Keller backup running back carries 37 times to help the Indians down Haslet Eaton

Keller running back Kyle Owens wasn’t expecting the night he wound up having against Haslet Eaton on Friday in the District 4-6A opener.

Starting running back Cameron Rayford got dinged up early in the game and Owens came on to carry the load for the Indians with 37 rushing attempts for 196 yards as Keller downed the Eagles 36-20 at Keller ISD Stadium.

“I’m tired,” said Owens, who came in for starter Cameron Rayford after Rayford took a hit on his third carry and had a minor injury. “I was expecting that Cam was going to have a big work load and that’s what the plan was at the start. I saw him go down and I just had to get in there and do my thing. The line did an amazing job, I just ran behind them.”

The Keller line of Tanner Chorens, Michael Reagan, Matthew Garita, Tex Mahon and Killian Registe were dominant allowing the Indians to pile up 277 rushing yards.

“Our offensive line played very well tonight and we have to have them play well for us to play well,” said Keller coach Carl Stralow. “It’s one of the better lines that we’ve had at this high school in my time here for sure and has a chance to be the best one if they continue to improve.

“Kyle (Owens) is a backup, but Kyle’s an adequate backup. We had a player get nicked and Kyle has 37 carries in a big boy 6A varsity football game at 167 pounds.”

The game was expected to be a close, shoot out between Keller (4-0 overall, 1-0 district), No. 4 in the Star-Telegram Class 6A rankings, and No. 9 Haslet Eaton (2-2, 0-1) and it was early.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter with Keller getting a 69-yard scoring pass from quarterback Beckham Robinson to Will Adams. Adams ran a streak down the right side and Robinson hit him in stride.

Owens also had a TD with a seven-yard run off right tackle to make it 14-7 Keller with 6:46 left in the first quarter.

Eaton answered both times behind quarterback Noah Lugo who tied the game 7-7 with a 1-yard run. Lugo broke free for a 76-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14 with 1:11 left in the opening frame.

Lugo had a terrific night in the loss with 123 yards rushing on 23 carries and the senior threw for 260 yards completing 15 of 32 passes.

Keller and Eaton both had 442 yards of total offense. Keller had 277 rushing and 165 passing while Eaton had 182 on the ground and 260 through the air.

It was all Keller in the second quarter as the Indians’ defense, behind defensive back Ryan Ventura, clamped down on the Eagles while the offense was scoring 17 unanswered points.

Rodney Ondari recovered an Eaton fumble to set up a 36-yard field goal by Sam Keltner. The Eagles went three-and-out on their next possession setting up a 40-yard TD ;ass from Robinson to Drew Roberts.

Ventura stopped Lugo with a hard hit sending Lugo into a helicopter spin on fourth and three at the Keller 22 where the Eagles lost the ball on downs.

Seven plays later Ventura, who doubles at running back, ran around right end for 39 yards and a touchdown to give the Indians a 31-14 lead with 1:42 left in the half.

“Ventura is one of the best defensive players that we’ve ever had at this high school,” said Stralow. “We told him that in district, his senior year, that we’d let him run the football and he can do that pretty good too.”

Ventura finished with 74 yards rushing on seven carries.

“That was actually my first time playing running back since my freshman year,” said Ventura, a senior. “I’ve been trying to convince him (Stralow) for three years.

“The offensive line is great and they have such great chemistry. They know their blocking assignments and get it done which makes it easier for us.”

Eaton had a chance to get back in the game in the second half. The Eagles took the opening kick of the third quarter and drove 78 yards in 15 plays capped by a two-yard TD run by Demarion Williams to cut the lead to 31-20.

After a Keller punt, the Eagles marched from their own 26 to the Indians’ 31, but lost the ball on downs. Eaton lost the ball on downs again on its next possession at the Keller 17.

“At times we played some really good football and at times we had some really young mistakes,” said Stralow. “The one thing that I love about this group is that they’re going to play you from one end of the field to the other and they’re going to play as hard as they possibly can.

“That covers your warts sometimes, when you play so hard and I couldn’t be more proud of how they played tonight.”

This story was originally published September 16, 2023 at 12:59 AM.