Last call for state hopefuls
Lamar Consolidated spent the first half of the season in the area 5A top 10 before tumbling out following back-to-back losses to A&M Consolidated and Huntsville in Weeks 7 and 8. It may work itself back in just in time for the playoffs.
The Mustangs punctuated their best regular season in 12 years with a 37-21 win over No. 8 Katy Paetow, giving them an 8-2 record. The last time they had more wins, in 2007, they won the 4A Division 1 championship.
Paetow, in only its second varsity season, had a chance to share the district title with a win, but A&M Consolidated rolled 62-3 over Cleveland to finish first, and Paetow’s loss left it in a three-way tie for second with Huntsville and Lamar Consolidated.
All four teams are into the 5A Division II playoff bracket.
Tomball Memorial earns share of title
Area 6A No. 14 Tomball Memorial secured a share of its first district championship with a 27-24 win over reigning district champ Cypress Ranch.
The Wildcats will share the 14-6A title with Cypress Woods, which beat Memorial but lost to Cy Ranch, leaving them tied at 7-1. Cy Ranch lost to Memorial and Bridgeland.
Quarterback Colton Marwill threw for a touchdown and ran for a score as the Wildcats racked up 405 total yards in the win over Cy Ranch. Richard Rodriguez carried 30 times for 138 yards and Logan Kyle caught three balls for 107 yards and one touchdown.
Willis’ Buhl finds way into program history
Willis sophomore Emilee Buhl made history Friday as the first female to make it through the program and onto the varsity squad.
Better yet, she’s a quarterback.
The junior varsity signal caller was added to the roster before the Wildkats’ final home game against Tomball, according to a Tweet from high school sports radio broadcaster Dave Fanucchi.
“It was an amazing experience and it only motivates me more to keep playing and make the varsity team next year,” Buhl said.
Cain’s block party leads to postseason
It was an odd district season for Klein Oak, which beat perennial district champs The Woodlands and Klein Collins — who shared the crown last year — but lost to Klein, which didn’t make the playoffs, and second-year Klein Cain, which clinched its first playoff berth in Week 11 with a thrilling 21-20 win over the Panthers, the area’s No. 8 6A team.
The difference in the final tally was a missed extra point by Oak in the first half, but the Cain Hurricanes also blocked a 22-yard field goal attempt in the fourth to preserve the historic victory.
Cain’s win also sealed Conroe’s fate. As well as the Tigers have played this season, they won’t be suiting up in Week 12.
Saturday clash looms large for MacArthur
Not much is left to decide on the public-school side on a light Saturday slate to end the regular season.
The highlight is Spring’s game with MacArthur, which could have playoff implications. If MacArthur
pulls off the upset, it clinches a playoff spot and leaves Eisenhower and Dekaney tied for fourth, and Eisenhower edged Dekaney 28-27 on Thursday.
If Spring wins, Eisenhower, Dekaney and MacArthur finish in a three-way tie for third at 4-3, forcing a tiebreaker that could leave MacArthur, which lost 56-0 to Dekaney, sitting out.
But the biggest game Saturday in the Houston area is set for 7 p.m. at Butler Stadium, where Southwest Preparatory Conference rivals Episcopal and Kinkaid will square off for the SPC 4A championship. Kinkaid beat Episcopal in the last two championship games. Episcopal claimed its last SPC title in 2014 — with a win over Kinkaid.