LUFKIN, Texas -- If there are any doubters left in the state of Texas, there shouldn’t be.
The Woodlands Highlanders definitely are for real.
“This makes it all worthwhile,’’ said The Woodlands quarterback Trent Eckel, who guided his football team to a 31-21 victory over Lufkin Friday night at Abe Martin Stadium.
“A lot of us have been playing football together for 10 years,’’ Eckel added. “This is very special.’’
Friday night’s win was the Highlanders’ first over Lufkin. The Woodlands now is 1-5 all-time against Lufkin, including 1-4 at Abe Martin Stadium.
“Our goal going all the way back to last year was to beat Lufkin,’’ said The Woodlands’ Hunter Strong. “To come up here and do it in their house is unbelievable.
“We were pumped up for Katy,’’ he added. “But this game was unbelievable. I am so happy. We are district champions.’’
The Woodlands, ranked No. 1 in the Houston area and No. 3 in the state of Texas, clinched the District 14-5A championship with the victory.
The Highlanders (9-0 overall and 4-0 in District 14-5A) will conclude the regular season by hosting New Caney (2-7 and 0-4) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Woodforest Bank Stadium.
“They came at me pretty hard tonight,’’ Eckel said after the game. “But I feel OK right now. This is great.’’
Eckel, who completed 11-of-25 passes for 253 yards, hit Jonathan Wilcher and Randy Knust with touchdown passes of 64 and 40 yards, respectively, to give the Highlanders a 14-6 lead with 5:17 left in the first quarter.
Wilcher would finish the game with three catches for 102 yards.
But Lufkin’s multi-talented quarterback DeAuntre Smiley scored on a 9-yard run and hit Quinn Trimble with a 36-yard scoring strike to give the Panthers a 21-14 advantage early in the second quarter.
“It looked like it was going to go back and forth, back and forth,’’ Eckel said.
But The Woodlands would snag the momentum right before half and never relinquish it.
Eckel hit Peter Falivene with a 20-yard touchdown pass, then, after a Lufkin turnover, found Daniel Lasco with a 29-yard scoring strike to give the Highlanders a 28-21 halftime advantage.
Lasco was held to 95 yards on 22 carries, but was lauded for his blocking on blitz pickups and, of course, the spectacular catch-and-run for a touchdown.
“Daniel takes so much pressure off of all of us,’’ Eckel said. “Even when he isn’t running, they have to put seven in the box (with the threat of him getting the ball). It opens up a lot of things.’’
The Woodlands made some terrific defensive adjustments in the second half, though Lufkin twice looked like it would tie the game in the third quarter.
Ryan Clapsaddle, who could be the best defensive back in the district, intercepted a Smiley pass in the end zone to thwart one drive with 5:31 left in the third period.
Cody Davis also stripped Smiley of the ball at the Lufkin 12 to set up Ben Pruitt’s game-deciding 33-yard field goal.
It turned out to be the only points of the second half.
Lufkin finished the game with 334 yards to 314 for The Woodlands, but the Panthers had three costly turnovers to only one for the Highlanders.
Smiley passed for 228 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted twice, fumbled once and sacked a handful of times.
Lufkin (7-2 overall and 3-1 in the league), which has clinched a playoff spot, will travel to meet Oak Ridge in a battle for second place at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Woodforest Bank Stadium.
