Shoemaker’s Toby Foreman won’t soon forget getting punched in the eye –– or the reason why it happened.
The ninth-year Grey Wolves head coach’s accidental knock to the noggin Friday night occurred as his team jubilantly celebrated place kicker Josh Narvaez Torres’ 28-yard field goal as time expired that lifted SHS to a fulfilling 31-28 victory over Temple at Wildcat Stadium.
The District 12-6A-opening win was the program’s first over the Wildcats (4-1, 1-0) during Foreman’s tenure in charge of the Grey Wolves (5-0, 1-0), and the first since 2006. So, suffice it to say, getting socked won’t be nearly as difficult to shake off.
“It feels great. It feels like a weight has been lifted. We finally slayed the dragon,” Foreman said, his right eye watery and red. “They’re an unbelievable program. To be respected around the state of Texas, we have to win games like that. We had so many guys come through tonight.”
Shoemaker’s Brandon Brown Jr. rushed for touchdowns of 1, 24 and 55 yards, and quarterback De’Mani Dail-Addison connected with Josiah Walker out of the backfield for a 37-yard score. But it was Narvaez Torres’ boot that sent Shoemaker’s players and coaches streaming from the sideline as the final horn sounded.
After the teams shook hands at midfield, Foreman, blowing into his familiar whistle, and the Grey Wolves jumped and bounded over to their fans to continue the celebration.
“I don’t even know what the final score was. I just know we put up more points than they did, we are 1-0 and we get to go home,” Foreman said.
The battle between teams that rolled through their non-district schedule, was tied 7-all after the first quarter, and Temple held a slim 14-13 lead at the break.
It was knotted again at 21-21 entering the fourth, and 28-28 when Shoemaker embarked on its game-winning drive that included a key third-down conversion between backup quarterback Reshard Hicks Jr. and receiver Jihad McCoy that put the Grey Wolves in field-goal range.
More photos from the Shoemaker-Temple game: https://tinyurl.com/7wtt8nf4
Meanwhile, about 30 minutes north of Temple, three-time defending district champ Harker Heights (3-2, 1-0) went down to the wire against previously unbeaten Waco Midway (4-1, 0-1), overcoming a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 24-21 victory.
Hudson Humble’s 20-yard TD toss to Kristian Nobles tied it at 21-21 with about 4 minutes to go, and the Knights went ahead to stay with Oakley Goins’ 44-yard field goal with 56 seconds remaining.
“To start off with a win here at Midway against a quality, tough opponent –– a championship program –– says everything about our kids and our coaching staff,” HHHS head coach Mark Humble told KCEN after the victory.
The win snapped the Knights’ short two-game slide. Jaylen Mason had a rushing touchdown and Ja’Khari Simpson returned the second-half kickoff for a score.
The drama was no less at Leo Buckley Stadium where Killeen hosted Copperas Cove on homecoming and welcomed the return of starting quarterback D’Angelo Ingram.
The Roos (0-5, 0-1) played well and built a 30-16 fourth-quarter lead before the Bulldawgs (4-1, 1-0) rallied for a 31-30 win.
Sha’Drach Gordon led Killeen’s offense with 185 yards rushing.
More KHS-Cove photos: https://tinyurl.com/yc99zw5d
All three District 12-6A games played Friday were decided by three points or less and all came down to the final minute or less of the ballgame.
For the Roos, they've been oh-so-close each of the last four weeks, with defeats by five, seven, two and one points.
District 8-5A-I
Quarterback Bryson Coleman passed for 194 yards and two touchdowns but the Chaparral Bobcats fell 57-14 to host Cedar Park on Thursday night in the District 8-5A-I opener for both teams.
Note: HHHS photo by Andy Zavoina, Killeen Daily Herald