Game Day: Athens vs Kennedale

#4 Kennedale Wildcats (11-0, 5-0) play the Athens Hornets (8-3, 4-1) tonight at Ennis Lion

Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. in a UIL Region II Area round playoff game. This is a repeat performance for both teams. The Wildcats came away with a 30-26 win over the Hornets last year in the same area round game. {{more}}

the backstory ?

Athens Athletic Director and Head Coach Paul Essary, since taking over in 2009, has turn a moribund program into a consist winner. Two years ago, they went 10-1 winning district, last year, they finished the regular season at 8-3 and second place in the district.

This year, Athens started off with back to back losses (Henderson 35-20 and Diboll 36-34) before recovering to win the next 5 games. Their only other loss came against Kaufman in a rain soak squeaker, 25-22. Athens won their bi-district game against Princeton last week, 59-36. The Hornets have played four teams with losing records while the rest all made the playoffs this year with records of 7 wins or more.

Athens offense is led by senior running back Logan Fuller, who in the bi-district win last week over Princeton had 26 carries for 206 yards (7.9 ave per) and three touchdowns, giving him 2,005 yards and 30 touchdowns for this season. He is the star performer for Athens who in four years has run up 5,827 yards, just 173 yards shy of 6,000 putting him in very rare company. But their runners come as a package deal, Senior Travon Fuller is capable of putting up some big number also. Against Princeton, he had 13 carries for 197 yards (15.1 ave yds per) and one touchdown. Athens is a running team but they are not adverse to putting it in the air.

?They [Kennedale] are 11-0 for a reason and that is because they are an excellent football team,? Athens coach Paul Essary told the Athens

Review this week. ?They are big, strong, fast and they are coached exceptionally well. We are a good football team and it is going to be a heck of a football game Friday. I will be the most disappointed person out there if it is not talked about for a long time.?

last year?s heart stopper ?

And that is exactly what happened last year. Kennedale and Athens met at in Forney in the second round of UIL playoffs and in an back and forth game that went down to the finals seconds, it was Kennedale that walked away with the win.

 

Travon Fuller for Athens scored first on a 14 yarder but Juwan Washington for Kennedale score twice, first on a 20 yard run to tie and then on a 21 yard to for the go ahead touchdown early in the 2nd quarter. T Fuller came storming back on a 51 yarder to tie the game but Washington answered back with a 50 yard touchdown run just before half to give Kennedale the lead 21-14. In the third, Logan Fuller scored the only touchdown of the quarter but with a fail kick Kennedale remained ahead 21-20. Early in the 4th, L Fuller found the endzone a second time to give Athens the lead. But, on the 2 point conversion attempt following the touchdown, Kennedale?s Derrick Williams scooped up an Athens fumble and returned it 96 yards for 2 points.

 

The score midway in the 4th was Athens 26, Kennedale 23. After an exchange of possession, Athens had the ball and was about to ice the game with time running out for the Cats. Athens drove to the Kennedale 1 yard line but the Cats defense stacked it up. On 4th and inches, Athens decided to go to their bread and butter one more time knowing that a field goal would not be good enough if Kennedale scored again. But, L Fuller was turned away by the Cats defense and Kennedale took over with 99 yards to go. And, they did. It was an eleven yard run up the middle by QB Jake Michener that closed the deal in the final 8 seconds of the game for Kennedale, 30-26.

the game tonight …

In this game Kennedale is a 10-points favorite but Kennedale coaches while confident in their players, are very wary. At this level, there are no run-aways or easy games. Either team is capable of winning.

Kennedale Defensive Coordinator Jody Littleton said of Athens, ?They are a very physical running team, definitely a good team. They have their offense back [again this year],? he said with a shake of his head.

 

Litteton acknowledges that he lost most of his defense last year to graduation and there are a lot of young players in those roles now. But, he calls them football players (with emphasis), he likes their attitude and their passion.

 

?We have guys who really enjoy what they are doing, really enjoy the game of football. The energy they bring, the attitude they bring, I just really enjoy coaching them. I actually have more confident going into this year in the playoffs because the defense scheme was new to everyone last year but now everyone has adjusted.”

Assistant Coach Paul Trantham agrees when talking about the defense, ?We have kids that want to play defense. In the past they wanted to play offense because there they can get their name in the paper.? But he also points out the offensive line. ?They are big, They are good. There are no egos. They are all top students and can figure out things on the fly.”

 

Assistant Coach Derek Lopez calls the O-line his? hawgs? and he is proud of them. But, the other coaches agree, almost to the man, they will cite the play of the offensive line as one of the key reasons for Kennedale success this year.

 

Everyone on both sides knows that these teams can score and will score. For Kennedale to win they need to score and score often and the defense has to force the punt and stop the big runs.

?I think it comes down to who executes the best, limits the turnovers and who limits the explosive plays,? Essary for Athens said. ?I honestly feel like it will come down to special teams and who plays best and who can make who punt. Neither one of us likes to punt.?

The winner of the game moves on to a regional round game Directions to Lion

Memorial Stadium

 

You can read more about the Athens Hornets in the Athens

Review.