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Saturday, September 27, 2008
Game story: Travis 20, Kempner 7
By CHAD WASHINGTON
The Athlete's Connection
It wasn’t the most well-played game, but for Fort Bend Travis, it will be the game the school will remember for a long while.
Travis got its first varsity win Saturday night, 20-7 against Kempner at Mercer Stadium in the District 23-5A opener for both teams.
While the Tigers only had 123 total rushing yards, the defense held the Cougars to 152 total yards rushing. Travis took control of the trenches on defense, continually smothering the Kempner running attack.
“An ugly win is better than a pretty loss any day,” Travis coach Randy Cunningham said. “We had a thousand mistakes tonight, but our kids are growing and improved every snap. We fought through all the adversity that we had and dug it in and got a win, the first in the history of our school.”
Both teams were rusty, especially since not playing for two weeks because of the situations surrounding Hurricane Ike. Both teams combined for seven fumbles (three of them were lost fumbles) and 14 penalties in the game.
“We showed a lot of rust out there today,” Kempner coach James Brown said. “Turning the ball over four times in a football game – no matter who you play – you’re not going to win.”
After Kempner defensive back Quaylon Ewing picked off a pass in the end zone, Travis made sure its next drive paid off. After starting the drive inside the Cougar 39-yard line, Travis went the distance in seven plays, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Colin Atkins to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
On its second drive of the game early in the second quarter, a couple of big passes by quarterback Alex Bynum set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Bynum to increase the lead to 14.
“I felt pretty confident (going into the game),” said Bynum, who passed for 114 yards in the game. “We were pretty confident even after coming off of a loss. And we’ll be going into the next game pretty confident.”
Kempner’s offense finally came alive in the fourth quarter, when backup quarterback Paul Nguyen found tight end Kenneth Bibbins for a 34-yard pass play to the Travis 9. Two plays later, running back Ali Foh took a pitch left and scored to cut the Tigers’ lead in half with 6:42 left.
After the Cougars forced a three-and-out and started the drive at their own 35-yard line, Nguyen fumbled the handoff and was recovered by Travis linebacker Justin Thurman at the Cougar 28.
Three plays later, the Tigers faced a fourth-and-7 at the Kempner 19. Bynum then passed to tight end Nick Hester to the Cougar 4, which Bynum ran in on the next play to seal the win.
Kempner (0-2, 0-1) will try to rebound next Saturday against Willowridge, while Travis (1-1, 1-0) will see if it can start the school’s first winning streak against Clements on Friday night.
But for the Tigers, it’s nothing like the first time.
“I’m so happy for our seniors, who have been working so hard for this,” Cunningham said. “This is a wonderful win for Travis High School, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
The Athlete's Connection
It wasn’t the most well-played game, but for Fort Bend Travis, it will be the game the school will remember for a long while.
Travis got its first varsity win Saturday night, 20-7 against Kempner at Mercer Stadium in the District 23-5A opener for both teams.
While the Tigers only had 123 total rushing yards, the defense held the Cougars to 152 total yards rushing. Travis took control of the trenches on defense, continually smothering the Kempner running attack.
“An ugly win is better than a pretty loss any day,” Travis coach Randy Cunningham said. “We had a thousand mistakes tonight, but our kids are growing and improved every snap. We fought through all the adversity that we had and dug it in and got a win, the first in the history of our school.”
Both teams were rusty, especially since not playing for two weeks because of the situations surrounding Hurricane Ike. Both teams combined for seven fumbles (three of them were lost fumbles) and 14 penalties in the game.
“We showed a lot of rust out there today,” Kempner coach James Brown said. “Turning the ball over four times in a football game – no matter who you play – you’re not going to win.”
After Kempner defensive back Quaylon Ewing picked off a pass in the end zone, Travis made sure its next drive paid off. After starting the drive inside the Cougar 39-yard line, Travis went the distance in seven plays, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Colin Atkins to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
On its second drive of the game early in the second quarter, a couple of big passes by quarterback Alex Bynum set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Bynum to increase the lead to 14.
“I felt pretty confident (going into the game),” said Bynum, who passed for 114 yards in the game. “We were pretty confident even after coming off of a loss. And we’ll be going into the next game pretty confident.”
Kempner’s offense finally came alive in the fourth quarter, when backup quarterback Paul Nguyen found tight end Kenneth Bibbins for a 34-yard pass play to the Travis 9. Two plays later, running back Ali Foh took a pitch left and scored to cut the Tigers’ lead in half with 6:42 left.
After the Cougars forced a three-and-out and started the drive at their own 35-yard line, Nguyen fumbled the handoff and was recovered by Travis linebacker Justin Thurman at the Cougar 28.
Three plays later, the Tigers faced a fourth-and-7 at the Kempner 19. Bynum then passed to tight end Nick Hester to the Cougar 4, which Bynum ran in on the next play to seal the win.
Kempner (0-2, 0-1) will try to rebound next Saturday against Willowridge, while Travis (1-1, 1-0) will see if it can start the school’s first winning streak against Clements on Friday night.
But for the Tigers, it’s nothing like the first time.
“I’m so happy for our seniors, who have been working so hard for this,” Cunningham said. “This is a wonderful win for Travis High School, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Game story: Eisenhower 39, Kingwood 13
By JOHN HANDY
The Athlete's Connection
Big plays by Eisenhower were the order of the day for the Eagles as they ran roughshod over Kingwood, 39-13 Saturday night at Thorne Stadium in the District 19-5A opener for both teams.
The Eagles (1-2 overall, 1-0 district) built a 13-0 lead on their first five plays of the game when running back Curtis McGregor took a pitch right and scampered down the sideline for a 64-yard touchdown run and quarterback Kenneth Guiton connected with senior receiver Craig Loston on a spectacular 60-yard bomb for a score.
The two touchdowns came just 3 minutes, 16 seconds into the first quarter.
McGregor, a senior, ended the night with 249 yards on the ground. He scored three touchdowns on runs of 69 and 55 yards and he also passed for another score, five yards to Washington Allen.
