Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens quarterback Lane Lynch, who threw three touchdowns in the game, rears back for a first-quarter pass against Mildred Sept. 8.

KERENS–Five second-half touchdowns weren’t enough for the Kerens Bobcats to overcome their neighboring rival, the Mildred Eagles, in a 45-35 Sept. 8 defeat.
Down 26-0, Kerens quarterback Lane Lynch (who threw three touchdown passes) connected with receiver Muziq Gunnell for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 6:56 left in the third quarter to account for the Bobcats' first score.
Then, with 1:27 left in the third quarter, Kerens running back Nehemiah Massey capped off the next Bobcat drive with a six-yard touchdown run. The Adrian Solis extra point made the score 33-14, Mildred.
With 11:12 left in the game, Lynch found receiver Ryan Priddy on a slant across the middle for a 43-yard touchdown pass. That made the score 39-21, Mildred.
Next, with 7:11 remaining in the game, Lynch lofted a spiral to Gunnell for a 25-yard touchdown, which got Kerens closer at 45-28.
Later, Massey wound his way downfield for a 27-yard touchdown run that reduced the Mildred lead to 45-35 with 5:13 left in the game.
Mildred had struck first with a 16-yard touchdown pass with 6:08 remaining in the opening quarter. The Eagles tacked on a two-yard touchdown run with 45 ticks left in the first quarter to extend their lead to 14-0.
James Cooper of Kerens sacked the Mildred quarterback at the Kerens 42-yard line on third-and-11 with 8:30 before halftime, but the ensuing Kerens drive stalled two and a half minutes later.
Mildred then marched to the end zone, capping off the drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles missed the extra point, but Mildred led 20-0 with 55 seconds left in the first half.
Massey dashed deep into Mildred territory, but the promising Kerens drive was stopped with a Mildred fumble recovery at the Eagle 16-yard line with six seconds before halftime.
Mildred wasted little time to notch its first touchdown of the second half, scoring on a 12-yard run one minute and 15 seconds into the third quarter to lead 26-0.
After the Kerens third-quarter touchdown cut that lead to 26-7, Mildred answered with a 10-yard touchdown rush to extend their lead to 33-7.
Following the second Kerens touchdown, Mildred scored on a 21-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The extra-point attempt failed, keeping the Eagles with a 39-14 lead. Another Eagle touchdown (and botched extra point) with 8:15 left in the game gave Mildred a point total of 45.