With the ball in his hands the sophomore turned into a human torpedo and etched his name permanently into the lore of the legendary Rogers–Academy rivalry.
Kuban rushed for two touchdowns - including a 97–yarder - threw for another and went the distance on a kickoff return to provide the difference in the Bumblebees’ 30–24 overtime victory over the Eagles in a key District 25–2A game Friday night at John Glover Stadium.
Academy (5–3, 3–2) moves into solo third, needing one more win over either Lago Vista or Troy to garner a playoff spot. Rogers (4–4, 2–3) slips into a three–way tie for fourth with Jarrell and Florence, the Eagles’ final two opponents.
“Typical,” Academy coach Royce McAdams said in describing the nature of this and all Rogers–Academy games. “Both sides played with everything they had.”
Rogers coach John Stillwell was disappointed with the loss, but not with the play.
“(Academy) had a good game plan,” he said. “That was just a great high school football game. We had some opportunities that we didn’t convert. My hat’s off to them. They just kept getting third– down conversions when they needed them.”
When the Bees needed Kuban the most, he took over. After falling behind 17–12 following Eagle quarterback Chance Marek’s 11-yard touchdown keeper at the 2:11 mark of the third quarter, Kuban took the ensuing kickoff up the middle and through the wedge and raced 85 yards for the score. The Bees failed to convert the extra point after each of their five touchdowns.
Eagle punter Ben Baecker put the Bees into poor field position to start their first possession of the fourth quarter. Kuban not only got the Bees out of a hole, he broke loose around the left end and rumbled 97 yards to put the Eagles ahead 24–17 with 9:32 to play.
Before the game, McAdams asked Kuban if he wanted to be quarterback or blocking back. “He told me ‘I want to block,'" McAdams said. “That’s the kind of kid he is.”
Kuban did start there for several plays of the opening drive, but made the planned switch to quarterback.
“We just planned to start out running over them to start the game,” said Kuban, who rushed for 172 yards on 16 carries and was 6–of–12 for 94 yards passing. “You always grow up wanting to beat Rogers. This puts us in a better position for the playoffs.”
Stillwell said, “He’s just a hard guy to bring down. He ran through some tackles.”
Rogers came back to tie by marching 65 yards in seven plays capped by Marek’s second touchdown run. Academy drove to the Eagle 2, but Andrew Sodek was wide right on a potential game– winning field goal from 20 yards.
In overtime, the Bee defense forced the Eagles to attempt a field goal. Baecker, who hit a 42–yarder at the end of the first half for a 10–6 lead at the break, was short from 42.
Kuban kept the ball on all four plays of the Bees’ overtime possession, following fullback Kyle Preston into the end zone from the 1. The Bees attempted to go for a two–point conversion to add to their total in a potential district tiebreaker scenario. They did not convert.
Preston was a workhorse for the Bees with 140 yards on 26 carries. Rogers had a pair of 100–yard rushers as well with Marek gaining 121 and Donovan Chappell getting 105.
Both teams scored on their first possessions. Rogers struck first by traveling 69 yards in nine plays, going to the air only once. From the 5, Marek used the sealing blocks of Daniel Marmon and Caleb Spencer to coast in from the 5 for a 7–0 lead at the 7:46 mark.
Academy came back with a 13– play, 60–yard drive. The Bees converted three third–down plays and scored on fourth–and–3 when Kuban hit Brent Lanham with a 15–yard flare for a touchdown. Rogers’ Dalton Wood blocked the extra point to leave it at 7–6.
“We just had a super team effort,” McAdams said. “We had great plays and a lot of effort from the group. All we ask of the guys is that they give us a shot."
twaits@temple-telegram.com