Kingwood kept it close thanks to two 40-yard field goals by kicker Greg Saladino in the second quarter.
But Eagles field goal kicker Ronnie Mejia countered with a pair of his own field goals in the second period to give Eisenhower a 19-6 halftime lead.
Kingwood (1-2, 0-1) cut into the lead at the end of the third when quarterback David Fitt scored on a two yard run with 2:56 left in third to bring the score to 19-13.
But McGregor put on a show from there, scoring his 69-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and his 55-yarder with 8:29 left.
His touchdown pass to Allen with 2:18 left in the fourth capped off a fine night for the senior running back.
Eisenhower piled up 488 yards of total offense to Kingwood's 172.
Al Paradowski’s 114 yards on 22 carries led the Mustangs.
The Athlete's Connection
Big plays by Eisenhower were the order of the day for the Eagles as they ran roughshod over Kingwood, 39-13 Saturday night at Thorne Stadium in the District 19-5A opener for both teams.
The Eagles (1-2 overall, 1-0 district) built a 13-0 lead on their first five plays of the game when running back Curtis McGregor took a pitch right and scampered down the sideline for a 64-yard touchdown run and quarterback Kenneth Guiton connected with senior receiver Craig Loston on a spectacular 60-yard bomb for a score.
The two touchdowns came just 3 minutes, 16 seconds into the first quarter.
McGregor, a senior, ended the night with 249 yards on the ground. He scored three touchdowns on runs of 69 and 55 yards and he also passed for another score, five yards to Washington Allen.
Kingwood kept it close thanks to two 40-yard field goals by kicker Greg Saladino in the second quarter.
But Eagles field goal kicker Ronnie Mejia countered with a pair of his own field goals in the second period to give Eisenhower a 19-6 halftime lead.
Kingwood (1-2, 0-1) cut into the lead at the end of the third when quarterback David Fitt scored on a two yard run with 2:56 left in third to bring the score to 19-13.
But McGregor put on a show from there, scoring his 69-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and his 55-yarder with 8:29 left.
His touchdown pass to Allen with 2:18 left in the fourth capped off a fine night for the senior running back.
Eisenhower piled up 488 yards of total offense to Kingwood's 172.
Al Paradowski’s 114 yards on 22 carries led the Mustangs.
Game story: Stratford 31, Alief Taylor 24
By IGNACIO SALAZAR
The Athlete's Connection
Stratford overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Alief Taylor, 31-24 in the District 18-5A opener for both teams Saturday night at Tully Stadium.
Spartans (2-0, 1-0) running back Rodney Anderson was the star of the game, leading the second-half charge with three touchdown runs.
"I just had my eyes open," Anderson said. "The o-line did a great job up front and I just ran hard, seen the crease and just hit it."
Anderson's two-yard run with 5:19 left ended up being the clincher as the Spartans defense stopped the Lions on four downs to end the game.
The scoring started on the opening drive as Spartans kicker Jose Loa put his team ahead 3-0 on a 27-yard field goal.
The Lions (2-1, 0-1) responded right back on a seven-play, 79-yard drive as quarterback Rodney Owens scrambled in for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead.
In the second quarter, Spartans quarterback Mark Benninger connected with twin brother Brett for a 16-yard touchdown pass on a nine-play, 78 yard drive and a 10-7 Spartans lead.
After recovering a Lions fumble, the Spartans gave it right back as defensive lineman Emerson Evans recovered the loose ball that put the Lions offense in the red zone. Owens needed just three plays to connect with tight end Cedric Brown for a 20-yard touchdown pass and 14-10.
The Lions made a defensive stop and finished the first half on a seven-play, 68-yard drive as Rodrigo Rivas gave the Lions a 17-10 lead on a 22-yard field goal.
Stratford scored the third quarter's only points when Anderson punched in a five-yard touchdown run on a 15-play, 85 yard drive to even the game at 17.
The Lions got back on the board in the fourth as the Spartans mishandled a punt which put the ball on the 10-yard line after a penalty. Owens needed only four plays as he rushed in from a yard out to give this team a 24-17 lead with 11:06 left to play.
On the first play after the return, Anderson took over as he jetted 66 yards to tie the game at 24 and again ignite the Spartans crowd.
Owens led the Lions offense with 18 rushes for 139 yards and three touchdowns.
Lions wide receiver Byron Johnson had three catches for 57 yards.
The Athlete's Connection
Stratford overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Alief Taylor, 31-24 in the District 18-5A opener for both teams Saturday night at Tully Stadium.
Spartans (2-0, 1-0) running back Rodney Anderson was the star of the game, leading the second-half charge with three touchdown runs.
"I just had my eyes open," Anderson said. "The o-line did a great job up front and I just ran hard, seen the crease and just hit it."
Anderson's two-yard run with 5:19 left ended up being the clincher as the Spartans defense stopped the Lions on four downs to end the game.
The scoring started on the opening drive as Spartans kicker Jose Loa put his team ahead 3-0 on a 27-yard field goal.
The Lions (2-1, 0-1) responded right back on a seven-play, 79-yard drive as quarterback Rodney Owens scrambled in for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead.
In the second quarter, Spartans quarterback Mark Benninger connected with twin brother Brett for a 16-yard touchdown pass on a nine-play, 78 yard drive and a 10-7 Spartans lead.
After recovering a Lions fumble, the Spartans gave it right back as defensive lineman Emerson Evans recovered the loose ball that put the Lions offense in the red zone. Owens needed just three plays to connect with tight end Cedric Brown for a 20-yard touchdown pass and 14-10.
The Lions made a defensive stop and finished the first half on a seven-play, 68-yard drive as Rodrigo Rivas gave the Lions a 17-10 lead on a 22-yard field goal.
Stratford scored the third quarter's only points when Anderson punched in a five-yard touchdown run on a 15-play, 85 yard drive to even the game at 17.
