But while the Tigers managed to escape with a win and are bound for the playoffs for the first time since 2003, the Wildcats will have to live with the fact that their miscues cost them a fourth straight victory over Belton and in all likelihood a third consecutive postseason trip.
In a rugged duel dominated by defense and plagued by turnovers, two giveaways in the final 2˝ minutes - including Darrius White's 49-yard touchdown return of a dropped lateral - did Temple in as Belton seized a 17-6 win for its first victory against the Wildcats since 2005.
"I'm very proud of our kids and they played hard all night long, but we made too many mistakes in the kicking game plus the turnovers on offense," said Temple coach Bryce Monsen, whose team fell to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in District 12-5A after committing four second-half turnovers plus giving the ball up on downs and failing to recover an onside kick.
"Our defense rose up and we played well enough on defense, but in a game like this you can't have as many turnovers as we had and expect to win."
While the Wildcats must win their regular-season finale next Friday at winless Killeen Shoemaker and have several other scenarios go right for them to have a shot at the playoffs, Belton (8-1, 5-1) officially is in and will earn at least a share of the 12-5A championship if it beats Bryan at home next Friday.
Receiver Kevin Thornton's 21-yard touchdown catch from David Ash 31 seconds before halftime gave Belton the lead for good, and it gave him and his fellow seniors their first win over Temple in four tries.
"It feels good to win and make the playoffs, because I have all the respect in the world for Temple," Thornton said.
Said Tigers third-year coach Rodney Southern, whose first two Tigers squads lost to Temple by a combined score of 102-21: "It feels pretty good (to make the playoffs). It feels good for those kids."
Temple's Lache Seastrunk ran 23 times for a game-high 114 yards and fellow senior Derrick Davis gained 94 yards on 25 rushes. However, the Wildcats' other six offensive snaps lost a total of 14 yards, the speedy Seastrunk never had a run of longer than 13 yards and Temple didn't score again after Seastrunk's 5-yard TD run 1:54 before halftime.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
