Three straight outstanding second-half defensive performances, though, have the Wildcats on the brink of a second consecutive Class 5A playoff berth.
Temple kept Belton’s prolific passing attack in check and held the Tigers scoreless in the second half for the first time all year to beat its Bell County rivals 46-21 Friday night at Tiger Field.
“It wasn’t really anything we did,” said Temple coach Bryce Monsen, whose team allowed 49 points to Plano and 56 to Copperas Cove, both state-ranked teams, and 42 to Killeen Ellison. “We blitzed a little bit more, we tackled a little bit better. Really other than that, I thought our kids defensively played a little harder.”
Coming into Friday, Belton (2-7 overall, 2-4 in 12-5A) had scored 84 second-half points in its five district games, including 28 in a 45-42 loss at Ellison last week and 23 against Cove the week prior.
The Wildcats’ defense, though, has been posting its own impressive numbers. In last week’s win over Bryan, Temple (4-5, 4-2) held the Vikings to minus-7 yards in their final six possessions in the Wildcats’ 35-20 victory.
Temple blanked Harker Heights in the second half for a 48-10 victory.
On Friday, the Wildcats never let the Tigers get into any rhythm in the second half.
With the game tied at 21 at halftime, Belton started the second half with a rare defensive stop, giving the ball to its offense in hope of taking its first lead of the game.
On third-and-2 from Belton’s 36-yard line, Tigers quarterback David Ash (27-of-43, 309 yards, two TDs) was dropped for a 2-yard loss by Temple senior linebacker D.J. Daniels, forcing a Belton punt.
“They started getting a little confidence because they had a good stop there early on,” said Monsen, whose team held the Tigers to 142 total yards in the second half. “When you get a good stop, that gives you some confidence.”
On Belton’s next possession, Ash completed five straight passes, two for first downs. On third-and-8 at midfield, Kevin Thornton, the area’s leading receiver who returned after missing last week’s game because of a concussion suffered against Cove, dropped the pass, thwarting another drive.
“There were a couple of times we have people open, we have to make the play,” Tigers coach Rodney Southern said.
When Belton took over again in the fourth quarter, Ash fumbled on the first play at the Tigers 16 and Daniels recovered the ball to set up the Wildcats in easy scoring position.
Sophomore Ash, the area’s leader in completions, attempts and yards, went 15-for-23 in the second half for 154 yards, but junior Thornton tied season lows with three catches and 8 yards. Belton had only six first downs after recording 17 in the first half.
“They didn’t do anything different,” a frustrated Ash said. “It was just a matter of making plays and I didn’t make the plays in the second half. The wide receivers in this offense are always catching balls and I just didn’t put it there.”
While the Tigers offense was struggling, the Wildcats’ ground game was eating up yards and the clock.
Fullback Derrick Davis scored two touchdowns and quarterback Kevin Lock added one to push the lead to 39-21 with 9:12 left in the fourth.
Temple’s defense also made a key play in the second quarter with the game tied at 14 and Belton driving for the go-ahead score. Facing a fourth-and-2 at Temple’s 22, the Tigers faked a 39-yard field goal but Wildcats linebacker Stedman Moore tackled holder Thornton a half a yard short.
“The defense has gotten a lot of confidence,” Monsen said. “The thing about our defensive kids, we have a lot of new ones. Every game we play, they get a little bit better. They did a good job tonight.”
NOTES: Ash’s 3-yard completion to Thornton in the second quarter broke Belton’s record for most team and individual completions in a season. The Tigers, who have completed 191 passes this season, broke Brock Rumfield and Brad Turner’s mark of 171 set in 1993. Ash broke Rumfield’s mark of 164 set in 1993 and has 182 this season.
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