The Lions got back on the board in the fourth as the Spartans mishandled a punt which put the ball on the 10-yard line after a penalty. Owens needed only four plays as he rushed in from a yard out to give this team a 24-17 lead with 11:06 left to play.
On the first play after the return, Anderson took over as he jetted 66 yards to tie the game at 24 and again ignite the Spartans crowd.
Owens led the Lions offense with 18 rushes for 139 yards and three touchdowns.
Lions wide receiver Byron Johnson had three catches for 57 yards.
Game story: Cypress Creek 39, Langham Creek 28
By HEATHER BURR
The Athlete's Connection
Cypress Creek’s defense forced five turnovers while the Cougar offense capitalized for a 39-28 win over Langham Creek Saturday night at the Berry Center in the District 15-5A opener for both teams.
“I thought our defense played exceptionally well,” Cy Creek coach Greg McCaig said. “We talk all the time about how we need to create turnovers and tonight they created five. That was a big deal.”
In the first 13 minutes, the Cougar defense forced a fumble and grabbed an interception which led to two touchdowns, each by quarterback Austin Pugliese. Cy Creek intercepted Langham Creek quarterback Will Bryant four times.
Pugliese, a senior, rushed for a game-high 137 yards.
“Austin did a real nice job,” McCaig said. “He played on varsity last year as a receiver mostly. The thing about Austin is the kids respond to him. They feel good about what he’s doing because he’s a leader.”
Cy Creek racked 30 points in the first half. Kicker Jordan Owens opened the game with a field goal, Steven McCaig connected with Pugliese for a 9-yard touchdown grab, and Tent O’Conner ran 7-yards for the final score in the first half.
“I thought we did a great job holding the ball in the first half,” McCaig said. “We’re pretty explosive with the ball at times. We’ve got some weapons out there.”
The Cougar defense was strong the first half, holding Langham Creek to one touchdown but fell a little in the second.
“In the second half, you could tell that we’re young,” McCaig said. “We did stupid things and we gave up some big plays.”
The Lobos, down 33-14 in the fourth, pulled out two surprising plays that brought the score closer and pressure on Cy Creek.
Bryant hiked the ball then immediately tossed to wide receiver Brett Reece who threw 55-yards to Mitchell Juergens for a touchdown.
Minutes later, on the Lobos’ next possession, Bryant hiked the ball then immediately tossed to wide receiver Garrett Juergens who threw to M. Juergens, bringing them within 15-yards of a score. Bryant went on to connect with Reece for the six points.
Cy Creek responded with a game-sealing touchdown from Brent Mitcham, a 50-yard catch with 7:18 left.
“We responded when it counted,” McCaig said.
The Athlete's Connection
Cypress Creek’s defense forced five turnovers while the Cougar offense capitalized for a 39-28 win over Langham Creek Saturday night at the Berry Center in the District 15-5A opener for both teams.
“I thought our defense played exceptionally well,” Cy Creek coach Greg McCaig said. “We talk all the time about how we need to create turnovers and tonight they created five. That was a big deal.”
In the first 13 minutes, the Cougar defense forced a fumble and grabbed an interception which led to two touchdowns, each by quarterback Austin Pugliese. Cy Creek intercepted Langham Creek quarterback Will Bryant four times.
Pugliese, a senior, rushed for a game-high 137 yards.
“Austin did a real nice job,” McCaig said. “He played on varsity last year as a receiver mostly. The thing about Austin is the kids respond to him. They feel good about what he’s doing because he’s a leader.”
Cy Creek racked 30 points in the first half. Kicker Jordan Owens opened the game with a field goal, Steven McCaig connected with Pugliese for a 9-yard touchdown grab, and Tent O’Conner ran 7-yards for the final score in the first half.
“I thought we did a great job holding the ball in the first half,” McCaig said. “We’re pretty explosive with the ball at times. We’ve got some weapons out there.”
The Cougar defense was strong the first half, holding Langham Creek to one touchdown but fell a little in the second.
“In the second half, you could tell that we’re young,” McCaig said. “We did stupid things and we gave up some big plays.”
The Lobos, down 33-14 in the fourth, pulled out two surprising plays that brought the score closer and pressure on Cy Creek.
Bryant hiked the ball then immediately tossed to wide receiver Brett Reece who threw 55-yards to Mitchell Juergens for a touchdown.
Minutes later, on the Lobos’ next possession, Bryant hiked the ball then immediately tossed to wide receiver Garrett Juergens who threw to M. Juergens, bringing them within 15-yards of a score. Bryant went on to connect with Reece for the six points.
Cy Creek responded with a game-sealing touchdown from Brent Mitcham, a 50-yard catch with 7:18 left.
“We responded when it counted,” McCaig said.
Game story: Katy Taylor 42, Baytown Sterling 27
By DAVE PURPURA
The Athlete's Connection
It was tough to tell in the first quarter Saturday whether Katy Taylor or Baytown Sterling had had a three-week layoff because of Hurricane Ike.
For the record, Sterling hadn’t played since starting 2-0 while Taylor had won two straight games coming in.
But Taylor’s defense kept the Mustangs afloat long enough for the offense to find its groove, and they scored 35 straight points in the middle quarters to erase a 13-point deficit and win 42-27 at Stallworth Stadium.
Sterling fumbles set up Taylor’s first two scores – a 1-yard run by John Lattal and a 7-yard pass from Lee Rodgers to Steven Sartory – and Josh Thomas returned an interception 64 yards for the Mustangs (3-1), who trailed 20-7 just minutes into the second quarter but led 28-20 at halftime despite amassing only 108 yards in the first half.
Taylor was outgained 363-279.
“The first three touchdowns were basically all them (the defense),” said Lattal, who finished with 137 yards on 17 carries and caught a 61-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. “They gave us the ball inside the 20 pretty much every time and we just had to score from there.”
Taylor led midway through the first quarter, but Keagan Kogut’s 24-yard strike to Dwain Nicholas and Malcolm Zeno’s 1- and 4-yard touchdown runs staked Sterling (2-1) to a 20-7 lead.
