On Thursday, August 31, the Stony Point Tigers faced off against the Killeen Kangaroos in an exciting matchup at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex. For the second time in as many weeks, Stony Point found themselves in a game that came down to the final minute. Despite a hard-fought battle, the Tigers fell short, ending the game with a score of 40-48.
The Tigers showed their offensive prowess by accumulating nearly 200 yards rushing, with a remarkable five rushing touchdowns. Running back Andrew Hill led the charge with an impressive 90 yards on 13 carries, contributing significantly to the team’s ground game. Quarterback Kinnick Kalbus displayed his skills by throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown. He also added a rushing touchdown and a 2-point conversion pass to RB Xavier Hill.
On the defensive front, DT Chima Onyejiaka led the way with an outstanding performance, recording nine total tackles, including a sack and two tackles for a loss. Linebackers Isaiah Cantrell and Daniel Sawyer also delivered strong performances with nine and seven total tackles, respectively.
Killeen got on the board first with a 30-yard touchdown run, but Stony Point quickly responded with an 18-yard touchdown run of their own by RB Erin Bolton. After another touchdown run by Killeen’s quarterback made the score 7-14, the Tigers embarked on an 11-play drive that ended with Andrew Hill finding the end zone from 10 yards out for the first of his three touchdowns. Unfortunately, a mishandled snap during the extra point attempt left the Tigers trailing 13-14.
Killeen scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter, extending their lead to 13-28 going into halftime. Just as they did in their previous game against Austin High, the Stony Point defense tightened up in the second half, holding Killeen scoreless in the third quarter and adding a touchdown run to narrow the gap to 20-28.
As the 4th quarter began, the defense again forced Killeen to punt and Aidan Wheeler returned the punt 44 yards to set the offense up with excellent field position. The score stood at 26-28 after Kinnick Kalbus scampered 18 yards for a touchdown and the two-point conversion failed. Killeen was finally able to penetrate the Tigers strong 2nd half defense and struck on a 43-yard pass, but after a holding penalty, the extra point was missed, keeping the score at 26-34. Stony Point swiftly responded with an explosive 44-yard rushing touchdown by Andrew Hill. Kinnick Kalbus connected with Xavier Hill in the back corner of the end zone to convert the two-point play, tying the game at 34-34 with 4:12 remaining in the 4th.
The tie would be short-lived as Killeen pounced on the Tigers with a swift 2 play drive, going 59 yards through the air to retake the lead 34-41. Stony Point showed their resilience and responded with a touchdown drive that saw Kalbus connect with week 1 hero, Trystin Rimes, for an 18-yard touchdown reception on their ensuing possession. In a bid to take the lead, Head Coach Craig Chessher boldly opted for a two-point conversion, but Kalbus’s rush fell just short of the goal line, leaving the score at 40-41 with 2:19 remaining. Despite a valiant effort by the Tigers, the Kangaroos managed to extend their lead with another long touchdown run.
With time running out, the determined Tigers had one final chance to stage a comeback, but an interception on a crucial third-down pass attempt sealed the Kangaroos’ win. As the clock ticked down, the scoreboard reflected a 40-48 loss for Stony Point, moving their season record to 1-1.
Next up, the Tigers will face the Pflugerville Panthers, who are currently 0-2, at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex on Friday, September 8.