Killeen (8-4) takes on the Gregory-Portland Wildcats (9-3) in a Class 4A Division I Region IV semifinal at noon today at the Alamodome. It will be the first time since 2001 that the Roos have played a third-round playoff game.
And for the members of the current Kangaroos, who never had been in the playoffs until this season, there’s a bit more.
“A lot of these kids have never seen a stadium this big,” Killeen coach Sam Jones said of the Alamodome. “For some this may be the farthest they’ve ever traveled.”
Half of the Roos’ 12 games were played at Killeen’s Leo Buckley Stadium, and in the other six the farthest they had to travel was Marble Falls.
“We’d like to play at Leo Buckley again this week,” Jones said with a laugh. “But the Alamodome is a good neutral site. We plan to get there a bit early so the guys can try to get a feel for it.”
If the Roos get a feel for it like they’ve gotten a feel for the playoffs, then they should be just fine.
Killeen has looked like a team on a mission, grabbing big leads in both playoff games and holding on to win.
In bi-district, Austin Crockett was the victim as the Roos took a 34-7 lead into the fourth quarter and held on, 34-21.
Then last week, the Roos really gave notice that they were serious threats by taking a 19-0 lead over 2006 state champion San Antonio Alamo Heights and winning 19-16.
Jones’ explanations of the wins seemed a little too simple.
“The offense scored enough to win,” he said. “The special teams did their job, giving us a punt return to set up a touchdown (against Alamo Heights) and the defense has played its best games of the season. You win all three parts of the game, you win the game.”
Jones also said he wasn’t at all surprised that Alamo Heights made it interesting after being down 19-0.
“I knew they have a highly explosive offense,” he said. “They have the capability to make stops (on defense) and turn the game around. I was glad to see we held on and kept playing and didn’t get frustrated.”
The Roos instead are turning in their best performances of the season.
Sophomore quarterback Michael Cummings leads Killeen in rushing and passing, having run for 955 yards and 17 touchdowns and passed for 1,355 yards and 11 TDs. Jaquail Haskins has provided a valuable second option in the running game with 925 yards and eight scores.
And Killeen’s defense has risen up, as well, allowing well below 300 yards per game in the playoffs.
But Gregory-Portland, which has been a playoff mainstay for years, isn’t a team that will be intimidated if Killeen follows the same playoff pattern and gets up early.
Last week Corpus Christi Flour Bluff took a 15-0 lead in the first quarter, but Gregory-Portland rallied to take a 21-15 halftime lead and win 28-15.
“They are rich in tradition and know how to play,” Jones said of the Wildcats. “It doesn’t get any easier for us after beating Alamo Heights.”
But it does get different. Alamo Heights was a pass-based team and Gregory-Portland will run primarily.
“We’re back to the drawing board,” Jones said. “It will be a totally different game inside the hashes. But we’ve seen several teams run this (Slot-T) offense.”
The Wildcats have rushed for 3,611 yards and passed for only 1,009, averaging just under 10 passes per game.
Joey Sanchez is the top rusher, gaining 1,150 yards with nine touchdowns. Kevin Vento and Holden Rios have more than 500 yards apiece and have a combined 11 TDs.
Rios is the team’s top receiver, with 18 catches for 320 yards and five scores.
“I think overall as a team we are ready for this game,” Jones said. “We have come along well as a team. The whole key is that right now, if you don’t win you go home."
mhood@temple-telegram.com