“They hadn’t played a game in three weeks and they were the ones on top of us first,” Mustangs coach Flint Risien said. “But our guys got back in it. Our defense kept us in. Fortunately we were able to convert those short drives into touchdowns. Otherwise it could have been ugly.
“Our defense takes a lot of pride in creating turnovers. They stayed in the fight. They’re still learning. They stayed to the cause and fortunately in the third quarter they grabbed the momentum and kept it.”
Thomas read Kogut perfectly on his long run halfway through the second quarter, which gave Taylor a 21-20 lead.
“We watched film all week and we knew that was where he liked to throw the ball, so when he turned his shoulders to me I just broke on the ball and trusted my legs to take me into the end zone,” Thomas said. “We have a way of responding to what coaches tell us. We knew we could come out here and play great defense.”
Lattal added touchdown runs of 1 and 82 yards in the second half.
“We came out weak in the beginning. We knew we had to make some plays. We started running more in the second half and the line was working better,” Lattal said. “They came out in a defense we weren’t used to so we had to adjust a little bit at halftime. We did a good job of adjusting our formations to them.”
Kogut was 23-of-34 for 294 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Chance Nelson caught five passes for 86 yards for the Rangers.
The Athlete's Connection
It was tough to tell in the first quarter Saturday whether Katy Taylor or Baytown Sterling had had a three-week layoff because of Hurricane Ike.
For the record, Sterling hadn’t played since starting 2-0 while Taylor had won two straight games coming in.
But Taylor’s defense kept the Mustangs afloat long enough for the offense to find its groove, and they scored 35 straight points in the middle quarters to erase a 13-point deficit and win 42-27 at Stallworth Stadium.
Sterling fumbles set up Taylor’s first two scores – a 1-yard run by John Lattal and a 7-yard pass from Lee Rodgers to Steven Sartory – and Josh Thomas returned an interception 64 yards for the Mustangs (3-1), who trailed 20-7 just minutes into the second quarter but led 28-20 at halftime despite amassing only 108 yards in the first half.
Taylor was outgained 363-279.
“The first three touchdowns were basically all them (the defense),” said Lattal, who finished with 137 yards on 17 carries and caught a 61-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. “They gave us the ball inside the 20 pretty much every time and we just had to score from there.”
Taylor led midway through the first quarter, but Keagan Kogut’s 24-yard strike to Dwain Nicholas and Malcolm Zeno’s 1- and 4-yard touchdown runs staked Sterling (2-1) to a 20-7 lead.
“They hadn’t played a game in three weeks and they were the ones on top of us first,” Mustangs coach Flint Risien said. “But our guys got back in it. Our defense kept us in. Fortunately we were able to convert those short drives into touchdowns. Otherwise it could have been ugly.
“Our defense takes a lot of pride in creating turnovers. They stayed in the fight. They’re still learning. They stayed to the cause and fortunately in the third quarter they grabbed the momentum and kept it.”
Thomas read Kogut perfectly on his long run halfway through the second quarter, which gave Taylor a 21-20 lead.
“We watched film all week and we knew that was where he liked to throw the ball, so when he turned his shoulders to me I just broke on the ball and trusted my legs to take me into the end zone,” Thomas said. “We have a way of responding to what coaches tell us. We knew we could come out here and play great defense.”
Lattal added touchdown runs of 1 and 82 yards in the second half.
“We came out weak in the beginning. We knew we had to make some plays. We started running more in the second half and the line was working better,” Lattal said. “They came out in a defense we weren’t used to so we had to adjust a little bit at halftime. We did a good job of adjusting our formations to them.”
Kogut was 23-of-34 for 294 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Chance Nelson caught five passes for 86 yards for the Rangers.
Game story: Humble 31, Aldine 21
We don't know why our site is down, but we're working to rectify the situation. Until then, all of Saturday's game stories will be posted here ...
***
By JOHN HANDY
The Athlete's Connection
Humble averaged just more than a point a minute in the first half, then settled into a second-half fight with Aldine before pulling out a 31-21 victory Saturday afternoon at Thorne Stadium in the District 19-5A opener for both teams.
Behind senior quarterback Keith Baker’s two touchdown passes in the first half, sandwiched between a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown by Rashad Garrett and an 80-yard run for a score by Darryl Smith and a field goal by kicker Walter Pinon, the Wildcats built a 31-0 lead at halftime.
But Aldine (0-3, 0-1) didn’t fold.
They scored two touchdowns in the third quarter by way of a five-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jordon Moore to receiver Clyde Green and a 41-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Isaiah Archie.
They tacked on their final touchdown in the fourth period when Dontae Williams burned the Wildcats defense for a 42 yard run for a score.
After the game, Wildcats coach Walt Beasley blamed the second-half meltdown by Humble to fatigue and rust after not having played a game in three weeks.
Yet, he was both surprised and happy with the results.
“We were a little bit rusty I thought, although I surprised by the way we played in the first half,” said Beasley, who saw his Wildcats climb to 2-1 overall. “We got a little bit tired in the second half, I thought. The second half had nothing to do with us playing substitutes in the second half. It’s been three weeks since we played and I think it showed in our execution.”
Baker is now 2-0 in his two starts after returning from injury. He completed 15-of-21 passes for 168 yards.
Baker said he was pleased with his effort against the Mustangs.
“I was pretty pleased with the way I played in the first half,” Baker said. “In the second half I made some mistakes but give them credit, they came out with a lot of enthusiasm. But we came back with a never lose attitude, pulled it back together and we got the win.”
Humble had 309 total yards to Aldine’s 266.
***
By JOHN HANDY
The Athlete's Connection
Humble averaged just more than a point a minute in the first half, then settled into a second-half fight with Aldine before pulling out a 31-21 victory Saturday afternoon at Thorne Stadium in the District 19-5A opener for both teams.
