The Teague Lions entered the district season searching for their first victory of the season, but they left the evening with a 48-34 loss at home to the Kemp Yellowjackets.
This was the only District 8-3A Division I game that was played on Friday night. The COVID-19 cancellations claimed the Malakoff and Eustace contest and spoiled the homecoming game in Groesbeck in their face-off with the Fairfield Eagles. This will prompt a district meeting among the coaches to determine how they will proceed with the remaining games. The two games not played move to the first open date that was cleared in the district and the game was reset for October 30.
The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter with a pair of touchdowns. Nemier Herod scored on a two-yard run and Jake Callahan connected with Luke Stacks on a 63-yard touchdown to open the scoring at 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
Kemp answered with the next two scores in the wild first half. Yellowjacket quarterback Deacon Thompson threw a short touchdown pass to Dustin Tutle that covered four yards to cut the lead in half. They promptly recovered a Teague fumble and Thompson went back to work and threw his second touchdown pass, this one to Gabe Jarvis for the 23-yard score in the first minute of the second quarter. The conversion run failed and the Lions held a 14-13 lead.
The Lions would increase the lead and it would happen with the legs of Herod. He scored on a seven-yard touchdown run and Uriel Medina added the point after for the 21-13 lead early in the second quarter.
Kemp answered on the third touchdown pass on the night. He threw to Collin Boyle for the ten-yard score and then Thompson added the conversion run to tie the score midway through the quarter.
The Lions took the instant answer to the Yellowjacket score on a 33-yard touchdown run by Herod, his third in the first half. He weaved through the Kemp defense on the highlight reel run and Medina gave the Lions a 28-21 lead with 5:58 remaining in the half.
Teague would have a chance to regain the lead on a 15-yard touchdown run by Stacks, but a holding penalty took the points off the board. Instead of the lead for the touchdown, Callahan had a pass intercepted by Tutle and he returned it 75 yards for the touchdown to close the scoring in the first half and the teams were tied at 28-28.
Kemp opened the scoring in the second half with a touchdown drive. Trent McBride scored on a one-yard plunge and they took a 35-28 lead with 8:50 remaining in the third quarter.
Herod was not finished on the night. He had his longest and most impressive touchdown, his fourth of the night on a 50-yard run cutting through the Yellowjacket defense. The conversion to take the lead was no good and Kemp held onto a 35-35 lead.
Thompson had a 48-yard touchdown run and then he threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night on a connection with Clayton Brown, who made a spectacular one-handed catch for the score.
Teague had their best offensive output of the season but remain winless on the season. They are scheduled for a road contest to Malakoff on Friday, but everyone will wait and see what transpires from the coaches meeting on the future of the remainder of the district games.
