Oilers shove past Crusaders
PEARLAND 57, STRAKE JESUIT 42
Friday night’s matchup between unbeatens Strake Jesuit and Pearland was a true showdown. Not a fabrication as many high school football games are made out to be to drum up interest.
First place in District 23-6A was at stake at Clay Stadium. Both teams came in riding 6-0 records, 3-0 in league play.
In a game delayed at halftime by lightning, the light came on for Pearland. The Oilers stormed back from an early 21-point hole to rally for a 57-42 win, spoiling Strake Jesuit’s homecoming.
“It’s huge, to come back from 21 back and deal with the weather, and just play so hard,” Pearland coach Ricky Tullos said. “We did a great job of executing under pressure.”
Austin Landry was all over the field for Pearland, the No. 5 Class 6A area team in the Houston Chronicle poll that reached 50 points for the fourth time. Landry ran for four touchdowns — on five carries — threw a two-point conversion pass and ran for a two-point conversion. His 95-yard scoring run with 4:49 left clinched it. He rushed for 125 yards.
Explosive offenses
Pearland showed it could also move the ball behind the passing of J.D. Head and the running prowess of Jaelin Benefield, who rushed for 274 yards — including a 49-yard non-scoring run — and three touchdowns. In a two-play, 61-yard scoring drive, the senior accounted for all 61 yards on the ground. He had 152 rushing yards in the first half.
“Austin’s my boy,” Benefield said. “We’re considered leaders of the team. Sometimes you have to take the team on your back and raise the standards of the team. The offense put up points and the defense fed off it. The team as a whole made good things happen.”
The Oilers’ offensive line got good movement and created holes for the backs, who did a good job of securing the wet football. Senior linemen Sincere Haynesworth, Jaret Porterfield and Brayden McKinney are three-year starters on the offensive line.
The Crusaders jumped out to a 21-point lead. The Oilers rallied to even the score at halftime. That was when lightning in the area caused the delay, sending spectators scurrying for shelter shortly after the homecoming ceremony. There was a break of 65 minutes between the end of play in the second quarter and the start of the third quarter.
The delay didn’t spoil Pearland’s momentum. At one point, Pearland outscored Strake Jesuit 50-7 over the second and third quarters.
“Early in the season, we wavered a little bit and that was a big learning tool,” Tullos said. “Tonight, we were able to utilize that experience.”
Michael Wiley had scoring runs of 8 and 5 yards for Strake Jesuit, ranked No. 10 in the area. Michael Hansen threw three touchdown passes.
There were a number of wild plays. None more bizarre than Lance Saizan scooping up a muffed punt return and racing 55 yards for a Strake Jesuit TD.
Strake Jesuit was clinging to a 21-14 lead midway in the second quarter when fortune struck the Crusaders. Oilers fans were calling it something different.
Weather a factor
First, the Oilers nearly blocked a punt, before they muffed the return and Strake Jesuit recovered. Officials didn’t call the play dead and Saizan picked the ball up at the 45 and ran in untouched 55 yards for the score, giving the Crusaders breathing room.
“Just a crazy game,” Strake Jesuit coach Klay Kubiak said. “Just a lot of emotions. We came out on fire. Made a bunch of good plays and then let them back in it with some mistakes. Had the long break. We didn’t come out with the energy we needed to. They had great energy coming out of the rain delay. We just didn’t do enough.”
Most of the game was played in a steady rain, starting in the second quarter and running throughout the third. Whether weather played a factor, Strake Jesuit fumbled two first-half kickoff returns, losing one.
A bizarre play went Pearland’s way on the first series of the third quarter. Jaden Piece caught a deflected pass from Head and ran the remaining 48 yards, completing a 67-yard touchdown pass.
Down 14-0, Pearland’s Malcom Linton scored on a 94-yard kickoff return, but the score was nullified on a holding penalty. Four plays later the Oilers fumbled and Christian Gordon recovered for the Crusaders on Pearland’s 35, leading to the Crusaders’ third touchdown.