After blowing lead, Hurst L.D. Bell hangs on to escape Timber Creek in thriller — PHOTOS
After Hurst L.D. Bell scored 20 unanswered points, it seemed the Blue Raiders were running away with a District 4-6A victory over Keller Timber Creek.
As quickly as they fell into a hole, the Falcons soared out of it, scoring 21 unanswered points to take a one-point lead. In the fourth quarter, however, L.D. Bell’s defense capitalized when it mattered most, and the Blue Raiders secured a 35-28 victory on Thursday at Keller ISD Stadium.
“We could’ve easily walked away in the third quarter and said, ‘Tonight is not our night,’” Bell coach TJ Dibble said. “But we kept battling. We found a way to win the football game.”
One win can be the difference between missing the playoffs and grabbing the last spot in an ultra-competitive District 4-6A. The Blue Raiders haven’t made the postseason since 2013, while the Falcons are looking to get back in the dance after a recent 2023 appearance.
With area powers Southlake Carroll, Euless Trinity and Byron Nelson in the district, a postseason bid is an extreme challenge.
With the win over Timber Creek, L.D. Bell matched its district win total from the 2024 season. The win wasn’t perfect, but the team showed flashes of dominance, especially in the first half.
To start the game, Bell junior quarterback Braylon Harris took it himself for a 17-yard score, and eventually, Timber Creek knotted things up with 10:20 remaining in the second quarter with a 20 yard score from Dareon Simmons.
From that point, Bell went on its run. Wide receivers Braelon Solomon and Taysen Rutschman added 17- and 2-yard touchdown receptions, respectively, and kicker Grady Matcham added 44- and 47-yard field goals in the first half; in Week 2, Matcham hit a 60-yard field goal. Dibble said that Matcham put Bell in a position to win.
“Our kicking unit — to be able to get those field goals consistently, I think that, at the end of the game, allows us to be one possession ahead,” Dibble said.
Bell held Timber Creek to 78 yards in the first half.
“I’m really, really proud of the way we played in the first half,” Dibble said.
To start the second half, it was Timber Creek’s turn to score in bunches.
The spree started with a 61-yard touchdown from Lane Brinkley to Tyler Gowins. After a muffed Bell punt recovered by Calvin Brown, the Falcons made it a 27-21 game with a 15-yard slant from Hudson Howard. The go-ahead touchdown was a strike to Ebube Okwelume, who ran down the sideline for a 77-yard score.
“I’m disappointed in the way we played in the third quarter,” Dibble said. “But I think what I’m most proud of is our resilience and the way we made a stand in the fourth quarter.”
To fizzle Timber Creek’s momentum, Harris took matters into his own hands with a 16-yard gain, an 8-yard TD and a 2-point conversion to give Bell a 35-28 lead with 7:53 remaining. Dibble credited his quarterback for his leadership and ability to rise to the occasion.
In the final moments, the Bell defense stopped Timber Creek twice facing fourth down after the Falcons got a timeout off just prior to the first attempt. To end the game, the offense ran out the clock.
“Ultimately, our defense made two fourth-down stops,” Dibble said. “ ... For our kids to make a stand down there inside the 10-yard line — I’m just so proud of the grit and the resilience that we had.”
The challenges for Bell will only increase as the season continues. In Week 3, the Blue Raiders will host Keller at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Pennington Field.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 9:59 PM.
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