As the seconds ticked down at Joseph L. Searles III Stadium on Friday night, Chaparral Bobcat players doused coach Alan Haire with a bucket of water, putting an exclamation point on a historic night.
The Bobcats finally got off the schneid, notching the first win in program history in convincing fashion, pummeling the Pflugerville Connally Cougars, 50-18.
“I’m just so proud of these kids and so thankful for them to stick with us,” Haire said as his team celebrated. “They deserved it. It just gives you goosebumps thinking about them being able to feel good about themselves.
“I was worried that maybe they (wouldn’t) get that chance all year, and I felt guilty I couldn’t give it to them earlier.”
With the first-ever victory, Chaparral improved to 1-8 on the season (1-4, District 11-5A-Division II).
Killeen ISD hired Haire in the spring to lead the brand-new Bobcats after a successful run in six seasons at nearby Salado.
Chaparral dominated Friday on both sides of the ball, with the offensive line opening up gaping holes for the stable of Bobcat backs to run through. When all was said and done, the run-first Bobcats gashed the Cougars for 379 yards on the ground. Chaparral fell just shy of eclipsing the 400-yard mark, however, with 20 yards passing, bringing the offensive total to 399.
Defensively, the Bobcats swarmed to the Cougar ball carriers and kept quarterback Kaden Nguyen off-balance on many of his throws. The Bobcats held Nguyen to 56 yards and a touchdown on 8 of 15 passing. Right before halftime, junior defensive back Rayford Jones intercepted Nguyen, putting an abrupt end to yet another Connally drive.
Following Connally’s three touchdowns of the game, the defense also shut the door on any additional points, picking off two Nguyen two-point tries and stuffing another for a loss.
“We practice every day and prepare — mental reps,” said senior linebacker Tyreke Langston. “Coach (Matt) Loucks — I love him, man. He just gets it done. We all get it done. We tell ourselves every day, ‘We gotta work 100%, we’re gonna get a win this week.’”
Haire concurred with Langston’s assessment.
“I think their belief started Monday in preparation,” he said. “You know, the process is where you get success, not the actual games. So, you enjoy the process and then you can execute when games come around.”
Langston was one of the defenders to intercept a Nguyen two-point try. He also nearly took it all the way back for a defensive, two-point score but ran out of steam and was caught at the 1-yard line. His efforts would’ve been all for naught anyway, as the Bobcats were flagged for a penalty on his nearly 100-yard return.
Senior Kenneth Lopez picked off the other two-point try, a play that was attempted from the 43-yard line thanks to a slew of Connally penalties.
“We had a great win,” Langston said. “I’m very excited about the scoreboard. It was bigger than I expected. And we just executed on defense, and that’s why I love my guys.”
One of the biggest defensive plays came in the second quarter, with the Bobcats holding an already commanding 22-0 lead and having just scored.
On the first play of Connally’s ensuing drive, junior Kameron Ervin came around the edge and walloped Nguyen from behind, forcing him to lose the ball. Junior Sam Wells scooped up the loose ball and took it 27 yards untouched for a score. A two-point conversion by Chaparral extended the lead to 30-0 following the return.
Offensively, it did not take freshman Kenneth Johnson and company long to set the tone.
After the defense turned the Cougars over on downs on Connally’s first drive of the game, the Bobcats went straight to work. Almost immediately, on third-and-7, Johnson broke off a 40-yard run, getting the Bobcats on the Cougar side of the field.
Seven plays later, Johnson capped the drive, bouncing to the outside for an 11-yard score. The extra point attempt was no good and Chaparral held an early 6-0 lead.
Johnson shredded the Cougar defense, rushing for 221 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries in the game. Johnson notched 189 of those yards in the first half.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Johnson said after the game. “I have to thank my line for those yards. My team is amazing. They opened the holes for me the whole game. Those 200 yards was not me; it was the line.”
After Johnson’s first touchdown of the game, Bobcat quarterback Joel Secrist kept it himself from 5 yards out. Following the touchdown, Johnson ran in the 2-point conversion.
Secrist’s touchdown came two plays after Johnson shot through the Cougar line and weaved through its defense, taking it 67 yards inside the Connally 10-yard line.
On the following drive, the Bobcats marched 84 yards in just six plays, thanks to a pair of 30-yard runs by Marc Anderson and Johnson, respectively.
Secrist capped the scoring drive with a 20-yard strike to a wide-open Efeosa Edomwandagbon in the end zone. On the ensuing point-after try, Javier Smith hit Langston on a jump pass, giving the Bobcats a 22-0 lead.
Secrist’s touchdown was his only pass of the game.
Edomwandagbon added a 51-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. That run alone accounted for most of his production as he finished with 52 yards on three carries.
After having surrendered a touchdown to Connally toward the end of the second quarter, the Bobcats went right back to work, capping a six-play, 70-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown by Johnson to give the Bobcats a 30-point lead.
On the opening play of the second half, Johnson picked up where he left off, bouncing to the outside and taking it in from 28 yards out following a lengthy drive that was aided by a fake punt and a slew of Connally penalties. Carlos DeJesus’ extra point gave the Bobcats a 43-6 lead.
Other offensive contributors include Marc Anderson (10 carries, 65 yards), De’Aireion Littlejohn (five rushes, 19 yards), Smith (five rushes, 12 yards), Secrist (two rushes, 9 yards) and Elijah Coleman (one carry, 1 yard).
Chaparral ends its season next Friday and travels to Belton to take on the district-leading Tigers.
Haire said he will let his team savor the victory for 24 hours before getting back to work.
“When the sun comes up, you move on,” he said. “Games are games — that’s why the scoreboard turns off.
“We’re gonna praise him both ways. Whether we lose or win, we’ll praise the good Lord above and try to be better from it, no matter the outcome. But we’re glad to be on the outcome of this tonight.”
11-5A-D2 FOOTBALL
- Chaparral 50, Pflugerville Connally 18
- Elgin 17, Pflugerville 14 (Thur.)
- Waco University 21, Leander Rouse 16
- OFF: Belton
STANDINGS
x-Belton 4-0
x-Elgin 4-1
x-Waco University 3-1
Leander Rouse 2-2
Pflugerville 1-3
Chaparral 1-4
Pflugerville Connally 0-4
x-clinched playoff spot
