But in the season finale the Tigers’ defense finally came through.
Belton, which had forced just eight turnovers in the first nine games, forced three Friday night and tackled Bryan’s punter on fourth down, leading to 21 points as the Tigers beat the Vikings 31-21 at Merrill Green Stadium for their first district road victory since 2005.
“They’ve played inconsistently good at times,” Belton coach Rodney Southern said about the defense, which ranked last in the area by allowing an average of 411 yards per game but gave up only 280 to Bryan. “We tackled in the open field better. It’s good to end on a note like this going into offseason. It’s the right step for the program at the right time.”
The Tigers finished the season 3-7 overall and 3-5 in District 12-5A to tie for fourth place. Belton’s last district road win was a 14-7 victory at rival Temple.
“We went out champs,” said senior Kyle Voss, who ranks as one of the school’s all-time leaders in tackles. “I’m proud of all these guys. I love them to death. I’ll never forget this.”
With Belton leading 17-14, Vikings quarterback Kesnick Taylor (13 carries, 160 yards, two touchdowns) broke two tackles and raced down the left sideline for an 86-yard score to give Bryan (4-6, 2-6) a 21-17 lead with 7:52 remaining in the third.
Then, the Tigers’ defense took advantage of the mistake-prone Vikings.
On Bryan’s next possession, Monterrell Washington never had control of a Taylor handoff and Belton’s Aaron Lozoya recovered the fumble at the Tigers’ 14.
Three players later, Anthony Huber scored standing up to give the Tigers a 24-21 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
With the Vikings facing fourth-and-8 from their 49, punter Krey Bratsen found Tre Odom on a fake for a first down, but Bryan was called for an ineligible man downfield.
On fourth-and-13, Belton’s Nick Alaniz applied some pressure and Tim Bower tackled Bratsen at the 35.
Six plays later, quarterback David Ash (21-of-30, 227 yards, three TD passes) - who carried three times for 11 yards and connected with Kevin Thornton for a 20-yard gain to sustain the drive - found Robby Hogan for a 2-yard score to give the Tigers a 31-21 lead.
“We made some mistakes, but for the first time all year we won the turnover battle and we won the field position battle,” Southern said.
Belton linebacker Tony Bishop intercepted Taylor’s next pass. And on Bryan’s next drive, Michael Padgett stopped Washington for a 6-yard loss before Taylor’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete, giving the Tigers the win.
“We did everything as a team,” Voss said. “Everything clicked. We played pretty good tonight.”
Padgett also made another key play that helped the Tigers steal momentum heading into halftime. With the Vikings leading 14-10 and looking to run out the clock, Padgett recovered Taylor’s fumble at the Vikings’ 23 with 38 seconds left in the second quarter.
After three straight incompletions and a holding penalty that moved the ball back to the 33, Ash found Jeff Lepak (seven catches, 94 yards, all in the first half), who broke several tackles to turn a short completion into a backbreaking touchdown on the final play of the first half - the second straight week Belton scored on the final play before halftime.
“We were just trying to get a completion and run the clock out,” Southern said. “We had a bunch of receivers blocking, running backs blocking and doing things you have to do down the field. And Jeff has a knack for getting in the end zone, too.”
Belton kicker Tyler Pate began the game by recovering his onside kick, which led to Jake Houston’s 33-yard field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
On Pate’s ensuing onside attempt, Bryan’s Krey Bratsen caught it clean and raced 49 yards for a retaliation touchdown.
Thornton finished with five catches, falling six short of breaking the school’s single-season record. Ash punted six times for a 42.8 average on Friday and broke the school-record for punting average in a season.
The victory capped a season in which the Tigers made a statement to the rest of the district that they are a program on the rise.
“With 27 of these guys coming back, and the majority of those guys contributed and played, it’s the way to end obviously, but it’s also good going into offseason like this,” Southern said.
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
