Keller plays another thriller, holding off cross-town rival Keller Central

Keller linebacker Matthew Reagan picked off a Keller Central pass at the Indians’ seven yard line with 18 seconds left in the game to secure a 38-29 win for the Indians in a key District 4-6A contest and cross-town throwdown on Friday at Keller ISD Stadium.

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, it was such a relief” said Reagan about the gravity of the pick. “I just saw it in the air and I felt like I blacked out for a minute. It’s always very competitive playing these guys.

“L.D. Bell was a big loss last week so this was huge. It’s a very big relief to get this one.”

Keller (3-2 overall, 2-1 district), No. 9 in the Star-Telegram Class 6A Area Rankings, took a big step forward as far as keeping a shot at the playoffs are concerned. Central (3-2, 1-2) will have a tough road ahead to reach the post season.

Keller has played five extremely close games that have come down to the wire, much to the chagrin of head coach Carl Stralow.

“Win ugly and win often is better than the alternative,” said Stralow. “We are just going to be in games like this. The first time I thought it was a fluke, the second time it turns into a trend, and now it’s probably just what we are, and I hope we can clean it up and take off.”

Keller took care of the ball extremely well in the first half, helping the Indians build a 31-16 lead at the break. The tide turned, however, in the second half as the Chargers stormed back.

Central took the second-half kick and marched 65 yards in 12 plays with running back Spencer Martin bulling in from five yards out to cut the lead to 31-22. Sixteen seconds later the Chargers scored again.

Central linebacker Austin Martin picked off a Keller pass and returned it 34 yards to the Indians’ 13-yard line. On the ensuing play, quarterback Isaiah Taylor raced around left end for the score to make it 31-29 with 6:03 left in the third quarter.

Keller was unfazed by the two quick scores, answering with a nine-yard scoring run by running back David Makia to push the lead to 38-29 with 4:14 left in the third quarter. Then the Indians held on for dear life.

Central was able to drive down to the Keller 15-yard line before stalling, but a 32-yard field goal attempt on the third play of the fourth quarter sailed wide left. The Chargers got the ball back a minute and a half later when Martin recovered a Keller fumble at the Indians’ 20 yard line.

The Keller defense was able to hold and Central loss the ball on downs at the Keller 15 with 5:14 left in the game. The Indians were unable to move the ball and had to punt.

Central marched from its own 26 to the Keller 13, but Reagan’s heroics sealed the win.

The first half could have been much different if not for three costly turnovers by Central. Keller took advantage and scored after two of the gaffes and the third killed a drive in the end zone.

Keller took the opening kick, and return man Blake Dyniewski raced 49 yards to the Central 28. Five plays later, quarterback Brock Burkett ran it in from 5 yards out to give the Indians a quick 7-0 lead with 9:59 left in the first quarter.

Central was on the move on its first possession, but Keller defensive back Jacob Just picked off a Central pass and returned it 29 yards to the Chargers’ 30. Makia did the honors this time, going off left tackle for a 12-yard TD and a 14-0 lead for the Indians with 7:40 left in the first quarter.

“Going into the night I was just really motivated about controlling what I can control and being a team player in every way that I could,” said Makia who finished with 122 yards rushing on 17 carries and the two scores. “I was just working with my team and trying to fulfill my role to the best of my ability. Truthfully my offensive line deserves all the credit.”

Central got on the board late in the first quarter on an eight-yard scoring run by quarterback Isaiah Taylor, who ran a perfect zone read to cut the score to 14-7. Following a Keller field goal, the Chargers were on the march again, but a fumble at the Keller eight yard line doomed the drive.

Keller then went on a 13-play, 92-yard drive capped by a Burkett five-yard run to up the lead to 24-7. Things looked bleak for Central at that point, but the Chargers answered on the ensuing offensive snap.

Isaiah Taylor found a wide-open Jeremiah Parker down the right sideline for a 73-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 24-14 with 6:31 left before halftime. More importantly, it put a spark back in the Chargers.

The Indians were unfazed, however, answering on their next drive with a nifty pitch and catch from Burkett to Bodie Davis for a 28-yard TD. Central moved to the Keller 25-yard line, but Indians’ defensive back Baron Brown picked off a pass in the end zone to preserve a 31-16 Keller lead at the intermission.

“We’ve struggled coming out in first halves, and our goal in this game was to try to reverse that,” said Burkett, who had 87 yards rushing on 13 carries and 55 yards passing, hitting 3 of 7. “Our offensive line did a great job of getting a push up front, and I think that’s what won us the game.

“We always want to win Keller and stay on top so any time we play a Keller ISD school it’s a rivalry.”

Central out-gained Keller 298 to 232 in total yards in the first half, but the Indians did not have a turnover before the break. Central dominated possession in the second half and finished with 504 total yards to 292 for the Indians.

Central had two players that had 20 or more carries with Martin picking up 129 yards on 22 carries and Taylor with 75 yards on 23 totes. Taylor finished with 269 yards passing completing 16 of 30 passes, but had three interceptions.

This story was originally published September 27, 2025 at 12:24 AM.