BEAUMONT — Houston St. Thomas shocked unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Kelly with an onsides kickoff on the first play of the game. The Eagles recovered the kick and scored just minutes later on a 47-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Doug Page to Dylan Stout.

Following Conner Millsí PAT, St. Thomas led 7-0 and less than three minutes had elapsed in the contest.

But give credit to head coach Mike Long and his entire team for not panicking as the Bulldogs came right back by erupting for 28 second quarter points en route to a easy 48-21 pasting of the visitors from Houston here Friday night.

Kelly, now 8-0 and 2-0 in league play, travels to defending TAPPS state champion St. Pius next week to determine the league champion.

Leading 28-14 at halftime, running back Donnie Carona, after scoring all 28 points in the opening half on four TDs and four PATs, decided to let some other Bulldogs get into the scoring act.

Senior quarterback Anthony Fazio, who was 10-of-13 passing for 144 yards in the game, opened a 20-point Kelly second half scoring surge by running four yards for a touchdown making it 35-14 with 6:35 of the third quarter.

Fazio then connected with Sharrod Narcisse on a nine-yard TD pitch pushing Kelly's lead to 41-14 just seconds deep into the fourth period.

St. Thomas got on the board for its final score of the night with 2:49 left in the game when Page raced 83 yards for a touchdown. Conner Mills kicked the point after.

Kelly backup quarterback Doug Prewitt closed out the Bulldog scoring with a one-yard TD run with just 1:20 left in the contest.

After scoring four touchdowns in the opening half, Carona added a pair of PATs to finish the evening with a 30-point night. He also led all rushers with 106 yards on 13 carries.

Trailing 7-0 to the upstart 3-5 Eagles right off the bat, Kelly got down to business and scored 28 second period points and took a 28-14 lead into intermission.

It was a night that senior Carona may never forge,t as he scored all 28 Kelly points in the first half alone.

The Bulldogs got on the board with just seven seconds gone in the second period as Carona’s highlight reel was just beginning to roll. The Kelly senior scored his first of four first half touchdowns on an 11-yard dash with 11:53 left in the second period.

Carona, a highlighly regarded Division I kicking prospect, also booted the first of his six PATs on the night to make it 7-7

Several minutes later, Chance Filer blocked a St. Thomas punt deep in the Eagles’ territory and Kelly recovered at the three yard line. It was Carona’s time to shine once again as he went three yards for his second TD with 9:53 left in the second half.

Two minutes and 35 seconds later, Carona dashed 12 yards to paydirt at the 7:17 mark of the second quarter and Kelly led 21-7.

St. Thomas’s Page ran 12 yards for his first of two touchdown with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. Carona then closed out his unforgettable half by going five yards for a score with less than a minute to play in the half.