Friday, Oct. 03, 2008

Bar-raising performance

Keller Football

By ZACH WARNER

Sometimes, results from a single game can give a football team a whole new perspective on its potential and expectations for the rest of the season.

For Keller, that game was Sept. 26 against Trinity.

Entering district competition with a 3-0 record, the Indians faced a Trojans team ranked No. 1 in the state by the Associated Press and No. 1 in the nation by various high school sports polls. Keller lost the contest by a single touchdown, 17-10, with a few missed opportunities that might have allowed the Indians to pull off a monumental upset.

Keller coach Kevin Atkinson said that his team’s performance last week is something the Indians will be able to carry with them throughout the rest of the season.

"I don’t think there was anyone else outside of our locker room that believed we had a chance to win," said Atkinson, whose team was actually tied with Trinity, 10-10, with just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter. "[The Trinity game] really raised the bar of our expectations for the coming weeks.

"If we can play that well against the No. 1 team in the nation, we can play with anybody," he said.

Keller (3-1 overall, 0-1 in district) will aim to prove that last week’s performance was for real when they host Keller ISD opponent Keller Central (2-2, 0-1) at 7:30 tonight at Keller ISD Athletic Complex.

The Chargers, a team that started its first two games undefeated by outscoring opponents 77-38, has lost its last two games by a combined total of 59-14. However, Central has already improved on its dismal 1-9 record from 2007, thanks mainly to a much-improved defense.

Although the Chargers have become better known for their offensive exploits throughout the program’s first four-plus seasons, defense should play a bigger role in Keller’s contest with Central this year, Atkinson said.

"It’s come down to who can score last in some of our contests in recent years, with a lot of offensive plays that have determined the games," he said. "I think it’s going to be more of a defensive battle this year.

"They’re a very explosive team offensively," he said. "They know how to run their offense very well. They have to be taken very seriously."

Atkinson is not only familiar with the Indians’ cross-town opponent, having played the Chargers in district the past two seasons, but he has also known Central coach Bart Helsley since high school. Knowing what an offensive-minded coach he is, Atkinson said it’s no wonder that the team has thrived with the ball in its hands.

Last year, the Chargers were 23rd in the area in offense, averaging 353.2 yards per game. Through four games this season, Central is a little behind that pace, with an average of 272.8 yards per game, but the Chargers’ spark offensively still comes from the same source.

"[Central quarterback Dustin] Stenta makes their offense go," Atkinson said of the senior, who’s passed for 597 yards and six touchdowns so far this year. "He’s certainly dangerous with his legs and his arm. He makes things happen.

"We want to disrupt him, and if we can give them unmanageable downs and distances, then we can make things difficult," he said.

Last week against Trinity (4-0), a team that averaged 358 yards and 29.7 points per game coming in, Keller held the Trojans to 264 total yards and 17 points, both season lows. Trinity running backs Dontrayevous Robinson and Tevin Williams could only manage 92 total yards on 22 carries.

Indians quarterback Cameron Allerheiligen completed 17-of-27 passing attempts, but threw a costly interception in the end zone early in the third quarter. Keller running back Kelo Webster, who scored his ninth touchdown of the season to tie the score at 10-apiece in the third, also saw a 28-yard scoring run called back due to a holding penalty in the second quarter.

Little things may have cost the Indians from making national headlines, but the team is focused on this week’s game, not reliving last week’s impressive performance, Atkinson said.

"The one thing we don’t want them to do is let people pat them on the back all week and feel good about themselves and not think about the game ahead," he said. "We want to be consistent and string some wins together."