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Must-have game: Lobos rout Wakeland in key district showdown
BY CHRIS O'DELL, codell@starlocalnews.com
LITTLE ELM -- With the top three places in the District 9-4A standings all but decided, Friday night's game between Little Elm and Frisco Wakeland had major implications for the final playoff spot from the eight-team district.
The Lobos took care of business on their home field and won a 41-17 contest at the Little Elm Athletic Complex to jump Wakeland (6-3, 3-3) in the battle for fourth place.
"We knew this was a must-win game," said Donald Stowers, Little Elm head coach. "We were able to accept that and play like we needed to."
"No one has stopped [Kinner]," said Marty Secord, Wakeland head coach. "It can't be done by anybody they've played so far."
The Lobos took the first lead of the game at the 6:48 mark of the first quarter when junior kicker Selvin DeLeon nailed a 42-yard field goal for a 3-0 advantage.
Wakeland responded with a long drive of its own, ending in a 20-yard field goal from senior kicker Cameron McGuire to even the score with 2:49 remaining in the opening frame.
That's when Kinner and the Lobos began to pull away, using consecutive touchdown drives for a 17-3 lead after 12 minutes of play.
Little Elm's first score came courtesy of a 4-yard run from Kinner with only 53 seconds on the clock, making it a 10-3 contest.
The Lobos then took care of business on the defensive end when senior Jaylen Price scooped up a Wakeland fumble and returned it 30 yards to the end zone for a 17-3 lead.
"Turnovers and mistakes killed us," Secord said.
The Wolverines were able to steal a little momentum moments later when junior quarterback Jackson Lamb found senior receiver Turner Smiley for a 55-yard touchdown, trimming the Little Elm lead to 17-10 with 11:52 still left in the opening half.
Wakeland then had an opportunity to tie the game after junior defensive end Noah Westerfield recovered a fumble from Little Elm senior quarterback Devante' Pullum on the ensuing possession. However, the Wolverines eventually turned the ball over on downs and began a string of giveaways from the Wakeland offense.
After stopping Kinner short of the first-down marker on a fourth-down attempt, the Wolverines failed to capitalize when Lamb threw an interception to junior safety Quinlan Gaines that gave the Lobos possession at the Wakeland 39-yard line.
Pullum then made up for an earlier fumble by finding senior Terrell Anderson for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 24-10 Little Elm lead at the 1:06 mark of the second quarter.
"[Pullum] did a lot better tonight," Stowers said. "I'm glad to see him starting to get healthy again."
Things then went from bad to worse for the Wolverines when the Lobos recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up an 8-yard touchdown run from Pullum with only five seconds left in the half.
"Those takeaways were huge," Stowers said. "This is a team we were concerned about. They have a really good spread scheme."
Pullum's elusive touchdown run before the break allowed the Lobos to carry a 31-10 lead into the locker room and put the Wolverines into desperation mode for a remainder of the night.
Needing quick scores to get back into the game, Lamb found Smiley midway through the third quarter for a 24-yard touchdown, trimming the Little Elm lead to 31-17 with 7:20 left in the frame.
The catch allowed Smiley to rack up 94 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions.
Little Elm then put together a long drive that started at its own 17-yard line and ended with a 28-yard field goal from DeLeon with 1:52 on the clock for a 34-17 advantage.
Any hope the Wolverines might have had for a comeback went out the window minutes later when Lamb was picked off by senior safety Justyn Bell in the end zone.
Kinner capitalized on the Lamb mistake by marching the Lobos into Wakeland territory before adding his second touchdown of the night on a 4-yard sprint.
Although the run essentially ended the game by giving Little Elm a 41-17 lead with just 2:51 remaining in regulation, the Lobos sealed the deal with another interception moments later when junior Caleb Chapman gave Lamb his third interception of the game.
The junior signal caller finished his night with 144 yards, two touchdowns and three picks after completing just 11-of-24 attempts.
"Those turnovers were drive killers and momentum killers," Secord said. "We couldn't overcome it."
Lamb's counterpart, Pullum, completed 3-of-6 passes for 49 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while adding another 41 yards and another score on the ground.
The Lobos now clinch a playoff berth with a win against The Colony Thursday night.
"[The Colony] has a really good football team," Stowers said. "We know it'll be a close game next week."
Wakeland must now rely on a Little Elm loss while taking care of business against seventh-place Liberty the following night.
"All we can control is that game," Secord said. "We can't control anything else."
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