If Week 1 was any indication of things to come this season, then Week 2 should have its share of action-packed entertainment.
Killeen ISD football players set the tone with their opening performances, leaving plenty to look forward to with more non-district games upcoming this week, including two Thursday night contests featuring Harker Heights and Chaparral, Shoemaker’s home opener and a longstanding rivalry matchup between Killeen and Ellison.
It will be a tall task to live up to last year’s 45th edition of Kangaroos vs. Eagles, which went to double overtime and was won by Killeen, but the two teams will surely give their best to top that thriller in meeting No. 46.
Game time is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Leo Buckley Stadium. KCEN will feature it as its Game of the Week.
“Yes, it’s a crosstown rivalry but that’s for the fans. For our kids, we’re preparing no different than how we would for any other game,” KHS head coach Josh Sadler said. “We have to make sure we do everything we can to win the ball game.”
The last 20 meetings between the two, dating to the 2004 season, each has won 10 times –– including one overtime victory apiece. In that span, Killeen won five straight from 2010-204 and Ellison had a three-game winning streak from 2017-2019.
So, aside from the bragging rights at stake, Ellison and Killeen will be extra eager to get back on the field after both dealt with defeats in which they led at halftime. The Roos (0-1) were upended by Cedar Park Vista Ridge, 31-21, after the visiting Raiders scored the final 31 points to shake off a 21-0 deficit.
“It was a tale of two halves in our first one, so, to me, the biggest thing is putting together four quarters of football,” Sadler added. “They are very good. They are very fast, athletic and big up front. We just have to execute the game plan and get after them.”
Ellison (0-1) led Copperas Cove 20-14 at halftime, but the Bulldawgs put together a big second half to fend off the Eagles.
“We always emphasize to the kids that we take all games one at a time, and this is another game in which we have to focus on ourselves and making sure we play better than we did last week. The biggest is trying to improve from Game 1 to Game 2,” EHS head coach Danny Servance said.
“We can’t give up explosive plays. I think that was our demise last week. We’ve got to try to limit those, play solid defense, and not do anything to hurt ourselves.”
Before the Roos and Eagles tangle, there are a pair of Thursday night games on the docket that include KISD’s two winning teams from Week 1.
Harker Heights (1-0), fresh off a 45-43, five-overtime nod over Cedar Park, hosts Manor at 7 p.m. in Leo Buckley Stadium –– the second of three consecutive home games to open the season for the Knights.
The Mustangs (0-1) lost 60-34 to Austin Bowie last week while the Knights offense piled up 525 yards in their win.
Six days after topping Kyle Lehman 12-6 with a pair of second-half touchdowns in head coach Tyrell McCrea’s debut, the Chaparral Bobcats have their home opener scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Joseph L. Searles III Stadium against Manor New Tech (1-0), which defeated Austin LASA, 14-13, in Week 1.
The game will be broadcast by KWTX on the CW as part of the “All-American Thursday Night Football” series.
Rounding out the action this week are the Shoemaker Grey Wolves (0-1), who aim to rebound from a 22-14 defeat at Round Rock and host Nuevo Leon (Mexico) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Searles Stadium. The Tigres lost to Temple, 42-26, last Friday night. Shoemake’s defense allowed just 221 yards against the Dragons.
Games at Leo Buckley and Searles stadiums can be viewed via live stream on Hudl Fan at https://tinyurl.com/ypt7jvdx.
Follow Facebook.com/KISDSports and X.com/KilleenISD_ for more.
Stat standouts
Win or lose, KISD players produced some scintillating performances in Week 1. From piling up the passing yards to rumbling for more on the ground, here are a few of the highlights form the stat sheets.
Passing: Sidney Holland, EHS, 356 yards, three touchdowns; D’Angelo Ingram, KHS, 332 yards, two TDs; Hudson Humble, HHHS, 280 yards, four TDs
Rushing: Kaden Butler, HHHS, 181 yards, one TD
Receiving: Timothy Boatner, KHS, 166 yards, two TDs; Tyler Johnson, HHHS, 108 yards, one TD; Kai McMillan, HHHS, 106 yards, 2 touchdowns; Travaris Turner-Smith, EHS, 104 yards, two TDs; Prince Hall, EHS, 97 yards; Kenneth Johnson, CHS; 82 yards, one TD
Tackles: Cooper Howard, HHHS, 15; Brian Hood, HHHS, 13; Jammie Smart, SHS, 13; Rocky Crooks, HHHS, 12; Joseph Fowlkes IV, EHS, nine;
Interceptions: Elijah Gray, SHS, one; John Wyatt, KHS, one; Keyshawn Campbell, KHS, one
Middle school results
Scores that were reported as of Thursday from opening day –– Sept. 3 –– of the KISD middle school season are below.
Eighth-grade A: Patterson 26, Live Oak Ridge 12; Nolan 21, Waco Chavez 6; Audie Murphy 12, Palo Alto 6; Eastern Hills 32, Union Grove 6; JDA 47, Rancier 0; Waco Tennyson 6, Manor 0; Smith 12, Liberty Hill 0
Seventh-grade A: Patterson 35, Live Oak Ridge 0; Smith 12, Liberty Hill 0; Palo Alto 41, Audie Murphy 6; Eastern Hills 18, Union Grove 12; Rancier 19, JDA 12; Smith 12, Liberty Hill 0; Manor 21, Waco Tennyson 13; Waco Chavez 34, Nolan 0
Seventh-grade B: Liberty Hill 13, Smith 0
