‘Improve each week’: Trophy Club Nelson dominates defensively in thumping of Keller
In a battle pitting two of the top five Class 6A teams in the Fort Worth area, Leo Almanza caught two touchdown passes and snagged a pair of first-quarter interceptions on defense that led to scores as the Trophy Club Byron Nelson Bobcats throttled the Keller Indians, 67-3, in a 4-6A district matchup at Northwest ISD Stadium.
No. 3 in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s area 6A rankings, Trophy Club Nelson (7-0, 4-0) quickly jumped out in front of No. 5 Keller (5-2, 2-2) when BYU commit Jonathan Kabeya intercepted a Keller pass and raced 58 yards for a TD just 1:15 into the contest.
Almanza’s first pick midway through the opening period, at the Keller 45, led to a six-yard TD pass from Tom Von Grote to Ezra Malamura.
Jaeden Bland recovered a Keller fumble late in the period after the Indians had driven inside the Bobcats 10-yard line. Starting at its own 12, Byron Nelson needed just four plays to march 88 yards in a drive highlighted by a 73-yard pass completion from Von Grote to Landon Farco.
Manny Mulumba finished off the drive with a 7-yard TD run. The Bobcats held a 22-0 lead after the opening stanza.
The second pick by Almanza late in the first quarter led to a 38-yard Justin Bequette field goal less than a minute into the second period.
“I was able to read the quarterback, and we have such great communication with our secondary,” said Almanza.
“Those first quarter turnovers really set the tone for us,” said Trophy Club Nelson head coach Travis Pride. “And we were able to take advantage of those to score points.”
Pride said his teams’ defense was “outstanding.”
“Offensively we executed well and did the most with our opportunities,” Pride said.
The Bobcat offense continued to attack in the second period. Following a nine-yard Keller punt, Almanza hauled in a 45-yard TD pass from Von Grote on a drive that covered 52 yards in two plays taking just 36 seconds off the clock.
Almanza caught a 21-yard aerial TD from Von Grote with 4:26 left in the second period.
“Tom (Von Grote) did a great job finding me as he does with all the receivers, and I was able to score a couple,” said Almanza.
Then Tucker James, a junior, scampered 62-yards for a TD with 1:54 left, as Byron Nelson took a commanding 46-0 lead at intermission.
The second half began with more of the same. The Bobcats Dmitry Schmidt recovered the second half kickoff at the Keller 12-yard line, and three plays later, Landon Farco, who successfully hit on a pair of opening half two-point conversion runs, scored untouched on a one-yard end around play.
Malamura caught a 13-yard TD pass from backup QB Grant Bizjck with 1:59 remaining the third period.
Bizjck then connected with Aiden Abercrombie on a 15-yard TD pass with 1:24 remaining in the game to round out the scoring.
Keller had averted a shutout with a Sam Keltner 25-yard field goal with 8:11 left in the game.
Pride, in his eighth season at the helm of Trophy Club Byron Nelson, has the Bobcats ranked a best-ever No. 14 in the current AP 6A state poll.
“We try and improve each week,” said Pride. “Don’t pay a lot of attention to the rankings at this point. It is a long season. We just look at what we can control.”
Indians WR Tre’Griffiths, an Oklahoma State pledge, was held without a catch by the Bobcats defense, which boats three Division I commits in the secondary and another at the linebacker position. Kabeya had the interception that set the tone for the game and returned it for a TD.
Defensive back and Tulsa pledge Ashton Williams, and safety David Kabongo -- an Oklahoma State commit -- was part of a defense that held Griffiths without a reception.
“We were talking a bit back and forth,” said Kabongo referring to his battle with fellow OSU pledge Tre’ Griffiths. “He is a great player. And this was a lot of fun for us.”
Linebacker Eze Osondu is a University of California commit and a big part of that stingy Bobcat defense.
Standout Performances
Tom Von Grote passed for 244 of his game-high 248 yards in the first half with all three TD passes coming before intermission. After the initial Trophy Club Nelson offensive series in the second half, Von Grote sat out remainder of game.
Leo Almanza had three receptions for 71 yards and two TDs, and his pair of interceptions led to a TD and a field goal. Landon Farco had a game-high 101 receiving yards on five receptions, as well as a one-yard TD run.
Ezra Malamura hauled in four passes for 36 yards and two TDs. Tucker James finished with a game-leading 91 rushing yards on nine attempts, and the one TD.
For Keller, junior RB Kyle Owens rushed for a team-high 78 yards on 18 carries while QB Beckham Robinson had 71 passing yards, hitting on 9 of 15 passes with three interceptions.
Up next
Trophy Club Byron Nelson (7-0, 4-0) visits winless Keller Central (0-7, 0-4) Thursday night with a 7 p.m. CT kickoff at Keller ISD Athletic Complex. A showdown awaits the following week when the Bobcats host Southlake Carroll on Friday, October 27 at 7 p.m. CT.
Keller (5-2, 2-2) will look to snap its two-game losing streak when it hosts Keller Fossil Ridge (2-5, 1-3) next Friday night with a 7 p.m. CT slated kickoff at Keller ISD Athletic Complex.