NACOGDOCHES — The Associated Press’ Texas rankings — at least in the top 10 at the UIL Class 4A level — nearly crumbled Friday night at Dragon Stadium.
Kennedale, if not for three first-half turnovers and Chaka Watson’s 23-yard game-winning scamper, may have pulled the biggest upset of the 2017 prep football season. The Wildcats, rated as the AP’s No. 6 team, fell to No. 2 West Orange-Stark 23-20 in overtime.
“Turnovers against a team like that — one of the best in the state, if not the best — is difficult to overcome,” said Richard Barrett, Kennedale High School’s head coach, about the Wildcats’ four total turnovers. “We knew how good they, their schemes, and their coaching is. You just can’t have that many turnovers against a team like that and expect to win.”
A defeat of two-time state champion West Orange-Stark High School, winners of 30 consecutive games dating back to 2015 and 2016 title runs, on the road may have also been one of Lone Star State-trembling relevance.
While West Orange-Stark outscored Bridge City, KIPP Northeast, and Silsbee High Schools by a 35-point average margin, Kennedale represented the first game the Mustangs were forced to win a game that wasn’t over by the beginning of the fourth quarter.
RUNNING WILD
Kennedale’s Evan Jowers breaks loose for a 31-yard touchdown run before halftime. He accounted for 82 of the Wildcats’ 302 rushing yards (Charleston Gladden/Texas HS Football).
Through its seemingly unstoppable Wing T offense, Jaden Knowles, DJ Kirven, and quarterback Evan Jowers ran for a collective 298 yards — including 132 in the first two quarters. The trio’s first-half yardage topped last season’s team total by 54 yards and helped Kennedale outgain West Orange-Stark 161-36 in total yardage.
Knowles was Kennedale’s leading rusher with 12 rushes for 135 yards and a touchdown. Jowers (13 rush, 82 yards, TD) and Kirven (21 rush, 81 yards) each neared the century mark. The Wildcat offense was pivotal in keeping West Orange-Stark’s daunting defense at bay, but its defense may have played a bigger role in pushing the Mustangs’ to their first overtime finish in more than two seasons.
Four sacks — two by Avion Jenkins and David Roper in the first and second quarters — helped slow high-powered West Orange-Stark, give the Wildcats a 9-7 lead at the half and limit starting quarterback Chaka Watson to 3-of-10 passing and a mere 23 yards through the air.
Twenty-four minutes was Mustang Head Coach Cornel Thompson’s response to his players following the two-point halftime deficit.
“We were playing a formidable opponent across the street over there. You don’t have to say much to them. They knew what those people were about and they knew what we were about. We just bowed our kneck and got after it,” Thompson said. “It was a great football game. We gave you your money’s worth tonight. [The win] showed we have a potentially dang good football team. We won’t play a tougher team the rest of the year. We may play somebody as tough, but not tougher. We learned that we can reach down and get it when the heat is on. These types of games don’t build character, they expose the lack of it. We found out we’ve got some kids that will fight and battle.”
DEFENSE WINS THE DAY
West Orange-Stark’s defense bottled leading rusher Jaden Knowles, second-leading rusher DJ Kirven and third-leading rusher David Roper when it mattered most — in the fourth quarter and in overtime (Charleston Gladden/Texas HS Football).
Another sack by Mayfield Hayes in the third forced the Mustangs’ fifth punt of the game. Kennedale held West Orange-Stark to a season-low 160 total yards. One-hundred and thirty-three came from Watson (16 rush, 142 yards, 3 TD), Kayven Cooper (14 rush, 59 yards) and Jarron Morris (3 rush, 38 yards) — despite 102 yards lost to snaps that sailed over the head of the Mustangs’ field general or the losses forced by relentless Kennedale blitzes.
West Orange-Stark’s defense was equally stout, using three fumbles and a Teshaun Teel interception to stifle the triumvirate’s production after Knowles’ 81-yard, third quarter sprint to paydirt in the waning moments of the third quarter. Kennedale registered only three runs longer than 10 yards in final two quarters.
THE RUN
The booming legs of kickers Kevin Tiero, who split the uprights to give Kennedale a three-point lead in overtime, and Chad Dallas helped each team trade punches. It was the quarterback, however, that dealt the final knockout blow.
On 2nd and 8 at Kennedale’s 23-yard line, it was Watson’s momentary decision, speed and an open lane to the end zone that kept West Orange-Stark undefeated in Nacogdoches. He dropped back in the pocket, keenly stepped up as he sensed pressure, and bolted through the middle of the Wildcat defense — 23 yards for a game-sealing touchdown.
“Actually, it wasn’t [meant] for me. It was supposed to be a pass play,” Watson said. “When I was doing my reads, a hole opened up in the middle and something told me to take it. I took it. I trusted my speed and just went.”
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