Kennedale posts big shutout over Benbrook to clinch district championship, top seed

The Benbrook Bobcats football team took Kennedale to overtime a season ago before the Wildcats pulled out a three-point victory. Kennedale didn’t want a repeat in this season’s District 6-4A Division 1 championship and senior running back E.J. Higgins made sure of it.

Higgins rushed for 219 yards on 11 carries, all in the first half, and scored five times as Kennedale ran over the Bobcats 63-0 on Friday night at Scarborough-Handley Field.

As the No. 1 seed, Kennedale (9-1 overall, 7-0 district) will meet Brownwood (4-6), the No. 4 seed out of District 5-4A. The game is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, at Glen Rose High School. Second-seeded Benbrook (6-4, 6-1) will face Midlothian Heritage (7-3) in the first round at a time and site to be determined.

Higgins scored the first five touchdowns for Kennedale, including a 44-yard run around left end and down the sideline on the Wildcats’ third play from scrimmage.

The Wildcat defense played lights out led by Braden Waters, R.J. Pepper, Antoine Martin, Kameron Sallis and Poasa Utu. Kennedale allowed eight yards of total offense with 36 yards coming through the air on 8 of 17 completions.

Benbrook struggled on special teams, mainly on punts, where the Bobcats lost most of their yardage. The Wildcats held Benbrook to minus-28 rushing yards on 37 carries for the game.

Higgins made it 14-0 on the first snap following an 11-yard Benbrook punt on the Bobcats’ first series. Higgins darted 53 yards off right tackle for the score with 7:15 left in the first quarter.

Benbrook only made it to Kennedale’s side of the 50 once, but that was due to 55 yards in penalties against the Wildcats on two pass interference flags, a facemask and a hold.

Higgins dove into the end zone on a 12-yard run early in the second quarter, scored on a 54-yard run up the middle on the first play following a Tyler Choice fumble recovery, and bulled in from the one after a partially blocked punt. The latter with 1:21 left in the second quarter to put Kennedale up 35-0.

The Wildcats scored touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half. After a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Kennedale’s Paul Donkor made the score 56-0 with 4:44 left in the third quarter the teams agreed to a running clock to finish out the game.