Behind senior quarterback Keith Baker’s two touchdown passes in the first half, sandwiched between a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown by Rashad Garrett and an 80-yard run for a score by Darryl Smith and a field goal by kicker Walter Pinon, the Wildcats built a 31-0 lead at halftime.
But Aldine (0-3, 0-1) didn’t fold.
They scored two touchdowns in the third quarter by way of a five-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jordon Moore to receiver Clyde Green and a 41-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Isaiah Archie.
They tacked on their final touchdown in the fourth period when Dontae Williams burned the Wildcats defense for a 42 yard run for a score.
After the game, Wildcats coach Walt Beasley blamed the second-half meltdown by Humble to fatigue and rust after not having played a game in three weeks.
Yet, he was both surprised and happy with the results.
“We were a little bit rusty I thought, although I surprised by the way we played in the first half,” said Beasley, who saw his Wildcats climb to 2-1 overall. “We got a little bit tired in the second half, I thought. The second half had nothing to do with us playing substitutes in the second half. It’s been three weeks since we played and I think it showed in our execution.”
Baker is now 2-0 in his two starts after returning from injury. He completed 15-of-21 passes for 168 yards.
Baker said he was pleased with his effort against the Mustangs.
“I was pretty pleased with the way I played in the first half,” Baker said. “In the second half I made some mistakes but give them credit, they came out with a lot of enthusiasm. But we came back with a never lose attitude, pulled it back together and we got the win.”
Humble had 309 total yards to Aldine’s 266.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
How about this matchup?!
Nothing seems confirmed yet, but rumors are flying that Cinco Ranch will visit Southlake Carroll in Week 5, which is Oct. 3. This amid growing speculation that North Shore won't be able to visit Carroll next Saturday night because school isn't yet back in session and no one knows when that will happen. Coach David Aymond said Thursday the team hasn't been together since before the storm.
I'll check into this Friday morning and see what I can find. If so, what a catch for Cinco!
I'll check into this Friday morning and see what I can find. If so, what a catch for Cinco!
Our games this weekend
Where we'll be ...
Thursday
Seven Lakes vs. Morton Ranch at Rhodes Stadium, 7 p.m.
Friday
Cinco Ranch vs. Mayde Creek at Rhodes Stadium, 7 p.m.
Sealy at Brookshire Royal, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Terry vs. Katy Taylor at Rhodes Stadium, 1 p.m.
Angleton at Waller, 2 p.m.
Thursday
Seven Lakes vs. Morton Ranch at Rhodes Stadium, 7 p.m.
Friday
Cinco Ranch vs. Mayde Creek at Rhodes Stadium, 7 p.m.
Sealy at Brookshire Royal, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Terry vs. Katy Taylor at Rhodes Stadium, 1 p.m.
Angleton at Waller, 2 p.m.
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Friday without football ...
... is flat-out odd! I can't remember a football Friday night since 1999 that I haven't spent at a game. The reality struck me looking at the Dallas Morning News Web site tonight and seeing live updates of games around the area (my lady and I are with friends in Fort Worth). Can't say I mind a vacation, but this is just about the most unfortunate reason to take one.
We've been watching Channel 11's coverage all day (DirecTV is carrying it full-time on Channel 361), and while it's good to get the local perspective I wish there was something to tear us away. There sort of is - we're heading to a local bar here in a bit - but there's a little part of me that wishes I knew exactly what was happening back home.
I live right on the League City/Friendswood border and am hoping the damage to our house is nothing more than shingles blown the roof and maybe some debris around the yard. Hopefully most of our coverage area in the western and northern portions of the metro are fine.
Wherever you're reading this, stay safe. That's the most important thing right now.
We've been watching Channel 11's coverage all day (DirecTV is carrying it full-time on Channel 361), and while it's good to get the local perspective I wish there was something to tear us away. There sort of is - we're heading to a local bar here in a bit - but there's a little part of me that wishes I knew exactly what was happening back home.
I live right on the League City/Friendswood border and am hoping the damage to our house is nothing more than shingles blown the roof and maybe some debris around the yard. Hopefully most of our coverage area in the western and northern portions of the metro are fine.
Wherever you're reading this, stay safe. That's the most important thing right now.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A few Ike-related schedule changes
Most school districts decided to watch Hurricane Ike's path through the Gulf Monday, and their lack of haste in postponing/canceling/otherwise changing events apparently was well-founded. However, Spring Branch ISD did move its two games at Tully Stadium this weekend. Changes are as follows:
- Pearland at Memorial, from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Thursday.
- Spring at Stratford, from 6 p.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Friday.
Houston, Cy-Fair, Alief, Katy and Strake Jesuit have no changes to report at this time. Still no word from Aldine or Fort Bend. If we hear something, we'll pass it along, and likewise for you - it would be appreciated!
- Pearland at Memorial, from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Thursday.
- Spring at Stratford, from 6 p.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Friday.
Houston, Cy-Fair, Alief, Katy and Strake Jesuit have no changes to report at this time. Still no word from Aldine or Fort Bend. If we hear something, we'll pass it along, and likewise for you - it would be appreciated!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Week One observations
Good morning sports fans. Got home fairly late from Thorne Stadium - a lack of Internet to post my story and photos didn't help - and there was a lot to do here with everyone else's stories (not to mention a little straightening up around here) so blogging took a back seat. Anyway ...
North Shore is, well, North Shore. Eisenhower looked much better than last week against Hightower, but the Mustangs are just that good. They'll make a lot of teams look bad this year. Tracy Woods is the real deal, as is position mate Deandre Jones; both easily broke 100 yards last night and Woods got the glory with two touchdowns. Now it's on the Berry Center next Friday to try for that 73rd straight regular-season win. And even though Cypress Falls is 0-2, that one could be entertaining too.
That'll be one of the games we dissect in our Week Two primer, coming Wednesday.
Other observations:
- I wasn't at The Woodlands last night, so my jaw and those of everyone else at Thorne dropped when I gave the P.A. announcer news of the Highlanders' 40-0 lead against Katy. Wow. As smoothly as everything went for Katy last year, everything seems to be going that bad right now. Quarterback Parker Ray broke his hand, which likely means Michael Stojkovic will take the reins for a while. They hadn't lost this bad in 21 years, when Langham Creek beat them 49-0.
