Behind a fast-paced attack that set the school’s scoring record, the Wildcats blitzed opponents for most of the season.
That style led Temple to its District 13-5A championship, a bi-district playoff win and a tie for the most wins in school history.
But that’s where it ended.
Klein Collins knocked Temple out of the playoffs Friday night, winning 2-0 in a Class 5A area-round game at Rankin Field.
Collins advanced to play The Woodlands, which beat College Station A&M Consolidated 6-0, in a Region II quarterfinal.
On a slippery field, Temple never really established its fast-paced offense. The Wildcats (21-3-3) had their chances, but they were held scoreless for the first time all season.
“The thing that hurt us the most was our first touch,” Temple coach Matt Corley said. “Every time we got the ball or it came to us, it was too far in front of us or it would skip over our foot. That’s what hurt us the most.”
Temple’s offense looked crisp at times, but more often than not it struggled to nail the pass the Wildcats needed to turn the possession into a legitimate scoring threat.
After a scoreless first half, Collins struck just 4 minutes into the second half.
Tigers leading scorer Wes Valentine headed in a cross from Juan Lozano to take a 1-0 lead. Valentine struck again in the 58th minute on a breakaway against defender Chase Moore.
Both times the Tigers caught the Wildcats making mistakes Corley had said they simply couldn’t afford if they were to advance.
“Sooner or later those mistakes catch up with you and, sure enough, they did tonight,” he said.
Valentine celebrated by pulling his jersey over his head and running to the sideline, near a group of Collins students. That stunt earned Valentine a red card.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they couldn’t find a way to capitalize.
The Tigers frustrated Wildcats 48-goal scorer Sean Coles and the rest of Temple’s talented forwards. Though they got off shots, the Collins defense and goalkeeper Leeland Karpf were there to snuff out any chances.
Coles finished as Temple’s career and single-season goal leader. He scored 48 goals this season.
Even with three forwards in the second half - Coles, Ryan Staten and Itai Meki - the Wildcats couldn’t convert.
Karpf was a big reason the Wildcats were shut down. On nearly every shot, he was out batting the ball away or reaching out and snatching it before Temple could get a second-chance shot.
And with an offense that scored most of its goals on second-chance opporunities, Temple’s chances became limited.
“We told our guys before the game started that their keeper was solid in every aspect of the game . . . I don’t think we’ve faced as good of a goalkeeper as we did tonight,” Corley said.
Both teams had their chances in the first half - especially Collins.
The Tigers had eight corner kicks and numerous breakaway opportunities but managed just three shots on the Wildcats’ goal.
Collins’ best shot to get on the board came in the 33rd minute. Valentine had a breakaway down the left side and had drawn goalie Matt Elliott out of net, but his shot went wide left.
The Wildcats had their chances early in the first half thanks to an aggressive start by Coles. In the first 10 minutes, he had three shots and a header right at Karpf.
The loss ended the careers of 15 Wildcats, whom Corley credited for putting together one of the best seasons in school history.
“This wasn’t something that this year that they picked up and went 21-3-3,” Corley said. “It’s a culmination of work over the last four years.”
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
