It was a more than competitive game, but then again, it always is. Faint memories are still in the minds of those returning Cy Creek lettermen who were handed not one, but two losses thanks to the Klein Oak 2008 team.
But Friday night at Pridgeon Stadium was time for redemption. In a game where momentum swayed both ways through 48 minutes, the Cougars came away with a last-minute 23-17 victory over Klein Oak.
The spark started late in the fourth quarter with a Daniel Fortin interception and was capped off by a Jermichael Selders touchdown run with less than a minute to go.
But in the beginning, Creek struck first Brett Batson capped off a drive with a 22-yard field goal. Later in the second quarter, the Cougars put together another successful drive ending with Selders on a 25-yard touchdown run.
Before the half, Klein Oak made some things happen when quarterback Andy Wilson found Michael Starr in the end zone on the end of a 16-yard strike. With a 9-7 score going into half, it seemed as though it was anybody’s game.
“Our kids were excited, but we had come out of halftime in kind of a lull, and I just didn’t understand it,” Cy Creek coach Greg McCaig said.
And that was when the Panthers took advantage. Wilson, who threw for a total 149 yards, connected with Starr and the Waites brothers, Tory and Corey. Midway through the third quarter, Wilson roll left and hit Tory Waites for an 8-yard touchdown giving Klein Oak its first lead of the game.
For most of the second half, there was not much production offensively.
Now with the Cougars down by eight, McCaig and the coaching staff knew that there would have to be a change.
“The biggest thing that we did was knowing that we had to get the ball in the hands of the guys who can make plays, you know guys who have proven to get the job done,” McCaig said. “Offense is a rhythm. So you have to have a successful play and then another to get things going. And that is what we started to do.”
It started with Selders on the ground followed up by a Chuck Keeton-to-Brent Mitcham touchdown pass good for 34 yards. And with a Selders two-point conversion, the ball game is tied.
“For a lot of the second half, we were controlling the game. But then I looked and saw that a score and they can tie the game,” Klein Oak coach David Smith said. “Then No. 32 (Selders) took control of the game. He said I’m coming down hill and you all stop me. I’m coming and you are going to have to tackle me. Earlier we were making plays on him, but then he took over.”
Selders had 106 yards and two touchdowns, also scoring the game-winning touchdown with 55 seconds remaining. Mitcham was the leading receiver with six catches for 85 yards and a score. Keeton had 188 yards passing and 22 rushing.
“The main thing is that we didn’t panic when we got down,” McCaig said. “It was good to get this win because Klein Oak is a good ball club and they will win a lot of games this season.”
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