Look: Klein Forest holds off late comeback, knocks off unbeaten Klein Cain
SPRING, Texas — A week after being on the wrong end of a 15-point, fourth-quarter comeback against Tomball Memorial, Klein Forest faced a similar situation.
The Eagles, however, flipped the script Thursday night against Klein Cain.
Led by sophomore standouts Nehemiah Miller and Jalen Bragg at running back and quarterback, respectively, Klein Forest seized a first-half lead that it maintained nearly all night.
With the help of a few pivotal defensive stops and a touchdown run with seconds remaining, the Eagles stymied a second-half Cain comeback and used a last-second, go-ahead score to seal a 17-14 victory for Klein Forest on Thursday at Klein Memorial Stadium.
The Eagles' win over the previously undefeated Hurricanes moves Klein Cain — the No. 41 team in SBLive's Texas Top 50 football rankings — and Klein Forest into a two-way tie for second place in District 15-6A in a hectic playoff race.
Klein Forest took a 10-0 advantage into halftime after striking first during the second quarter.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Eagles seized an early edge over Klein Cain thanks to a field goal and a touchdown run by Miller.
The Hurricanes, though, started to storm back after returning from the locker room after halftime.
Klein Cain found the end zone for the first time on a 2-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Lance Awe, who scored on a QB sneak to cut the 'Canes deficit to 10-7 by the end of the third quarter.
Cain took its first lead of the game during the late stages of the fourth quarter.
The Hurricanes moved ahead on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Awe to senior wide receiver Jaelen Smith, giving Cain a 14-10 lead on Klein Forest with 3:35 remaining in the game.
The Eagles, however, delivered the knockout blow soon afterward.
On the ensuing drive, Klein Forest drove deep into Hurricanes' territory to set up Bragg to score the game-winning touchdown .
The Eagles' QB tucked the ball on a first-and-goal read-option run, shedding a would-be tackler in the backfield and plowing through two more Cain defenders at the goal line to score on a 10-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds left to play.
Klein Forest (4-2, 2-1) faces another major test in District 15-6A play next week, when the Eagles take on the Klein Collins Tigers (5-0, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at Klein Memorial Stadium in Spring.
Klein Cain (5-1, 2-1), meanwhile, will have a chance to bounce back from its first loss of the year when the Hurricanes battle the Klein Oak Panthers (2-2, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Klein Memorial Stadium.
Check out SBLive's exclusive photo gallery from the game:
PHOTO GALLERY — KLEIN FOREST 17, KLEIN CAIN 14
All photos by Rob August
