LEANDER - Depending on how one looks at it, the Temple Wildcats needed either one less bad play in the first half or two or three more minutes in the second half in their season opener against Cedar Park.

However, one crucial play put the Wildcats in such a deep hole that even a valiant second-half performance couldn’t quite dig them out of it.

After Cedar Park blocked a punt with one minute left in the first half and converted it into a touchdown for a commanding 28-6 lead, Temple dominated the last two quarters but simply ran out of time as the Timberwolves defeated the Wildcats 28-20 at A.C. Bible Jr. Memorial Stadium.

“The thing we’re proudest of is that our kids never gave up and they gave themselves a chance to win,” Temple coach Bryce Monsen said. “They were very disappointed (with the first half), as we all were. We take the responsibility as coaches, and we’re going to fix it.

“The (halftime) adjustments by our coaches were very good and our kids came back and gave them a game. We’ll build on this one for next week (in the home opener against Leander).”

Temple junior running back Lache Seastrunk rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, including a 76-yard sprint in the first half and a 2-yard TD dash with 27 seconds remaining that cut the Wildcats’ deficit to eight points.

But Cedar Park recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the victory and keep its momentum going into next week’s battle at Class 4A No. 1-ranked Austin Lake Travis.

“We’re a young team that’s getting better, and we came together in the second half,” Seastrunk said. “My defense came back out (after halftime) and did what they had to do to get us the ball back.”

Cedar Park coach Chris Ross was relieved to hold on for the victory after watching Temple control the action in the second half.

In the first half, Dedrick McKnight ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Drew Russo rushed for 79 yards and two scores as the Timberwolves dominated the Wildcats and the clock.

“Temple’s an excellent football team, a playoff team, so we’re excited to win the game,” Ross said. “We lost our focus in the second half and made too many mental mistakes. But we started the game the way we needed to.”

After allowing Cedar Park to rush 34 times for 195 yards and 11 first downs in the first half, Temple turned up its speed and physical play to limit the Timberwolves to 21 yards and no first downs on 16 second-half carries. Ross held McKnight out in the second half but gave no reason.

Temple’s senior tandem of quarterback Kevin Lock and receiver Tevin Reese connected on six passes for 91 yards, highlighted by a 23-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter.

After trampling Austin Westlake in a 31-21 road win last week, Cedar Park set the tone early against Temple.

After the Wildcats went three plays and out on their first possession, the Timberwolves used the effective running of McKnight and Russo to march 85 yards in 17 plays. Then Russo, on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line, managed to stretch the ball across the goal line while being grabbed by three defenders for a 7-0 lead. The drive lasted 8 minutes, 28 seconds.

Another Temple three-and-out eventually led to McKnight’s 21-yard touchdown scamper off left tackle, and another three-and-out set up Russo’s 29-yard scoring keeper to the left side for a 21-0 game midway through the second quarter.

“Our defense kept giving us the ball,” Ross said, “and our offensive line owned the whole first half.”

The fleet-footed Seastrunk responded to give Temple a much-needed spark, breaking away from a pack of Wolves near the right sideline and racing for the 76-yard TD to make it 21-6.

But one minute before halftime, a high snap delayed the punt of the Wildcats' Chris Winkler and Matt Ferguson blocked it, with the ball going out of bounds at the Temple 10. And Cedar Park made the Wildcats pay as McKnight scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to make it 28-6 only 21 seconds before the half.

Said Monsen: “It was huge, that blocked punt.”