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The Elgin High School varsity football team had its hands full last Friday evening as the Wildcats were unable to shake off a slow start in the first half with a 42-26 loss at home to Killeen Chaparral High School.
Facing a 7-0 deficit in the second quarter to the visiting Bobcats, the Wildcats found themselves in a 23-3 hole at halftime but were able to get on the board thanks to a 31-yard field goal from senior kicker Paden Maass in the second quarter. Penalties also hindered Elgin in this game as the Wildcats finished with eight penalties against them for 85 yards.
Elgin’s offense behind senior standout quarterback Nathen Lewis was finally able to get going in the third quarter with the team facing a three-score deficit to Chaparral. Lewis made things happen with his legs as he ran for 124 yards on 26 carries. Senior running back Darren Harper was able to make the most of his seven carries on the night as he rushed for 30 yards and scored twice on the ground to pull Elgin closer in the second half.
Also efficient with his arm, Lewis was able to complete just 9-of-12 passing attempts for 130 yards, which included a touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Zaire Nuells, who made an outstanding leaping catch to haul in a score. Nuells was Lewis’ favorite target on the night vs. Chaparral as he caught five passes for 73 yards and that one touchdown.
Unfortunately, the Elgin defense was unable to get the stops needed when it mattered the most in this game as Chaparral kept the Wildcats at bay to secure the 42-26 victory. Wildcats senior linebacker Derrius Holiday was all over the field for Elgin as he finished with a gamehigh 16 tackles, while junior linebacker Jackson Clowdus had five tackles and recovered a fumble.
To stay in the 5A-2 District 11 playoff race, the Wildcats (3-4 overall record and 1-2 mark in district play) will absolutely need a victory at 7 p.m. this Friday night on the road against Waco University High School. The Trojans (4-2 record) are coming off a 30-26 upset loss on the road at Pflugerville High School this past Friday, which gave the Panthers their first win of the year.