Can't think of a team that needs a week off more right now.
That said, there had to be a few inner smiles around the area last night, considering how many lopsided wins Katy has rung up in recent years.
- You knew Russell Shepard wouldn't be held in check for long. The Cypress Ridge ran for two touchdowns and threw two more, accounting for almost 400 yards of offense as the Rams beat Klein 51-21. This is the Cy Ridge team we all expected. Welcome back.
- Turnovers continue to kill Cy-Fair. They outgained Klein Collins Thursday night only to lose 17-9.
Tonight I'm off to Pridgeon Stadium for Memorial-Jersey Village. Chad's at Cypress Creek-Klein Oak and Ignacio Salazar will have Cypress Woods' first-ever varsity game covered; they get A&M Consolidated at the Berry Center.
Chad and I will record our weekly podcast after tonight's games; that will be posted late tomorrow night. Enjoy the games!
North Shore is, well, North Shore. Eisenhower looked much better than last week against Hightower, but the Mustangs are just that good. They'll make a lot of teams look bad this year. Tracy Woods is the real deal, as is position mate Deandre Jones; both easily broke 100 yards last night and Woods got the glory with two touchdowns. Now it's on the Berry Center next Friday to try for that 73rd straight regular-season win. And even though Cypress Falls is 0-2, that one could be entertaining too.
That'll be one of the games we dissect in our Week Two primer, coming Wednesday.
Other observations:
- I wasn't at The Woodlands last night, so my jaw and those of everyone else at Thorne dropped when I gave the P.A. announcer news of the Highlanders' 40-0 lead against Katy. Wow. As smoothly as everything went for Katy last year, everything seems to be going that bad right now. Quarterback Parker Ray broke his hand, which likely means Michael Stojkovic will take the reins for a while. They hadn't lost this bad in 21 years, when Langham Creek beat them 49-0.
Can't think of a team that needs a week off more right now.
That said, there had to be a few inner smiles around the area last night, considering how many lopsided wins Katy has rung up in recent years.
- You knew Russell Shepard wouldn't be held in check for long. The Cypress Ridge ran for two touchdowns and threw two more, accounting for almost 400 yards of offense as the Rams beat Klein 51-21. This is the Cy Ridge team we all expected. Welcome back.
- Turnovers continue to kill Cy-Fair. They outgained Klein Collins Thursday night only to lose 17-9.
Tonight I'm off to Pridgeon Stadium for Memorial-Jersey Village. Chad's at Cypress Creek-Klein Oak and Ignacio Salazar will have Cypress Woods' first-ever varsity game covered; they get A&M Consolidated at the Berry Center.
Chad and I will record our weekly podcast after tonight's games; that will be posted late tomorrow night. Enjoy the games!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Final thoughts from Pearland-Kempner
My first visit to The Rig was everything I thought it would be. What a great facility for football. I think I had the greatest seat in the house, and it wasn’t even in the press box. Channel 13 took up most of the seats for its television broadcast on digital sub-channel 13.2, much to the chagrin of the Pearland staff and the rest of the media! In any case, I ended up sitting next to the press box out in the open on a beautifully breezy low-humidity evening.
(The view was spectacular … you could see every major landmark for 20 miles, including downtown Houston, Transco Tower and the 2,000-foot blinking radio/TV towers in Fort Bend County.)
To the game ... Pearland was far more dominant than even I expected. Maybe the second half against Madison last week was a clue, but the Oilers came out Thursday night and KO'd Kempner pretty early. I didn't think it was in the first quarter, when quarterback Sam Allen among others told me they saw Kempner getting tired, but by then all the momentum was clearly Pearland's.
Besides the offensive line's spectacular performance - I can remember at least seven or eight big-yardage plays where the rusher was completely untouched - the Oilers' no-huddle offense was run to a 'T.'
“We’ll learn it – the coaches as well as the players – but we feel like for us to win this is what we have to do,” coach Tony Heath said. “We don’t have a big offensive line so we have to get set and reduce what sets and packages the defense can run against us. Like I said, it’s something … we’re buying into it. At this point, we’re buying into it.”
I don’t know how much of the result can attributed to Pearland having one game under its belt while Kempner was opening its season, but the players thought that was a big factor.
“It definitely did … first-game jitters and all that,” said Pearland running back Josh Gonzalez, who had three touchdowns in his five carries. “It definitely had an impact.”
Other stuff:
* Cy Falls is 0-2 after tonight's loss to Westfield. Even so, the game with North Shore next week at the Berry Center should be a blast.
* How about Seven Lakes?! They piled up 51 points on Fort Bend Dulles tonight, winning by 37. Chad's story isn't in yet but I can't wait to see how the Spartans won. Congrats to them. Who'd have figured Morton Ranch and Seven Lakes would have a better record than Katy so far??
(The view was spectacular … you could see every major landmark for 20 miles, including downtown Houston, Transco Tower and the 2,000-foot blinking radio/TV towers in Fort Bend County.)
To the game ... Pearland was far more dominant than even I expected. Maybe the second half against Madison last week was a clue, but the Oilers came out Thursday night and KO'd Kempner pretty early. I didn't think it was in the first quarter, when quarterback Sam Allen among others told me they saw Kempner getting tired, but by then all the momentum was clearly Pearland's.
Besides the offensive line's spectacular performance - I can remember at least seven or eight big-yardage plays where the rusher was completely untouched - the Oilers' no-huddle offense was run to a 'T.'
“We’ll learn it – the coaches as well as the players – but we feel like for us to win this is what we have to do,” coach Tony Heath said. “We don’t have a big offensive line so we have to get set and reduce what sets and packages the defense can run against us. Like I said, it’s something … we’re buying into it. At this point, we’re buying into it.”
