Allen keeping Spartans well-grounded
Stratford ready for blockbuster in second round with Temple
The Stratford football team is through to the second round of the University Interscholastic League Class 5A-Division I playoffs.
But it certainly doesn’t get any easier for the Spartans. Stratford (10-1) will battle powerhouse Temple (10-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in a 5A-Region III area game at Bryan. Stratford head football coach Eliot Allen believes it’s the biggest challenge the Spartans have faced all season.
“Temple is a great team with no real weaknesses,” Allen said. “Offensively, Temple has the ability to make plays, both on the ground and in the passing game. They’re really explosive and average 500 yards a game. They have a big defensive line and it’s not easy to move the ball on them, either.”
How can Stratford pull off the upset and survive to the next round?
“We’re going to have to play a near-perfect game,” Allen said.
Stratford nearly did just that in the Spartans’ 59-0 bi-district victory over Waltrip last week.
“We executed pretty well and only had one turnover,” Allen said. “We played good defensive football and made things happen, both offensively and with the kicking game.”
Junior receiver Jaetavion Toles was one of the stars for Stratford. Toles, often a second option behind senior Torin Justice, scored two touchdowns, one on a 60-yard punt return and another on a 26-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Mark Murdock.
“Teams forget about Jaetavion sometimes, but he’s a legitimate threat opposite Torin,” Allen said.
Senior running back Rakeem Boyd ran 15 times for 170 yards and two scores, while Justice grabbed a 15yard TD strike from Murdock.
On the defensive side of the ball, Stratford dominated, holding Waltrip to less than 200 yards while pitching a shutout.
The defensive line, led by senior Alex Miller, junior Sam Miller and sophomore Ben Kuhn, wreaked havoc, while senior cornerback Cameron Trahan scored on a 60-yard interception late in the fourth quarter.
“We had quite a few quarterback pressures and sacks and forced a couple of mistakes,” Allen said.
While Stratford is still alive, Spring Branch ISD neighbor Memorial saw its season come to an end. The Mustangs (5-6) lost to Cy Ranch 44-13 in a Class 6A-Division II bi-district game. Strake Jesuit to face Cypress Creek
The Strake Jesuit football team notched its first postseason victory since 2008, holding off Reagan 21-13 in a Class 6A-Division II bi-district win.
“It’s huge for the program. It’s been eight years since Strake Jesuit won a playoff game,” said Strake Jesuit head football coach James Clancy. “Reagan has an outstanding team and our kids played really hard and won a close one.”
Next up for Strake Jesuit (7-4) is a 6A-Region III area contest against Cy Creek (7-4) at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Crusader Stadium.
“It’ll be a great high school game atmosphere,” Clancy said. “I know the players are excited to have the opportunity to play a quality team in our stadium.”
The Crusaders had a tough battle with Reagan. In the end, junior linebacker George Ikott was the difference-maker, scoring the game-winner on a 16-yard interception return with 2½ minutes remaining.
“George had two interceptions, which is rare for a linebacker. One of them erased a potential scoring drive and the other was a pick-six,” Clancy said. “He’s definitely an up-andcoming player.”
Offensively, senior quarterback Zach Zubia completed 14 of 27 passes for 222 yards and touchdowns of six yards to senior Christian Charbonnet and 67 yards to senior Christian McStravick (three catches for 108 yards).
Senior running back Josh Reece ran 29 times for 139 yards.
Clancy felt that competing in District 19-6A, which featured teams such as Katy, Katy Cinco Ranch and Katy Morton Ranch, helped to prepare the Crusaders for the postseason.
“We were in a lot of close district games,” Clancy said. “When it was tight against Reagan, we didn’t panic.”
Clancy believes the Crusaders could be in for another nail-biter against Cy Creek, which edged Aldine Davis 34-32 in its playoff opener.
“If you look at Cy Creek’s record and the games they’ve played, they are pretty similar to us,” Clancy said. “We’re going to have to play another four-quarter game.”