Highlanders fight off strong winds, Mesquite to advance to regional finals

WACO – As we get deeper into the playoffs, the weather begins to play a factor. The Woodlands and Mesquite met in a game where strong winds affected both teams ability to move the football. But the Highlanders had better adjustments to combat the wind and to keep its run to the state title game alive.

The Woodlands reached the Division I, Region II-5A finals with a 24-6 win Saturday afternoon at a cold and blustery Waco ISD Stadium. Relying on the strong legs of running back Randy Cooper and some great plays on defense and special teams, the Highlanders were able to adjust to the strong wind that wreaked havoc on both teams all game long.

“The offensive line did a great job because of the wind so we had to keep the ball on the ground,” head coach Mark Schmid said. “They were awesome.”

The win puts the Highlanders in the regional final for the first time since 2003. They will meet either Dallas Skyline back at Waco ISD next week, or against Klein Oak at Klein Memorial Stadium.

Cooper ran for 102 yards on 13 carries after fumbling last week, which kept him out of the game. But he protected the ball and ran hard today, helping the offense to move the chains and run the clock out in the second half.

“Today, Randy was on. He was running tough, running through tackles and making good cuts,” Schmid said. “We really relied on him a lot today.”

Meanwhile, the defense remained tough for any opponent. They held the Skeeters to only 85 yards rushing and 61 yards passing.

“Our defense was outstanding today,” Schmid said. “They got a touchdown on a short field when we were going into the wind in the first quarter, and that was it. That was all they got.”

The high winds hampered both teams’ ability to pass all game long, but both teams were able to move the ball on the ground.

Mesquite got on the board first early in the first quarter after a wind-altering punt put the ball at the Highlander 32-yard line. It took eight plays as quarterback Alex Cooper ran to the corner to score a 3-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked and almost returned for two points by Highlander defensive back Kolbi Brown, but he was chased down and tackled at the Skeeter 4.

The Woodlands responded with a long 12-play, 68-yard drive that had two fourth-down conversions. Cooper Woodyard converted on two fourth-and-1 plays during the drive, then scored from 20 yards out to put the Highlanders ahead, 7-6 early in the second quarter.

“In the Wildcat formation, our line gets a lot of movement up front and it’s easy to run through,” Woodyard said after rushing nine times for 37 yards and three touchdowns.

After holding Mesquite on downs on the next drive, wide receiver Bayley Novak rushed and blocked a Mesquite punt, putting the ball in great field position. But the Skeeter defense stood tall until fourth down, when Woodyard found a hole and scored from a yard out to increase the lead to 14-6 at the half.

The Woodlands (12-1) put the game away in the fourth quarter off of two big defensive plays. An interception by defensive lineman Mitchell Meyers set up a 20-yard field goal by kicker Marshall Bainton.

Then after forcing Mesquite (7-6) to a three-and-out on the ensuing drive, the Highlanders drove 58 yards mostly on the legs of Cooper, who ran five times for 46 yards. Woodyard took it in from a yard out to put the final touches on the game.

Quarterback Lance Miles struggled throwing the ball in the swirling winds, going 3-fo-12 for 12 yards. But he did rush for 36 yards on 12 carries.

The next round for The Woodlands will be a test in two different ways. Dallas Skyline has been ranked in the top 5 of the state for the whole season. But Klein Oak would be a team the Highlanders would be pumped to see since the Panthers were the ones who knocked The Woodlands out of the playoffs in the first round last season and ruined an undefeated season.

But as the last few games have proved, this is a much different Highlander team from last year.

“All year, we’ve been saying we wanted to be different,” linebacker Robbie Goldschmidt said. “We’re a special group of guys. It just feels amazing.”