HIGH SCHOOLS
October means offenses erupting; Big matchups are at Hall
What to watch for this weekend as the football season hits week 7.
Magnolia + Tomball equals shootout
1Magnolia has a new quarterback. Tomball has a new coach. But their matchup produced a familiar result. The Bulldogs won a high-scoring affair for the third straight year, pulling out a 56-49 win after exploding for 35 points in the fourth quarter. “I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the second week in October,” Magnolia coach Sterling Doty said. “It gets Western real quick when we get together.” The three highest-scoring games in the series, which dates to at least 1950, have come in the past three years, with Magnolia winning all three. It won 42-28 in 2015, then 75-54 last season behind QB Jacob Frazier’s recordtying 10 touchdowns passes. This time, senior Reese Mason — who had 13 receptions for 276 yards and five TDs in last year’s game — called the signals, completing 37 of 49 passes for 491 yards and six TDs and rushing for two scores. Magnolia (3-1, 2-0) and Tomball (4-1, 1-1) combined for more than 1,400 yards for the second straight year – a total of 2,919 in two meetings.
South Houston heading north
2South Houston’s matchup with La Porte produced an unfamiliar outcome, with the Trojans winning for the first time in 10 years, 23-13, behind big games by QB Torrence Stevens (131 rushing yards), RB Devion Williams (two rushing TDs) and Ian Butler (69-yard puntreturn TD). The Bulldogs were the reigning undefeated district champions and winners of eight consecutive district games before South Houston’s upset. Now the Trojans (3-1, 2-0) — who went 3-8 last year and have won more than three games only twice since 1999 — almost certainly can lock up their first district title in 28 years with a win Friday over Deer Park (2-3, 2-0) at Abshier Stadium. They conclude 22-6A play with Pasadena Memorial (2-1), Dobie (0-4) and Sam Rayburn (0-4).
October is offensive
3 Greater Houston is as loaded as it’s been in years, and maybe ever, especially at the skill positions, and week 6 provided more proof. In addition to Mason’s monster game, Austin QB Malik Hornsby accounted for nine TDs (five passing, four rushing), Crosby RB Craig Williams rushed for seven, Clear Creek QB Sam Matthews supplied six scores (five rushing, one passing) and Travis RB Naveon Mitchell rushed for three TDs, caught a TD and returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score last week — to name a few of the area’s stellar performers. Buckle up for more this week.
Baxa’s big boot 4
Bubba Baxa boasts a name that’s easy to remember — and a big leg that’s hard to forget. Pasadena Memorial’s senior kicker converted a 54-yard field-goal attempt in a win over Dobie last week. He drilled two 49-yarders last season. The 6-0, 190-pound multi-sport athlete is the No. 4 kicker in the country in ESPN’s 2018 rankings. He verbally committed to Miami in May. Baxa also is the second-ranked kicker in the state, behind only Katy’s Seth Small, a Texas A&M pledge.
Angling for perfect 5
Angleton is aiming for its first undefeated regular season since 2011, when it reached the regional final. It’s already an impressive 5-0 behind an offense that’s churning out 55.8 points per game, led by RB TaMerick Williams (SMU) and WR/DB B.J. Foster (Texas). Even more impressively, the Wildcats are allowing only 2.8 points per game, with three shutouts. They gave up one TD apiece to Terry and Westside — and that’s it.
Crusaders’ mission 6
Tomball Concordia Lutheran is 5-0 for the first time since playing for a TAPPS state championship in 2011 after crushing Hitchcock (40-12), Brookshire Royal (48-14) and Lutheran South (61-13) the last three weeks. But next up are key showdowns with Kinkaid, St. Pius X — led by gun-slinging QB Grant Gunnell — and St. Thomas, all teams that defeated the Crusaders a year ago.
Brahmas barge into rankings 7
Hallettsville bounced back from a disappointing 13-12 setback against Yoakum by vaulting over the 10th-ranked Bulldogs to No. 8 in this week’s Class 3A AP Poll on the strength of a 48-21 win against Palacios. They were by far the biggest shakers in the state, scaling 20 spots from No. 28 last week.
Atascocita vs. North Shore 7 p.m. Friday, Galena Park ISD Stadium 8
The visiting Eagles appear to have put their early offensive struggles in the past. They’ll know for sure after this week’s tilt, which is likely to determine the 21-6A champ. The Mustangs won 31-21 last season.
Travis vs. Ridge Point 7 p.m. Friday, Hall Stadium 9
QB Amryn Jeffrey and the high-flying Tigers have their sights set on the 20-6A title, but they’ll have to go through the defending champions first. The Panthers won 31-16 last season.
Manvel vs. Fort Bend Marshall 1 p.m. Saturday, Hall Stadium 10
Hall Stadium is the place to be this week. The loaded Mavericks, ranked No. 2 in 5A, take on the Buffalos, who are just outside the top 10, at No. 12, after rolling up 77 points last week.