And the torrential, jersey-soaking rain … well, it just kept coming.
It was a war of attrition at Klein Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
When the dust had settled, Klein Cain had toppled one of the last remaining undefeated teams in the state. The Hurricanes walked away with a 27-12 triumph against Tomball and kept its district title hopes alive.
“Just really proud of my kids,” Klein Cain coach James Clancy said. “Sometimes in life, you’ve just got to get nasty. We’re very neanderthal in the way we do things at Klein Cain, the way we train. We talk about toughness, and I couldn’t be more proud of the mental toughness my kids and coaches showed. That was not easy.”
A struggling Magnolia West team is now the only opponent that can keep Klein Cain from clinching at least a share of the District 15-6A crown next week. But the Hurricanes aren’t overlooking anyone.
“Job’s not done yet,” Clancy insisted.
The Klein Cain offense has been a fireworks show all season. The Hurricanes (8-1, 6-1) entered the afternoon averaging 40.6 points and 519 yards per game. But when the damp weather ousted the unit’s fuse early on against a hard-nosed, undefeated Tomball team, the defense rose to the occasion and delivered its magnum opus.
Darius Lewis was causing havoc in the backfield, folding up Tomball ball carriers like lawn chairs. Cade LeDoux, the team’s leading tackler, made a key fumble recovery toward the end of the second quarter. Trent Lancaster was a tackling machine like always, relentlessly ranging from sideline to sideline. Marcus Coleman and Donovan Dempsey each had a first-half interception, and Dempsey took his 58 yards to the house.
Whatever was required of the Hurricanes, they delivered.
Once the offense started to find its spark in the final quarter — powered by a strong, three-touchdown game from running back Jaelon Dixon — Klein Cain began to pick up steam and rolled to the victory.
“Statistically, we’ve been No. 1 in the district, defensively,” Clancy said. “You look at Trent Lancaster and Marcus Coleman and Darius Lewis making plays all over the field. Defense takes a lot of pride, and the offense played good, complementary football. Special teams did as well. When your defense is hot, just let them do their job.”
Coleman crushed the Cougars’ hopes with 4:23 remaining, corralling another pick at the Tomball 16. The senior cornerback said after the game that the inbreaking route he jumped was something defensive coordinator Swift Fletcher told him to look for. He recognized the play immediately and drove hard on the ball for the diving catch.
“I feel like we have the best defense in the state,” Coleman said with a smile. “We have some ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we have overcome a lot of challenges. So I can say that we’re the best defense in the state.”
The win for Klein Cain was its biggest of the season, without a doubt.
But after its regular-season finale next week, the team will start to prepare for the Class 6A Division I playoffs, a postseason bracket perhaps not matched by any other in the country. The Hurricanes lost in the second round against perennial powerhouse Westfield last year, so it goes without saying a deeper run is on their wish list.
To do that, the defense will need to keep the tenacious, confident performances coming.
Not a problem, says Lancaster.
“Confidence? Oh, it’s through the roof,” he... Click here to read full article
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