Keller takes down Eaton in high-scoring duel to clinch playoff spot — PHOTOS

Carl Stralow learned earlier this season that his Keller squad tended to be up and down.

Entering the regular season finale on Friday against Haslet V.R. Eaton, the Indians were fighting for the last District 4-6A playoff spot.

The Indians marched down and scored with 1 minute and 3 seconds left and that was enough to secure a 48-45 win at Northwest ISD Stadium.

After being on the outside looking in last year for the playoffs last year, the Indians are back in the postseason and will play defending Class 6A Division I champion North Crowley at 7 p.m. Friday at Crowley ISD Stadium.

“We just didn’t have it last year; we would get up and get down, and then we would start feeling sorry for ourselves,” Keller quarterback Brock Burkett said. “We don’t have that with this group. I knew we would go down and score. I believed in them and that’s what we did.”

Eaton (3-7, 2-6) had taken a 45-41 lead over Keller thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run by Chris Duharte.

The Eagles went for an onside kick. Keller recovered and took over only 53 yards away from the end zone.

Quintin Shropshire had a short run on the first play, but a late hit tacked on 15 yards and moved the ball into Eaton’s territory. Then, Burkett hit Ralph Crosby for a 31-yard gain that moved the ball to the 4-yard line.

On the next play, Shropshire scored and Keller took the lead. That was the 11th lead change in what was a back-and-forth battle.

Keller (5-5, 4-4) had to play defense for 53 seconds.

Eaton needed to go 72 yards, and they came up 35 yards short.

A throw to the end zone on the final play of the game was picked off by Keller’s Jacob Just.

The Eagles made it interesting late with a pair of big plays from QB Kalika Nisa. He had a 20-yard pass completion to JuJu Peoples and then 11 yards to Warren Simmons.

That moved the ball into Keller territory with less than 30 seconds left. A big play came when Freddy Atamah hit Nisa and forced an incomplete pass, setting up the final play with 5 seconds left.

Eaton called a timeout and as the Eagles trotted out to the field, Keller called a timeout.

That set up the dramatics for the final play — which also featured Burkett on the field.

It was a rare move, but Stralow said the senior has been talking all year about playing. Last week, he relented and let his QB1 play some defense.

Burkett saw time at safety this game and came up with a key pass breakup late in the fourth. He also drew a flag on a blindside block that negated an Eaton touchdown in the same quarter.

The future Weatherford College baseball player — he’s signing Wednesday — played the center field role well.

“I just love competing, and I will do anything to help my team,” Burkett said. “It means a lot that the coaches trust me to make a play (on defense) or make a stop. It means everything.”

The interception capped off a shootout and secured the Indians’ fourth win in a row against Eaton.

Burkett threw for three touchdowns — two by Crosby and Bodie Davis had the other. Each of the touchdown passes either tied the game or gave Keller the lead.

Keller trailed 24-20 at the break.

Dwight Brown had a pair of touchdowns for the Eagles in the first half, a 1-yard run and an 8-yard, one-handed catch.

Eaton also scored on its first offensive play: A lateral from Nisa to Keaton Novotny, who then hit JP Lindsey for a 30-yard score.

Nisa threw a touchdown pass of 14 yards to Warren Simmons on the first drive of the third quarter. That gave the Eagles a 30-20 lead — the largest advantage for either team.

Keller took the lead by the end of the third, though, thanks to a 66-yard touchdown run from Shropshire and Temi Ericson’s 6-yard run.

A missed field goal by Eaton was sandwiched between.

Keller’s Shropshire and Eaton’s Duharte each had two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter in another roller-coaster type win for the Indians.

“I told my coaches after the third game, y’all can wish we’re something else ...” Stralow said. “Once is a fluke. Twice is a trend. Three times ... that’s what we are. I told our kids today, I don’t care if we win 83-81 or 3-0. I believe they took that to heart. But when we stepped off the bus, I didn’t think it would be 48-45.”

This story was originally published November 8, 2025 at 12:08 AM.