I don’t know how much of the result can attributed to Pearland having one game under its belt while Kempner was opening its season, but the players thought that was a big factor.
“It definitely did … first-game jitters and all that,” said Pearland running back Josh Gonzalez, who had three touchdowns in his five carries. “It definitely had an impact.”
Other stuff:
* Cy Falls is 0-2 after tonight's loss to Westfield. Even so, the game with North Shore next week at the Berry Center should be a blast.
* How about Seven Lakes?! They piled up 51 points on Fort Bend Dulles tonight, winning by 37. Chad's story isn't in yet but I can't wait to see how the Spartans won. Congrats to them. Who'd have figured Morton Ranch and Seven Lakes would have a better record than Katy so far??
FSN Southwest's football schedule
In case you haven't seen it, here's a list of the high school games FSN Houston/Southwest (other than when Houston and Dallas events air at the same time, they're the same channel) is televising this fall. The games start tonight at 7 p.m. with Garrett Gilbert-led Lake Travis playing Austin Westlake. North Shore will be on against Southlake Carroll Sept. 27 from DFW:
Sept. 11 - San Antonio Madison at New Braunfels, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 - Plano at Plano East, 7 p.m.*
Sept. 27 - North Shore at Southlake Carroll, 6 p.m.*
Oct. 2 - Euless Trinity at Keller Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 - Teams TBA
Oct. 30 - Westfield at Klein Oak, 7 p.m.
Nov. 7 - San Antonio Roosevelt at Smithson Valley, 7 p.m.
* Games with asterisks will be seen on FSN Southwest's primary feed but not FSN Houston because of conflicts with the Astros. FSN Southwest is Channel 676 on DirecTV and 416 on Dish Network; FSN Houston is 678 on DirecTV and various channels on Dish. Some cable systems offer FSN Plus in cases of conflict; check with your provider.
Sept. 11 - San Antonio Madison at New Braunfels, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 - Plano at Plano East, 7 p.m.*
Sept. 27 - North Shore at Southlake Carroll, 6 p.m.*
Oct. 2 - Euless Trinity at Keller Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 - Teams TBA
Oct. 30 - Westfield at Klein Oak, 7 p.m.
Nov. 7 - San Antonio Roosevelt at Smithson Valley, 7 p.m.
* Games with asterisks will be seen on FSN Southwest's primary feed but not FSN Houston because of conflicts with the Astros. FSN Southwest is Channel 676 on DirecTV and 416 on Dish Network; FSN Houston is 678 on DirecTV and various channels on Dish. Some cable systems offer FSN Plus in cases of conflict; check with your provider.
Week 1 Podcast
Here's our podcast where Dave and I talk about some of the key games this weekend, including North Shore-Westfield, Pasadena Memorial-Clements and Cy Springs-Cinco Ranch.
Click here to listen...
And don't forget to check our site all weekend long for our game highlights and photos, as well as on Monday when we wrap up the football weekend!
Click here to listen...
And don't forget to check our site all weekend long for our game highlights and photos, as well as on Monday when we wrap up the football weekend!
Take time, kids
Part of the fun of covering high school sports is keeping an eye on recruiting. Here, virtually every school we cover has at least a handful of Division I-caliber athletes, as evidenced by a plethora of local products who make headlines at both the college and pro levels.
The Athlete's Connection's job isn't to cover recruiting - we leave that wackiness to our friends/colleagues at Rivals.com and Scout.com - but we at least have to have one watchful eye on that process.
As crazy as last season was - remember Sam McGuffie skipping signing day at Cy-Fair only to fax his letter of intent to Michigan in the evening? - this one could feature a few moves and surprises, too.
Word is Craig Loston, Eisenhower's phenomenal safety who verbally committed to Clemson in April, is listening to overtures from Michigan. Loston told Scout.com he expects to take a visit there sometime soon.
"I was talking to my cousin (Cypress Ridge quarterback Russell Shepard, an LSU commit) and he was like it’s important to take all of your visits because if he would have taken his final visit he would have gone to Texas,” he told Scout.com. “So I’m going to go ahead and take all of my visits.”
(An addendum: Their coach, Rich Rodriguez, is well known for flirting with recruits to other schools, a no-no in the gentlemanly coach's business. Purdue coach Joe Tiller called him a "snake oil salesman" after Rodriguez stole one of his commits. As an Ohio State fan, I laugh and say it befits the university that pompously considers itself the Harvard of the Midwest.)
Back to Loston ... who should be surprised by this? Loston committed to Texas A&M as a sophomore, only to recant during the Franchione fiasco. Then he committed to Clemson in April, all the while continuing to take visits to other big schools. Trusted sources say Loston's been to LSU several times and they'd be shocked if Loston didn't end up a Tiger.
My question is, why commit at all that early? In his case, not many people outside Loston's inner circle know. He doesn't like to talk much about recruiting to anyone in the media, clamming up during a recent interview and basically shutting down that line of questioning before it ever started.
There's the story of Tommy Mason-Griffin, the former Madison basketball standout who withdrew from that school to attend Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, then switched back to Madison on Thursday. He verballed to LSU, withdrew that when that coach was fired and then verballed to Oklahoma in mid-August.
The latest turn goes to the high school level, where Chavez point guard Mike Randle announced on Jim Hicks' Basketball Show the other night that he was transferring to downstreet school and District 20-5A rival Madison.
"I just feel like it was one of the best decisions because ... Madison is right around the corner from my house. ... I feel like it's gonna be a great thing," Randle said.
Thing is, he hadn't told Lobos coach Kevin Pullum of his decision. Pullum, of course, was watching live.
Less than four minutes later, the phone rang.
You could see co-host Terry Burdick grinning in the background knowing what was coming.
Or what he thought was coming. What most anyone watching thought was coming.
However ...
"Mike knows I love him like a son and I only wish the best for him," Pullum said. "However, he knows I'm very competitive when we're all on the court. Mike's a tough competitor and we're gonna have our hands full. I think I know how to guard against Mike. But again, I love him like a son. ... Take care of yourself. Anytime you need me, call me."
