The seventh- and eighth-grade Killeen ISD middle school football champions were crowned Tuesday night in front of enthusiastic crowds at Leo Buckley Stadium.
Squaring off to begin the doubleheader, Smith and Liberty Hill dazzled fans in a three-overtime seventh-grade thriller that eventually tilted toward the Leopards, 11-9, on Raymundrae Felton’s game-winning 2-point conversion run.
The nightcap pitted Patterson and Smith, and the Cavaliers concluded an undefeated season with a 26-0 triumph that earned them the championship.
More photos from the championship games at Leo Buckley Stadium can be viewed here.
Top-seed Patterson’s march to the eighth-grade crown started with Jamarcus Nails’ 29-yard touchdown run around the left edge and his point-after run for a 7-0 advantage about 2 minutes into the opening quarter.
Nino Etienne then went right for a 10-yard rushing TD and the Cavaliers’ 13-0 lead with 3:07 to go in the first.
That was the score when second-seeded Smith’s Ay’Mani Leonard intercepted a pass to prevent Patterson from increasing its advantage. However, the Cavaliers found a way to do so anyway with Elijah Price’s 5-yard pick-six for a 19-0 cushion at 2:31 of the second quarter.
Patterson’s defense, which also got an interception from Joe McKenzie, punctuated the scoring when Etienne recovered a fumble in the end zone for a TD. Major Curry added the point-after run for 26-0 late in the third.
A goal-line stand as time expired preserved the shutout, and the Cavaliers converged for their celebration.
With a persistent wind, Smith and Liberty Hill kicked off the festivities, and after a scoreless first quarter, the back-and-forth battle truly began.
Tra’Von Stephens dropped a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide-open Montrellis Barnett, and Stephens found Maleek Harris for the point-after conversion that gave Smith, the No. 1 seventh-grade seed, a 7-0 lead at the 5:31 mark of the second quarter.
No. 2-seed Liberty Hill got the ball to start the second half and embarked on a time-consuming drive that spanned the entire third quarter and ended at 6:55 of the fourth when Roman Moody hit Remy Curtis on the slant for a 10-yard score. Shawn Gilbert then barreled in for the point-after conversion to bring the Lions even with the Leopards at 7-all.
The Leopards had a chance to go ahead with 2 minutes remaining but Moody recovered a fumble on fourth-and-goal from the 3, giving the Lions a shot to drive the length of the field for the win.
Liberty Hill moved into Smith territory but Moody’s heave as time expired was intercepted short of the end zone by Leo Diggs to send the contest into overtime tied 7-7.
In overtime, teams got one down to convert a 2-point try from the 3-yard line. Neither side managed points in the first OT before Felton scored for Smith and Moody connected with Javen Vargas to push the game into a third overtime deadlocked 9-9.
Liberty Hill couldn’t convert its third attempt and Felton fought his way across the goal line for the undefeated Leopards, who spilled off the sideline and dogpiled in the end zone to celebrate their title.
The final night of the 2024 middle school season also included games that matched up teams based on where they finished through the first seven weeks.
Those results were:
Seventh-grade –– No. 3 Rancier 40, No. 4 Union Grove 14; No. 5 Palo Alto 26, No. 6 Patterson 7; No. 7 Manor 13, No. 8 JDA 13; No. 9 Eastern Hills 24, No. 10 Nolan 22; No. 11 Live Oak Ridge 18, No. 12 Audie Murphy 13
Eighth-grade –– No. 3 JDA 29, No. 4 Eastern Hills 7; No. 5 Nolan 21, No. 6 Liberty Hill 8; No. 7 Palo Alto 14, No. 8 Audie Murphy 14; No. 9 Live Oak Ridge 40, No. 10 Manor 13; No. 11 Rancier 12; No. 13 Union Grove 6
