4A DI Region2 Area Round – #7 Paris vs #14 Kennedale today 7pm McKinney High School
The Kennedale Wildcat last week continued their dominance of opposing teams with a 58-20 thrashing of Brownwood. Once again the defense played liked they owned the field and had posted no trespassing allowed signs. {{more: continue …}}?
?Kennedale playing as well as anyone right now …?
For Kennedale running back DJ Kirven (Sr) scored 4 touchdowns on 128 yards at 9.14 yards per carry. He had another 34 yards receiving. QB Evan Jowers (Sr) had 15 yards rushing but 123 passing including a 58 yard touchdown pass to Carrington Roblow. Running back Antwone Parker rushed for 52 yards and 2 touchdown. RB Wali Latiffi scored a final touchdown on short yardage.
In the last three games against Dunbar, Benbrook and Brownwood (excluding Diamond Hill) the three opposing teams averaged 157 total yards for the game or just under 40 yards per quarter while scoring 47 points at an average 16 points per game. Kennedale has scored 138 point in the three games at an averaged 46 points per. That for Kennedale is a plus 91 point differential, nice.
Dunbar and Benbrook each managed to score a single td in the first half, Brownwood scored points only the 2nd half after falling behind 29-0 and it was 51-0 late in the 3rd before Brownwood score a touchdown.?
A good win but now the real test begins …?
It was a good win in the first round of the UIL state football playoffs. It gives the Wildcats something to hang their hat as they moved in to the heart of the 4A top ten over the next three weeks. The next round is the area round where they challenge the #6 ranked Paris Wildcats. Paris is 8-2 including a win last week in the first round of the playoff against Dallas Carter 59-12.
Against Dallas Carter Paris had 510 yards – 22 passing and 488 rushing. In their last regular season game, Paris beat North Lamar 21-0 with 251 yards rushing out of a total of 259 yards. A week earlier against Sanger they had 403 yards, passing for 104 and rushing for 299 while winning 48-18.?
The survivor of this game should face #3 La Vega currently 9-2 and then #1 Argyle currently 11-0 in the Region 2 title game – quite a murderers row.
But the only game that matters now is this week versus Paris. The Wildcats from Paris are from District 7-4A, the same as #1 Argyle. One of the losses for Paris was against Argyle 34-26 October 19. The Wildcats other loss of the season came in the first game of the season against Texarkana Pleasant Grove 30-10. Pleasant Grove is currently ranked by MaxPreps as the #1 team in Class 4A Division II.
Last year Paris finished 7-4 last year and 4-1 in district before losing out to Crandall in a bi-district game. In 2016 Paris went 9-4, 5-0 and advanced to the third round of the playoffs before falling to Van. Paris Head Coach Stephen Hohenberger is in his 13 year as head coach with the last six at Paris. He has never had a losing season at Paris nor missed the playoffs while there. Paris does own a state championship, winning in 1988 under Allen Wilson and finishing at 13-3-0.
District 6-4A update …?
Kennedale was the only team to advance beyond the first round but the other teams in the district all fell to Top Twenty 4A Division I teams. Second place Benbrook lost to #16 China Springs 4-15. Third place Dunbar was defeated by #8 Stephenville 54-13. And, fourth place Lake Worth fell to #3 La Vega 61-0.