Have we heard the last of this on some level?
I bet not.
It's part of the nature of the beast. No decision a star athlete makes is truly private - whether it's the original commitment or a switch when or if they decide the original decision either was made in haste or is no longer feasible. Sometimes they seek a stage, sometimes the stage finds them.
I guess being 30 brings an increased sense of gravity and responsibility. That said, I don't make a lasting decision until I know I'm ready to. I wish some athletes would do that.
The Athlete's Connection's job isn't to cover recruiting - we leave that wackiness to our friends/colleagues at Rivals.com and Scout.com - but we at least have to have one watchful eye on that process.
As crazy as last season was - remember Sam McGuffie skipping signing day at Cy-Fair only to fax his letter of intent to Michigan in the evening? - this one could feature a few moves and surprises, too.
Word is Craig Loston, Eisenhower's phenomenal safety who verbally committed to Clemson in April, is listening to overtures from Michigan. Loston told Scout.com he expects to take a visit there sometime soon.
"I was talking to my cousin (Cypress Ridge quarterback Russell Shepard, an LSU commit) and he was like it’s important to take all of your visits because if he would have taken his final visit he would have gone to Texas,” he told Scout.com. “So I’m going to go ahead and take all of my visits.”
(An addendum: Their coach, Rich Rodriguez, is well known for flirting with recruits to other schools, a no-no in the gentlemanly coach's business. Purdue coach Joe Tiller called him a "snake oil salesman" after Rodriguez stole one of his commits. As an Ohio State fan, I laugh and say it befits the university that pompously considers itself the Harvard of the Midwest.)
Back to Loston ... who should be surprised by this? Loston committed to Texas A&M as a sophomore, only to recant during the Franchione fiasco. Then he committed to Clemson in April, all the while continuing to take visits to other big schools. Trusted sources say Loston's been to LSU several times and they'd be shocked if Loston didn't end up a Tiger.
My question is, why commit at all that early? In his case, not many people outside Loston's inner circle know. He doesn't like to talk much about recruiting to anyone in the media, clamming up during a recent interview and basically shutting down that line of questioning before it ever started.
There's the story of Tommy Mason-Griffin, the former Madison basketball standout who withdrew from that school to attend Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, then switched back to Madison on Thursday. He verballed to LSU, withdrew that when that coach was fired and then verballed to Oklahoma in mid-August.
The latest turn goes to the high school level, where Chavez point guard Mike Randle announced on Jim Hicks' Basketball Show the other night that he was transferring to downstreet school and District 20-5A rival Madison.
"I just feel like it was one of the best decisions because ... Madison is right around the corner from my house. ... I feel like it's gonna be a great thing," Randle said.
Thing is, he hadn't told Lobos coach Kevin Pullum of his decision. Pullum, of course, was watching live.
Less than four minutes later, the phone rang.
You could see co-host Terry Burdick grinning in the background knowing what was coming.
Or what he thought was coming. What most anyone watching thought was coming.
However ...
"Mike knows I love him like a son and I only wish the best for him," Pullum said. "However, he knows I'm very competitive when we're all on the court. Mike's a tough competitor and we're gonna have our hands full. I think I know how to guard against Mike. But again, I love him like a son. ... Take care of yourself. Anytime you need me, call me."
Have we heard the last of this on some level?
I bet not.
It's part of the nature of the beast. No decision a star athlete makes is truly private - whether it's the original commitment or a switch when or if they decide the original decision either was made in haste or is no longer feasible. Sometimes they seek a stage, sometimes the stage finds them.
I guess being 30 brings an increased sense of gravity and responsibility. That said, I don't make a lasting decision until I know I'm ready to. I wish some athletes would do that.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Where we'll be this weekend
Our football coverage this weekend will be as follows:
Thursday
Fort Bend Dulles vs. Seven Lakes at Rhodes Stadium
Fort Bend Kempner vs. Pearland at The Rig (I'll be there)
Friday
North Shore at Eisenhower (I'll be there)
Second Baptist at St. John's
Aldine at Deer Park
Cinco Ranch vs. Cypress Springs at Berry Center
Katy at The Woodlands
Saturday
Memorial vs. Jersey Village at Pridgeon Stadium (I'll be there)
A&M Consolidated vs. Cypress Woods at Berry Center
Cypress Creek vs. Klein Oak at Klein Memorial Stadium
Also ...
Chad and I will be recording our Week 1 predictions podcast shortly; that will be posted on the site this evening.
Thursday
Fort Bend Dulles vs. Seven Lakes at Rhodes Stadium
Fort Bend Kempner vs. Pearland at The Rig (I'll be there)
Friday
North Shore at Eisenhower (I'll be there)
Second Baptist at St. John's
Aldine at Deer Park
Cinco Ranch vs. Cypress Springs at Berry Center
Katy at The Woodlands
Saturday
Memorial vs. Jersey Village at Pridgeon Stadium (I'll be there)
A&M Consolidated vs. Cypress Woods at Berry Center
Cypress Creek vs. Klein Oak at Klein Memorial Stadium
Also ...
Chad and I will be recording our Week 1 predictions podcast shortly; that will be posted on the site this evening.
Welcome to our new blog!
Hey fans, we're working on something new here at Athlete's Connection! We have just created a blog for our main sports like football, basketball, baseball and softball so we can bring our news in a new way for our fans and supporters to enjoy.
Not only will we have previews and reviews here, but also have a little opinion on what Dave Purpura, me and other AC writers think about the Houston-area high school scene.
Also, we want to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or question for us, whether it be about your favorite team or player, or about how we can make this blog or our website better.
Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon!
Not only will we have previews and reviews here, but also have a little opinion on what Dave Purpura, me and other AC writers think about the Houston-area high school scene.
Also, we want to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or question for us, whether it be about your favorite team or player, or about how we can make this blog or our website better.
Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon!
Week 1 Primer
Written by Dave Purpura and Chad Washington
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Your quick study in high school football entering Week One:
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