That the Wildcats prevailed over the Eagles in a high-scoring, back-and-forth thriller only added to the appeal of what could be the breakthrough victory Temple so desperately needed.

Ellison stormed back from deficits of 28-6 and 42-21 to tie the game with eight minutes remaining, but Lache Seastrunk then exploded for an 81-yard run - his career-high fourth touchdown in a career-best 291-yard game - and Toravion Belcher made a crucial interception with a minute left as the Wildcats staved off the Eagles 49-42 at Leo Buckley Stadium.

Temple’s first win in 11 months - it won 39-7 at Ellison last year to complete a 6-0 district season - snapped the Wildcats’ losing streak at six and improved their record to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in District 12-5A.

Most important, Temple - which was dominated 56-14 by state-ranked Copperas Cove last Friday - worked itself into the thick of the 12-5A playoff hunt with four games remaining and dealt Ellison (3-3, 1-2) a damaging defeat.

“We just had to overcome and prevail,” said Temple junior linebacker/fullback Derrick Davis, who rushed for 71 yards and two first-half touchdowns in his first significant offensive action of the season. “This gives us a spark. We had to have it.”

Temple coach Bryce Monsen, whose squad rushed for 427 yards, didn’t disagree with him.

“We had to start finding some wins, so we’ll take it,” he said. “This should jump-start us. What I’m most proud of is No. 1, our kids, who never gave up, No. 2, our coaches and No. 3, our fans. It’s like our spirit came alive tonight. You can’t describe it unless you’ve lived it.”

After what would have been a tremendous comeback victory for his team fell a couple of plays short, Ellison first-year coach Buddy McBryde was clearly disappointed but also proud of his players.

“We showed tremendous character, and we have good athletes and good kids who won’t quit,” McBryde said. “They learned a lot about themselves tonight and have nothing to hang their heads about. I’m real proud of them.”

In a tremendous duel of running backs, junior speedster Seastrunk carried 17 times for 291 yards and scores of 63, 46, 8 and 81 yards, while Ellison senior and Texas Tech commitment Daniel Cobb ran 28 times for 191 yards and touchdowns of 1 and 60 yards.

“We worked as a team and stayed as a team,” Seastrunk said. “We put our heads down for a minute (when Ellison tied it at 42), but we picked them back up and said, ‘We’re good.’

“It wasn’t me tonight - it was our offensive line,” he added. “They did it up front and got us the yards.”

Temple got off to a great start against Ellison, scoring three touchdowns in the first 7½ minutes. Seastrunk sprinted in from 63 yards only 48 seconds into the game, and the first of Chris Winkler’s seven extra points made it 7-0.

After Jaron Turner lost a fumble on Ellison’s second play, the 240-pound Davis charged in from 11 yards for a 14-0 lead at the 9:27 mark, and a 2-yard punt by the Eagles led to Kevin Lock’s perfectly thrown 34-yard TD pass to Daniel Carr for a 21-0 game with 4:22 left in the first.

Ellison responded with a 53-yard scoring pass from Kyle Skinner to Cameron Crowder, who with 3:23 left in the second quarter made a 24-yard TD reception.

However, Seastrunk’s 46-yard scoring burst to the right side and Davis’ 16-yard scoring rumble 36 seconds before halftime had the Wildcats seemingly in a comfortable position, up 35-14 at the break.

But the Eagles didn’t give up - far from it.

Crowder’s 89-yard kickoff return to start the second half set up Cobb’s 1-yard TD run, and Crowder answered Seastrunk’s 8-yard TD with a 32-yard scoring dash on a reverse to slice Temple’s advantage to 42-28 with 2:39 left in the third.

Then on the ensuing kickoff, Tevin Reese couldn’t handle Daniel Carr’s on-the-run toss and Ellison recovered the ball at Temple’s 14. A 17-yard pass to Lynn Grady led to Turner’s 2-yard TD rush, and the Eagles’ second score in 22 seconds made it 42-35.

Said Monsen: “Ellison stayed composed and made some big passes and big plays.”

Temple threatened to extend its lead early in the fourth, but on third-and-10 from Ellison’s 10 Lock’s on-the-move pass to the end zone was intercepted by Larry Brooks.

“That was gut-wrenching,” Monsen said. “We’d like to get three points there.”

And the Eagles made the Wildcats pay, moving out to the 40 before Cobb ran to the left, cut back across the field as an official tumbled to the turf and sprinted for the 60-yard touchdown that created the 42-42 deadlock with eight minutes to play.

But after the teams traded punts, Temple got the big play it needed from its big-play man, Seastrunk.

He took a pitch to the right side, burst through an opening and didn’t stop until his 81-yard touchdown put the Wildcats back up at 49-42 with 4:08 left.

Ellison returned the kickoff to its 42 and drove to Temple’s 26 with a minute to go, but senior cornerback Belcher - who had problems defending Crowder all night - played Skinner’s fade pass down the left sideline perfectly and went up above Crowder to pick it off at the 9, sealing the Wildcats’ must-have win.

“Toravion had a tough night, but he found the football when he needed to,” said Monsen, whose team will return to Buckley next Thursday to play Harker Heights at 7 p.m.

gwille@temple-telegram.com