Kennedale rides unstoppable run game into 4A championship

Kennedale showed for what it hoped would be a historic date at Texas’ football capitol with a revved up engine.

It was too much motor for Stephenville in a Class 4A Division I state semifinal on Friday evening.

The Wildcats advanced to the school’s first football state title game with its hulking running game and a defense that flew around the AT&T Stadium turf in a 54-28 victory over the five-time state champion Yellow Jackets.

Running back D.J .Kirven ran up 348 yards on 31 carries and five touchdowns, while backfield mate Jaden Knowles had two touchdowns and 173 yards on 18 carries.

The duo were at the forefront of Kennedale’s 543-yard ground attack.

Kennedale (14-1) will return to Arlington next week for the state championship game against either Carthage or La Vega at 11 a.m. Friday.

“There is so many emotions running through me,” said Kennedale coach Richard Barrett, who will be making his first state-title game appearance in 39 years as a coach. “The hard work of all these kids and coaches. It’s hard to explain the emotions.”

While Kirven, Knowles and the offense found a spotlight, it was the Wildcats’ defense that set the tone.

Jalen Myers had three sacks of Stephenville quarterback Easton Jones, and Ector Rivera had two.

On the first drive of the game, the Yellow Jackets drove deep into Kennedale territory. On third down, Kennedale defensive back Larry Brooks, who earlier in the day committed to Tulane, stepped in front of a pass to end the threat.

While the Wildcats allowed some passing yards in the second half, Stephenville was unable to get anything going on the ground.

Kennedale held the Yellow Jackets (12-3) to 28 yards rushing, 170 yards below Stephenville’s per-game average in 2017.

“We got a turnover on the first drive, and that set the momentum,” Brooks said. “You could feel the energy drain. I could feel [the energy] on our side go up, and that one go down.”

Kennedale went three-and-out on its first drive, but got it all worked out on the second drive.

Kirven ran 60 yards on the first play from scrimmage to set up first-and-goal from the Stephenville 8. He took the handoff on the next play and scored his first TD.

He was far from done, of course, though he waited until the second half to pour on four more TDs.

In the third and fourth quarters, Kirven added TD runs of 5, 57, 12 and 37 yards.

Knowles had TD runs of 36 and 46 in the first half.

“I couldn’t do it without the O-line in front,” said Kirven, son of former Eastern Hills great Jeff Kirven. “That’s the best O-line in the state of Texas in my opinion.”

Said Barrett of his running backs: “They’ve been doing this all year. They just keep doing what we ask them to do. The unsung heroes are the guys on the offensive line. They get no credit. But we know, and those running backs know what it’s all about.”

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 9:39 PM with the headline "Kennedale rides unstoppable run game into 4A championship."