However, one thing was more elusive - the Wildcats’ first win of the season.
Kevin Lock threw two long second-half touchdown passes to Seastrunk to get Temple within three points and its defense came up with a late, crucial turnover on downs, but the Wildcats didn’t capitalize on their final scoring opportunity and the Tigers escaped with a 24-21 victory at Tigerland Stadium.
After non-district losses to Cedar Park, Leander and second-ranked Plano, the Wildcats dropped to 0-4 overall. A&M Consolidated, whose only district loss last year was a 35-34 home thriller against 13-5A champion Temple, improved to 2-2.
“Our kids are all disappointed, but it’s early in district and we’ll keep pushing,” said Temple coach Bryce Monsen, whose team’s 12-5A home opener is next Friday night against 4-0 Copperas Cove. “It was a big game, but it was only one game. We’ll keep fighting and plugging away. They’re determined.”
A&M Consolidated coach Jim Slaughter was relieved to get into the Tigers’ fieldhouse with a win.
“We’re getting better and this game will make us grow up in a hurry,” he said. “Temple came out in the second half and came roaring back, and I told our kids they would.”
A week after Plano racked up 49 points and 504 yards, Temple’s defense delivered a strong second-half performance against Consolidated.
The hard running of backs Chris Nutall, Clinton Banks and Adam Anderson helped the Tigers rush for 193 yards and 12 first downs in the first half, but the Wildcats regrouped after halftime and permitted only 71 rushing yards, 73 overall and three first downs to aid the comeback.
“It was just being tough and having that state of mind. We played hard as a team,” said Temple junior linebacker Derrick Davis, who made several jarring tackles. “We weren’t all playing together in the first half. We’ve got to learn to play the full 48 minutes.”
Junior running back Seastrunk entered the evening with 488 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but Consol’s aggressive defense kept him from getting around the edges and limited him to 63 yards on 16 carries.
However, in the second half Seastrunk emerged as a big-play weapon in the passing game. His 64-yard touchdown catch from Lock cut Temple’s deficit to 21-14 with five seconds left in the third quarter, and after a Tigers field goal he caught a 38-yard pass from Lock to make it 24-21 with three minutes remaining.
The Wildcats couldn’t recover their ensuing onside kick attempt, but then their defense stepped up.
After three 3-yard runs, Consol faced fourth-and-1 at the 50-yard line. Quarterback Patrick O’Quinn tried to gain the first down on a straight-ahead sneak, but Temple’s line stopped him short and jubilantly ran off the field after forcing the vital turnover on downs with 1:17 remaining.
But out of timeouts and needing to gain about 20 yards to get Chris Winkler into range for a tying field goal, the Wildcats couldn’t come up with the plays they needed.
Lock threw an incomplete pass, took an 11-yard sack, then spiked the ball with 41 seconds left. And on fourth-and-21 from Temple 39, his hurried pass to the left flat fell to the artificial turf, sealing Consol’s survival and another tough loss for the Wildcats.
After a scoreless first quarter, Consolidated got its running game going in the second quarter behind sophomore Nutall. His quick, strong gains set up O’Quinn’s 1-yard touchdown surge for a 7-0 Tigers lead two minutes into the second.
Consol’s defense continued to contain the speedy Seastrunk and his mates, then the Tigers struck again. Nutall’s 38-yard catch set up sophomore Banks for an 11-yard scoring rumble and a 14-0 game 3:44 before halftime.
But Baylor-committed senior Reese then gave Temple a spark, snaring Lock’s long crossing pass and racing to the 3 for a 63-yard gain before Marcus Jones bulled in for a touchdown to make it 14-7 a minute later.
However, Consol managed to strike again right before halftime. On fourth-and-10 from Temple’s 39, Banks took a handoff straight up the middle and charged in to make it 21-7 with 29 seconds left.
“They just hit a trap on us, and that was a big play from a psychological standpoint,” Monsen said.
After the teams traded lost fumbles late in the third, Seastrunk beat the secondary to haul in Lock’s long pass for the 64-yard score and a 21-14 game. And with 3˝ minutes left, Reese’s juggling, sprawling 19-yard catch – he pinned the ball to his helmet while on the ground - set up Seastrunk’s 38-yard TD from Lock.
But in the end, those plays still weren’t enough to produce Temple’s first win.
