Kennedale coach Richard Barrett fires up the Wildcats prior to 4A state semifinals

Richard Barrett talked to his Kennedale Wildcats minutes before the Class 4A Division I state semifinals on Friday night at AT&T Stadium.

Maybe the pre game speech worked as the Wildcats lead Stephenville 13-0 in the first quarter. Junior running back DJ Kirven burst for a 60-yard run during their second drive, then capped it off with an 8-yard touchdown rush.

On their third drive, Kirven broke open on a 52-yard run and then junior quarterback Evan Jowers hit junior receiver Jaden Smith for a 23-yard touchdown pass.

Kennedale (13-1) is playing in its second state semifinal in program history, the first coming last year.

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Kennedale coach Richard Barrett fires up the Wildcats prior to 4A state semifinals."