Karr pulls away against Bastrop, 48-19

Early on, it looked like the Karr Cougars might have been victims of an upset. By the time the second quarter got started, however, that all changed.

Leonard Kelly threw four touchdown passes, Aaron Anderson scored three total touchdowns and the reigning Class 4A champion Cougars pulled away from the Bastrop Rams 48-19 to advance to the state semifinals.

The Cougars (12-0) didn’t look like they’d be making it out of the game early on, however. Bastrop leapt out to an early 13-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and even managed to stuff Karr’s normally potent rushing attack at the goal line on the Cougars first possession. Karr got things turned around in the second quarter, piling up 3 touchdowns to take a 28-13 lead at the half and just kept pouring it on in the 4^th quarter to get the victory.

“We started off real sluggish but we expected a good game in the first half by Bastrop,” said Karr head coach Brice Brown. “They’re doing an outstanding job up there with that program. I think at halftime we made some adjustments that got us going. We have to be more effective running the ball going forward. We also have to attack the line of scrimmage and play more physically.”

The Rams (9-3) put the fight to Cougars early on thanks to the efforts of Dae Hawkins who first scored on a 1-yard scamper before delivering a 43-yard touchdown strike to Calvert Johnson to get the lead. It was all downhill after there, though, as Hawkins finished just 20 for 47 passing with an interception.

“My kids believed and fought for everything,” said Bastrop head coach Adrian Burnette. “They did everything I asked of them. There may have been some things I could have done differently to put them in a better position but in terms of giving your all my kids did a great job.”

Kelly got the Cougars on the board first when he found Anderson from 13 yards out to get the Cougars on the board first.

After the back to back Bastrop scores, Karr got the ball rolling in the second quarter starting with Kelly’s scoring pass to Jahii Howard to retake the lead 14-13.

Lonte Nettles added a 1-yard touchdown run for the Cougars after that and Anderson stretched the lead to 15 with a 70-yard punt return touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the opening half to make it 28-15

After a scoreless third quarter, Karr piled it on in the 4^th beginning with another touchdown pass from Kelly to Anderson, this time from 15 yards out.

Kelly again found Howard for his 2^nd touchdown garb of the night from 2 yards out to add to the onslaught.

After Bastrop got another score, Nettles took off running to earn a 46-yard touchdown run and end the scoring.

Karr next plays Neville for a chance to win their 3^rd consecutive state championship.