By Tyler Tyre, Sports Editor
*All Games District 19-6A
Friday
Tompkins (1-1) vs. Jordan (2-0), 7 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Last year: Tompkins 49, Jordan 24
- Tompkins and Jordan start district against each other, as two teams vying to make it back to the playoffs try to start district off with a win in an important game.
Jordan comes into the matchup on fire from non-district play. The Warriors followed up a wee one win with a dominant performance in week two, beating Fort Bend Travis 41-0. It was a big day for the offense in the win, especially through the air. Dominic Cangolosi threw for 134 yards and two touchowns while completing 11 of 15 passes, while Beau Bryant had 72 yards through the air and two touchowns, completing five of 10 passes while also throwing an interception, Bryant also added 30 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Andrew Marsh had 107 yards on six receptions, while catching two touchdown passes, while Tanner West had 47 yards receiving and two touchowns and Zion Jones had 40 yards receiving while adding 55 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while the defense didn’t allow a single point from Travis all game.
Tompkins meanwhile comes off a 41-24 loss to Bridgeland in the second game of the season. The Falcons found success on offense but also made mistakes on the loss. Justin Thierheimer had 147 yards passing and two touchdowns, completing 14 of 27 while also throwing two interceptions in the game. KJ Madison was huge in the game with 80 yards receiving on seven receptions, while Carter Young and Fabio Aguirre both had touchdown receptions. Ethan Meadows led the way on the ground with 41 yards on 13 carries while Robert Bernard had 39 yards on six carries while also running in a touchdown. The Falcons defense struggled though, allowing 185 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and 169 yards and two touchowns through the air.
For Jordan, the Warriors will try to do more of the same as they head into district play. They hope to get star running back Chad Gasper back this week and that will help the teams running game, but the pass game and defense has been excellent in his absence. Tompkins will need to clean up the turnovers and some of the defensive miscues if they have a chance to start off district with a win.
Mayde Creek (2-0) vs. Taylor (1-1), 7:30 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Last year: Taylor 31, Mayde Creek 7
- Taylor and Mayde Creek both come off big wins in week two and head into district on a positive note after some strong signs in week two of the season.
After struggling in week one, Taylor turned things around with a big week two, beating Fort Bend Travis 26-3 in a dominant performance. The Mustangs defense was on full display in the win, getting a safety and shutting down the Bush offense all game in the win, while Connor Chnupa and Scott Lewis both had good days at quarterback for the Mustangs as Taylor heads into district play feeling good after the win.
Mayde Creek comes into the matchup after showing improvement both in week’s one and two. The Rams defense has been at the forefront of their success this season, almost singlehandedly winning the game for them week one and following it up with another big game in week two, where they allowed just 12 points in a 14-12 win. The Rams looked better through the air, throwing for 111 yards in the game and had big plays on the ground, including an 80-yard run by Christian Bradford in the third quarter to give the Rams what would be the deciding touchdown in the game. Mayde Creek’s defense forced three turnovers in the game and were exceptional.
It will be a strength on strength game between the two sides as they try and start district with a win. Both teams take pride in their defense and setting their offenses up for success and both teams will do everything they can to out physical each other while trying to earn a big win.
Saturday
Morton Ranch (0-2) vs. Katy (1-1), 7 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Last year: Katy 54, Morton Ranch 14
- Katy and Morton Ranch face off in week one with both teams coming off losses and both wanting to bounce back.
Katy comes off a loss to Atascocita, where the Tigers had strong moments and led for the majority of the game, but weren’t able to hold up for four quarters, falling to the Eagles after a tough fourth quarter where they lost the lead and gave up 20 points. Katy’s rushing attack struggled and they lost their top two running backs in the game with knocks, Tremayne Hill ended the game with 99 yards on the ground and a touchdown, while Aqualis Jordan came in in the fourth quarter and had a few strong runs in limited action at running back. Gunner Nelson had 156 yards through the air and two touchdowns while also throwing an interception. Cade McCall had a big day receiving with 86 yards and two touchdowns while Israel Olotu-Judah had 50 yards receiving on three catches. Katy’s defense did well in the first half, but faltered down the stretch and allowed 255 yards through the air, while doing a better job against the run, allowing 177 yards.
Morton Ranch was locked in a back and forth affair last week and narrowly fell, 24-21, to Magnolia West. The Mavericks had over 300 yards of offense in the loss which was a step up from the season opener and both of the players in the backfield, as Jayceon Jenkins and Tyler Gilmore had strong performances in the loss, but the team struggled defensively in the second half after only allowing three points in the first half, allowing 21 in the second half of the loss.
Katy will be out for revenge and angry after its loss last week as they look to start their district title defense with a win as they hope to get some players with knocks back and healthy. Morton Ranch will be trying to build off of a better week and find ways to compete in the team’s first district game of the year.
Cinco Ranch (0-2) vs. Seven Lakes (2-0), 7:30 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Last year: Cinco Ranch 40, Seven Lakes 36
- Cinco Ranch and Seven Lakes come into district on opposite ends of the spectrum, but with both having shown promise in their first two games of the season.
Cinco Ranch suffered a 31-25 loss in what was a huge comeback from Tomball last week, but the Cougars offense continued to show strong signs in the loss. Tessiah Young had a huge game, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown, while Marcus Gadlin added 39 yards on the ground and a TD. Charlie Adamoli completed 10 of 23 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, but also added an interception and Davis Roup completed seven of 11 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. Drew Tureau led the team with 66 yards and a touchdown on five catches, while Scott Eckel added 51 yards on five catches and Gadlin had 43 yards from one catch. The struggles for Cinco came on the defensive end, where they allowed 221 yards through the air and 177 yards on the ground.
Seven Lakes for the second straight week found themselves in a fight for every yard and came out on top, beating Foster behind a last-minute touchdown drive. Shaan Patel had a strong game, throwing for 167 yards and two touchdowns while completing 16 of 24 passes, while Kaiser Floyd and Ryan Fowler went over 50 yards receiving and Apollo Lea had 62 yards rushing. Seven Lakes shined defensively, holding Foster to under 180 yards rushing and under 20 yards passing with only two completions all game.
This is an important one in a number of ways for both teams. They know a win would be a huge one to start district as they try to push for playoff contention and it’s also a big rivalry for all of the players. The two teams are well suited to battle it out and it could be a very fun one.