Cinco Ranch was fueled by what they felt were doubters this year.

The Cougars, who had one game over the previous two seasons, kept pushing all season and found a way to a winning record, a playoff berth, and a regional semifinal appearance.

“We’ve been doubted since the beginning,” said junior quarterback Gavin Rutherford. “There’s no one that gave us anything besides ourselves. We knew how good we could be and what we could become and that motivated us all season. We had to work for everything we got and I’m so glad we got to this point.”

Cinco Ranch carried that motivation into its Class 6A-Division II, Regional semifinal game against Summer Creek, but the Cougars tremendous season finally came to an end as the Cougars fell 62-41 to Summer Creek on Saturday at TDECU Stadium.

The Cougars fought, but ultimately came up short against a stacked defensive line and strong run game for the Bulldogs.

“At the start of the season, there weren’t a whole lot of people outside of our walls that expected a whole lot out of these guys,” said Cinco Ranch head coach Chris Dudley. “Most people didn’t have us pegged for a winning record or the playoffs, but that was a chip these kids carried, and that they really carried since the start of last offseason. The strides that they made in this one year to turn this thing around and rekindle the fire of this program, it was just really special.”

Cinco got the ball rolling early, as Seth Salverino took the opening kickoff 95-yards for a touchdown, but Summer Creek answered back in a hurry.

Torrie Curry ran in a 13-yard touchdown and then a 40-yarder to give the Bulldogs the lead going into the second quarter.

Summer Creek took over in the second quarter, Jahrik Jones threw a 28-yard touchdown to Andrew Alexander and Lloyd Avant ran in a 39-yard touchdown run.

Gavin Rutherford finally got an offensive touchdown for Cinco right as time expired in the half, on a ten-yard pass to Noah Abboud, but Summer Creek held a 27-14 lead heading into halftime.

“I just love this team,” said junior running back Sam McKnight. “I love that we came together and that we had chemistry and we just all loved each other. That’s what got us this far in the season. It was the love that was there and how we trusted every brother next to us.”

Summer Creek increased its lead early in the third. Lloyd Avant took a handoff 55-yards for a score and on Summer Creeks next drive, Curry ran in a 2-yard touchdown. Rutherford stopped the bleeding though as he took a run up the middle 33-yards for a score. But Summer Creek responded with a 35-yard touchdown from Curry.

Rutherford threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Salverino early in the fourth and then ran in another touchdown after Cinco Ranch recovered an onside kick, but it was too little too late. Summer Creek sealed it on a 72-yard touchdown run from Cory Nichols and a 3-yard touchdown run from Curry.

Rutherford ended the game with 237 yards passing, 19 yards rushing and four total touchdowns.

“He really took the next step this year,” Dudley said. “You could see that by the way he led the offense, you could see it by the throws he makes. He can make any type of throw with really good accuracy and his game grew with running the ball as well. We’re really pleased with how he developed as a leader as well.”

The Cougars graduate a senior class that helped rebuild the program but will bring back a talented group of players next season.

“This year was amazing, and we’re going to do it again,” McKnight said. “We’re going to put in the work in the offseason, come back next year and go even further.”

Katy will take on Summer Creek in the Class 6A-Division II, Region III Final 1 p.m. Saturday at Rice Stadium.

Summer Creek 62, Cinco Ranch 41

First quarter

Cinco: Seth Salverino 95 kick return (Santiago Taborda kick) 11:46

Summer: Torrie Curry 13 run (Alfonso Gonzalez kick) 8:07

Summer: Curry 40 run (Gonzalez kick) 6:27

Second quarter

Summer: Jahrik Jones 28 pass to Andrew Alexander, 9:22

Summer: Lloyd Avant 39 run (Gonzalez kick) 1:03

Cinco: Gavin Rutherford 10 pass to Noah Abboud (Taborda kick) 0:00

Third quarter

Summer: Lloyd Avant 55 run (Gonzalez kick) 10:41

Summer: Curry 2 run (Gonzalez kick) 8:46

Cinco: Rutherford 33 run (Taborda kick) 4:50

Summer: Curry 35 run (Taborda kick) 3:13

Fourth quarter

Cinco: Rutherford 3 pass to Salverino (Taborda kick) 10:39

Cinco: Rutherford 1 run (Taborda kick) 8:39

Summer: Cory Nichols 72 run (Gonzalez kick) 7:09

Summer: Curry 3 run (Gonzalez kick) 0:58

Cinco: Jack McCall 26 pass to Salverino (pass failed) 0:00

Team stats

Individual Statistics

Rushing – Summer Creek: Lloyd Avant, 12-173-2; Torrie Curry, 17-108-5; Cory Nichols, 7-89-1; Jahrik Jones, 4-33; Paul Singleton, 1-30; Cinco Ranch: Eric Eckstrom, 9-41; Gavin Rutherford, 14-19-2; Jack McCall, 1-8; Sam McKnight, 1-5; Seth Salverino, 1-(-5)

Passing – Summer Creek: Jahrik Jones, 7-8-97-1-0; Cory Nichols, 1-2-6-0-0; Cinco Ranch: Gavin Rutherford, 28-40-237-2-1; Jack McCall, 3-4-47-1-0; Fischer Reed, 0-1-0-0-0

Receiving – Summer Creek: Andrew Alexander, 1-28-1; Jaidyn Lacy, 1-30; Torrie Curry, 2-17; Roriyon Richardson, 3-16; Cory Nichols, 1-12;; Cinco Ranch: Fischer Reed, 10-127; Seth Salverino, 6-55-2; Eric Eckstrom, 6-47; Noah Abboud, 5-35; Aadi Patel, 1-12; Sam McKnight, 2-8; Grayson Williams, 1-0;