MIDLOTHIAN, Texas – The atmosphere and scene could not have been more appropriate for two district rivals as Grandview and Kemp squared off on a frigid night in Midlothian. In a low-scoring affair, Kemp’s defense would help be a deciding factor of this battle as the Yellowjackets punched their ticket to the state semifinals in a 13-10 win against Grandview from inside MISD Multi-Purpose Stadium.
“That’s a heck of a football team right there and that team would give anybody in the state of Texas fits and I’ve said that from the beginning but our kids came with a very good focus tonight, said Kemp head coach Brandon Hankins following his team’s win, “We executed. We played with composure but you couldn’t ask for a better night. Cold, Texas weather on a Friday night, you get to play your district rival and win and go to the state semifinals.”
The Yellowjacket defense was relentless and stifling from the moment the opening whistle blew. Kemp halted the Grandview offense and forced them to punt on their first two series and did not even allow a first down until the final seconds of the first quarter.
Sherry Milliken/TexasHSFootball
Receiver Jake Goodman brought down a 34-yard reception that finally allowed the Grandview offense to break through for the first time on the night and give them prime position inside the red zone.
The Kemp defense remained true to form as defensive back Brock Dedie came up with a crucial interception in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter to keep the game scoreless.
“It was crucial…and Brock [Dedie] we put at secondary the week after Grandview…he plays the ball very well and we figured he’s up for the challenge and he did an outstanding job,” said Hankins in regards to Dedie’s performance on the night.
“[We just needed to] keep playing as hard as we could and we know we could stop them,” elaborated Dedie on the mindset of the team after the huge interception. “They beat us last time but we knew we would get our revenge.”
Dedie’s interception in the end zone gave Kemp the ball back on offense. Receiver Kane Johnson came up with a pivotal first down reception on fourth down by the nose of the ball after his catch near the sticks. One play later, Jordan Kempf scored on a 24-yard touchdown run to put Kemp up 6-0 over Grandview at the 6:22 mark in the second quarter.
Following the score, Grandview went to work in attempting to obtain their first points of the game. The Zebras also had to covert on 4th down in order to keep their drive alive. Kicker Nathaniel Baker was able to hit a 27-yard field goal to put the game score at 6-3 with 1:52 left in the first half.
Kemp, unsatisfied with their lead, would score once more before the half ended as quarterback Cameron Clamon hit receiver Jaise Bowie on a 45-yard touchdown to put the score at 13-3 heading to intermission.
The second half saw the defensive bout turn up a few notches as both teams stiffened up down the stretch and both squads saw their fair share of turnover on downs and punts. Yards and first downs came at a premium and were hard to come by for both teams.
Sherry Milliken/TexasHSFootball
Grandview made a last minute effort to try and replicate a victory from their previous matchup as the defense handed the ball back over to the offense with a little more than two minutes left in the game.
With time ticking away and their season on the line, quarterback Dane Jentsch found a wide open Kamron English from three yards out to have the score read 13-10 and Grandview needing an onside recovery to try and preserve the game.
The onside kick would be recovered by Kemp though and allowed the Yellowjackets to take victory formation and wind down the final seconds of the game.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my guys. We walked out tonight with a focus and they played their tails off. I couldn’t be prouder of my guys,” said Hankins.
With the victory, Kemp is scheduled to play Brock next Thursday at AT&T Stadium with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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