman for the 7 yard touchdown catch and Williams went in from 11 yards out with 8:03 left in the third quarter.
“Oh my goodness that was a really good football team we just played, our kids never gave up. I don’t know what to say, great job. Our kids persevered and fought back, big plays. Unbelievable poise by our quarterback showed (Tyler Stehling ). The protection was there and I can’t say enough good things about it,” said Klein Collins Coach Drew Svoboda.
But the Wildcats had no answer for Stehling’s late touchdown strikes to Cardinal and Shane Rhodes which ultimately decided the outcome.
“We played our hardest, we fought to the end we came back and went up but only one team can win and when two good teams come together it just happens only team will win,” said Cedrick Alexander Dekaney’s Receiver.
Stehling finished the night 7 of 12 with 203 passing yards; Cardinal led the Tigers in rushing on 13 carries, 94 yards, 2 touchdowns and also an 84 yard reception.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and we had to fight and we fought to the end. Hell of game for Wildcats and hell of a game for KC. We both played hard, best man wins,” said Trey Williams Dekaney’s Running Back.
Williams paced the Wildcats rushing attack with 206 yards on 32 carries and one touchdown. Wildcats Quarterback Irving was 8 of 20 with 96 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
“We talked in the locker room all week, it’s going to come down to execution the last three minutes of the game and they out executed us in the last three minutes. They scored and we came down and almost scored but we didn’t,” said Dekaney’s Coach Willie Amendola.