THRALL — The Thrall Tigers (2-5, 0-1 district) varsity football team fell 34-17 in its district opener against the Lexington Eagles (6-1, 1-0 district) on Friday, Oct.
10. Senior utility player CJ Kelm led the Tigers with 116 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Thrall found itself in a 14-0 hole early, but senior running back Ty Matthews put the Tigers on the board with a rushing touchdown late in the first quarter to make it 14-7. Matthews finished with five carries for 41 yards and a score.
That was as close as Thrall would get, as Lexington outscored the Tigers 20-3 to take a 34-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Thrall’s defense provided a highlight late in the game, forcing a fumble in the red zone and recovering it in the end zone for a touchback. The Tigers capitalized on the turnover, with Kelm punching in a rushing touchdown to trim the deficit to 34-17.
However, the comeback came too late, as Lexington recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
Despite the loss, Thrall showed improvement from last season’s matchup, when Lexington won 70-7.
The Tigers will look to bounce back when they host Blanco on Friday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. at Thrall High School.
