HIGH SCHOOLS
Langham Creek’s title hopes alive; area’s top teams rack up shutouts
What to watch for as the high school football season hits Week 9.
Lobos leap ahead
1 Langham Creek held up its end of the deal last week, escaping Cy-Fair FCU Stadium with a 20-14 win over Cypress Ranch to improve to 6-0 overall and 6-0 in District 17-6A play, keeping them on track for a district championship showdown with Cy-Fair in Week 11, when they’ll likely both be 8-0, 8-0. “This is huge,” said backup quarterback Nick Ojonta, who threw for 193 yards and one touchdown in place of injured starter Chris Herron. “It gives us so much confidence, and it’s momentum we need to carry throughout the season.” As well as Ojonta played, it’s also clear they’ll need Herron’s help to best the Bobcats, who boast the district’s top-ranked scoring defense. Without Herron, who checked in late to pick up two key first downs with his legs but didn’t test his injured throwing shoulder, the Lobos — 17-6A’s top scoring offense with Herron, who leads the district with 80 points — stalled in two redzone trips, settling for field goals instead, and averaged only 4.3 yards per carry.
Gadek goes off
2 The Houston area is loaded with talented playmakers this season, maybe more so than anywhere else in the state. But the Dallas area still is plenty talented, and with Allen, Aledo and Carthage leading the AP polls, they might have the best teams, too, but we’ll find out in December. McKinney’s Matt Gadek, who doesn’t have any offers on 247Sports, drove the point home last week, rushing for an 11-man, single-game state-record 599 yards on 49 attempts in a 63-50 win over Plano East. That effort surpassed the mark of 587 set by 2A Somerville’s Daryl Ellis in a 70-68 win over Thrall in 1998, when neither team made the playoffs. McKinney, on the other hand, improved to 6-1, 3-1 in 6-6A – with 6A No. 1 Allen up next.
Super-size shutouts
3 The haves met the havenots all across the area in Week 8, with at least a dozen lopsided shutouts, in-
cluding wins by East Bernard (70-0), Klein Collins (68-0), Lamar (58-0), Deer Park (52-0), Spring (51-0), Atascocita (50-0) and Westside (50-0), making a mid-district weekend look more like an opening week in college football (or a series of bi-district playoff dates that should be byes). Even a bunch of games that weren’t shutouts weren’t competitive, with Manvel (62-7), Cinco Ranch (61-13), Ridge Point (45-3) and Bush (50-3) among a dozen more teams that rolled. Here’s hoping for a little more drama in Week 9.
Another 17-6A shootout
4 Cypress Springs and Jersey Village probably won’t make the playoffs, but they at least generated excitement for their fans — and nightmares for the Pridgeon Stadium scorekeeper — combining for 1,301 yards in Cy Springs’ 7463 win. The Panthers didn’t have a 500-yard rusher, but they had two 200-yard rushers in Taye Barber (13-246, three TDs) and Jah’marea Sheread (13-276, three TDs). Barber added a 71-yard reception and Sheread added two catches for 76 yards and a TD, sending both over 300 total yards and helping Cy Springs rack up 854.
St. Pius X falls
5 A Houston-area record watch resumed last week, with St. Pius X on the field for the first time since Sept. 29. Unfortunately, it didn’t go the Panthers’ way, ending in a 49-37 loss to Fort Worth All Saints and quarterback Shaun Taylor, who stole the spotlight from QB Grant Gunnell, throwing for 303 yards and seven touchdowns. Gunnell finished with 310 yards and two TDs, giving him 30 TDs to one interception in five games. St. Pius has three district games left before the TAPPS playoffs.
Just for kicks
6 The Week 8 contests weren’t all blowouts, and two were decided by game-winning field goals. Dawson beat rival Pearland 38-35 on Homecoming Queen Claire Jeffress’ 30-yard field goal with 1:05 left, and Katy Taylor clipped Seven Lakes 19-17 on Randall Miller’s 23-yard boot with no time remaining. Oh, and what about prolific Pasadena Memorial kicker Bubba Baxa? He nailed a 50-yarder in a 30-24 win over South Houston. .
Status quo in polls
7 Houston wasn’t the only area with few surprises last week. The 2A through 6A Associated Press Polls saw almost no movement, with 2A, 3A and 5A staying the same. The only change in 4A was No. 9 Pleasant Grove and No. 10 Sweetwater trading places. Duncanville’s the only previously unranked team, debuting at 10th in 6A.
St. Pius X vs. Tomball Concordia 7 p.m. Friday, Crusader Stadium
8
Fresh off a huge 52-51 victory over Kinkaid, and a bye in Week 8, the Crusaders host quarterback Grant Gunnell and the Panthers, who are looking to rebound in this excellent TAPPS 3-I opener.
Klein Collins vs. Stratford 7 p.m. Friday, Tully Stadium
9
After Klein’s stumble with Klein Oak, the defensive-minded Spartans (5-1, 4-0) look like the most significant remaining hurdle between the Tigers (6-0, 4-0) and another district championship..
Bush vs. Travis 1 p.m. Saturday, Mercer Stadium
10
The best 20-6A teams not named Ridge Point collide in Week 9, with the balanced Broncos (5-0, 4-0) putting their perfect record on the line against the high-scoring Tigers (4-2, 3-1).