Junior running back Will Wright rushed for 198 yards and scored two touchdowns and Cove’s defense collected seven turnovers as the Bulldawgs dominated the Klein Oak Panthers 45-7 in the Class 5A Division II Region II final on Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
It is the third consecutive season the Bulldawgs have advanced to the state semifinals and the farthest Cove has advanced as a 5A school.
“This is the next step for us,” said Cove coach Jack Welch, whose last two teams reached the 4A Division I state final. “We’ve never been this far in 5A. And it’s a great step. But I’ll be real frank - whether it’s 5A or 4A, our guys have been there.
“So it’s great for the record book, but our guys are just used to playing. I don’t know that they know what it’s like not to be playing.”
The District 12-5A-champion Bulldawgs (13-1), who earned their 50th victory in the last four years, will play the winner of today’s Region I final between Wylie (11-2) and Cedar Hill (12-1) in the state semifinals.
Cove’s semifinal is set for Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium, with the time to be determined.
Following last week’s 55-48 win over Houston Cypress Ridge, it appeared that the Bulldawgs might be in for another shootout after the Panthers (10-2) scored on their opening drive. On the third play from scrimmage, Ossam Cook broke free on a slight delay to the right and ran 67 yards for a touchdown.
But after that Cove’s defense held Cook in check. He gained only 100 total yards the rest of the way to finish with 167, Klein Oak recorded 313 total yards but was hindered by its seven giveaways.
“Everyone talks about our offense and they get all the accolades,” Welch said. “But tonight our defense played well. They made great strides after that track meet last week, except for that one play. But I tell you, (Cook) is a tremendous athlete.”
After the teams exchanged punts, Cove got on the scoreboard when Nick Greene hit wide-open tight end Josh Kasten on a play-action pass for a 41-yard touchdown. The first of Michael Roell’s six extra points tied it at 7.
And Cove never let up.
After another forced punt, Wright got his first score of the night with a 49-yard run on which he broke several tackles near the line of scrimmage, then cut back to the left for the TD and a 14-7 Cove lead with 10:23 left in the first half.
“I always say the key to a great running back is the yards he makes after the first contact,” Welch said. “Will had that tonight.”
After another Klein Oak punt Roell kicked a 42-yard field goal, then an interception by Fernando Smith on a lob pass set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Brelan Chancellor.
And a fumble recovered by all-state linebacker Tanner Brock helped set up an 18-yard touchdown run by Wright to give Cove a 31-7 halftime lead.
Wright had the benefit of running behind a line that dominated the Klein Oak defensive front the entire game.
“They are like Hercules,” Wright said of his linemen. “I’m nothing without them. Every time I got the ball I was just thinking, ‘Just get in the end zone.’”
The big halftime lead allowed the Bulldawgs to relax a bit, but turnovers still plagued Klein Oak in the second half.
The Panthers’ best chance to score came midway through the third quarter with Cove at its 37. There Klein Oak blocked a Roell punt, and with an added personal foul penalty it had a first-and-10 just outside the 10.
But on first down quarterback Andy Wilson’s pass was intercepted by Chris Miller, who had two picks Friday to increase his season total to 13.
Cove then used 17 plays to move 93 yards and make it 38-7 when Nick Greene hit Sherome Miller for a 15-yard touchdown with 46 seconds left in the third.
“They outplayed us,” Klein Oak coach David Smith said. “It wasn’t a matter of energy but execution. They executed their gameplan and we couldn’t tackle. They got us."
mhood@temple-telegram.com
