Killeen (8-4) will play Gregory-Portland at noon next Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio in the Region IV semifinals. Gregory-Portland defeated Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 28-15 Friday night.
Alamo Heights finished its season with an 8-4 record.
The Mules came into the game boasting a high-powered run-and-shoot offense led by Oklahoma-committed quarterback Drew Allen, a unit that was averaging 380 yards and 32 points per game. Allen had thrown for 2,482 yards and 24 touchdowns against only nine interceptions.
But the swarming Kangaroo defense, led by Titus Barnes, Terry Mathison, James Terrell, Anthony Shaw and Brandon Howard, held Alamo Heights to only 264 total yards. It limited Allen to 149 yards passing and one touchdown while intercepting three passes - two by Barnes and one by Marcelus Lee - and recovering an Allen fumble.
Despite all that, the Mules still had a chance to tie the game or take the lead when they took possession at their 1-yard line with 6:27 left in the game following a Killeen interception on fourth-and-9 at the Alamo Heights 11. They had 99 yards to go, but Allen had already taken his team on a 93-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter for Heights’ first points.
The Mules picked up a couple of first downs while moving out to their 26. On first down, Allen kept for 5. On second down, Barnes dropped Allen for a 1-yard loss. A third-down pass fell incomplete thanks to tight coverage by Videl Nelson.
So on fourth down Alamo Heights punted, and the Kangaroos took possession at their 34 with 4:11 remaining.
Alamo Heights eventually got the ball back with just 15 seconds remaining, and the game ended with a desperation pass that was knocked to the ground by Killeen’s secondary.
The Mules had threatened to score on their second possession of the game, but Allen was stripped of the ball just short of the goal line and Mathison recovered at the Killeen 4.
The Roos’ first touchdown was set up by Tamarcus Brown’s 43-yard punt return down to the Heights 10. Four plays later Royce Asi bulled in from the 1, and Reynaldo Marshall booted the extra point, giving Killeen a 7-0 lead with 5:02 left in the second quarter.
Later in the half the Roos took possession at their 49 with only 43 seconds remaining. Four plays later quarterback Michael Cummings connected with Deonte Epps for a 27-yard touchdown with 7 seconds left.
The PAT was blocked, leaving the score 13-0 at halftime.
Cummings easily scored in the third quarter on a 2-yard bootleg that fooled every Mule defender. Killeen attempted a two-point conversion but failed, making the score 19-0 with 7:09 remaining in the period.
The touchdown was set up by Barnes’ second interception.
rray@temple-telegram.com
