The only games truly of the must-win variety are district games, which determine whether a team makes or misses the playoffs, and playoff games, in which every squad faces a win-or-go-home situation.
The Leander duel is simply the second of three non-district games for the Wildcats, who won’t begin their seven-game District 12-5A schedule until Sept. 26 at College Station A&M Consolidated.
But even if Leander isn’t a must-win game for Temple, it’s pretty close to it. One could call it a must-play-well game, a prove-it game, a statement game - anything along those lines.
The Wildcats lost 28-20 in their season opener at Cedar Park last week, and there wasn’t any shame in that. The Timberwolves have a very solid program in one of the state’s most competitive Class 5A districts, and they had thrashed perennial power Austin Westlake on the road a week earlier.
Temple certainly didn’t play its best football at Cedar Park.
The Wildcats’ Wing-T offense couldn’t stay on the field in the first half (not that Lache Seastrunk’s 76-yard touchdown sprint was a negative thing), and their defense allowed four rushing touchdowns before halftime - the last one set up by a blocked punt deep in Temple territory with a minute left.
However, coach Bryce Monsen’s Wildcats did show impressive resolve as they completely controlled the second half of play. Temple cranked up its defensive intensity (permitting zero rushing first downs), established its running game and got its passing attack going with quarterback Kevin Lock and receiver Tevin Reese.
The result was that the Wildcats outscored the Timberwolves 14-0 after halftime, managing to turn a would-be rout into a relatively close game before they ran out of time.
Monsen was proud of his players’ effort and his coaches’ adjustments, and rightfully so. They turned a negative into a positive, even though it still went down as a loss.
But the fact that it was a loss makes Friday’s clash with Leander (1-1) - coach Steve Gideon’s Lions went three rounds deep in the 2007 playoffs - all the more important.
First of all, the Wildcats have the opportunity to set the tone for what they hope will be an overwhelming home-field advantage this season.
Second, No. 2-ranked Plano looms as Temple’s opponent Sept. 19 at Wildcat Stadium. Even if Temple’s Wildcats play very well that night, there’s a significant chance that Plano’s Wildcats - they’re loaded - might still be too good to beat.
And remember Temple’s first two dates in 12-5A play - at annual contender A&M Consolidated and home against old foe Copperas Cove, which reached the last two 4A Division I state championship games and has rolled to a 2-0 start this year.
So again, the Leander game shapes up as a crucial test for Temple.
Including the loss at Cedar Park, the Wildcats are 0-4 against the former District 14-5A and the current 16-5A in the last two seasons.
Temple had a shot to win all three such meetings last year but faded in the second half against Round Rock McNeil and Round Rock Westwood before falling 34-31 in overtime to eventual Division II state runner-up Pflugerville in a first-round playoff.
Competing against the Round Rock-area district is a measuring stick for teams in Temple’s league, and they haven’t measured up. In fact, Bryan’s 31-24 win at Leander last Thursday stopped 13-5A/12-5A’s 20-game losing streak vs. 14-5A/16-5A.
Last year, the season-opening victory over what became a 10-win South Garland team helped propel Temple’s perfect run to the 13-5A championship.
On Friday night, on their home field, the Wildcats need a win over Leander to get themselves going this season.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
