Football: Highlanders look to shake off season opener

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – The Woodlands High School football team looks to leave its season-opening 42-28 loss to Dallas Skyline behind as the 2012 home opener awaits.

The Highlanders raise the curtain on the home schedule at 7:30 p.m. Friday when they welcome in Fort Bend Hightower to Woodforest Stadium. The Hurricanes (1-0) held off Aldine Eisenhower 21-12 in its first game.

The Woodlands’ opener ended eerily similar to the final game of the 2011 season when Skyline scored twice late in the game to defeat the Highlanders 35-31 in the Region II-5A championship game. The Raiders scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns on Saturday to win the North Texas Football Classic at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

As they did in last year’s final game against Skyline, the Highlanders also led Saturday heading into the final period. Blaine Gillespie turned in a big performance in his varsity debut as the Highlanders’ starting quarterback. He accounted for 223 of The Woodlands’ 316 yards of offense, rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for another as the Highlanders built a 28-21 lead through three quarters.

He helped The Woodlands rally from a 14-0 deficit with a 2-yard touchdown run and 26-yard touchdown pass to Houston Brown, who named Player of the Week. Brown’s 80 yards on six pass receptions puts him among the top 50 in career receiving yards in Highlanders history.

Gillespie broke a 21-21 tie midway through the third quarter with a 1-yard plunge. He rushed for 55 yards on 13 carries while throwing for another 168 yards (17-29-2). Patrick Carr led The Woodlands in rushing with 94 yards on 19 carries.

The Highlanders’ first touchdown of 2012 was scored in the second quarter by Jayme Taylor, who caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tre Hollins.

But the Raiders turned the tide again in the fourth quarter and ended up with 451 total yards of offense.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Highlanders, who face a Hightower team on Friday that played for the Class 5A Division I state championship last season, falling to Southlake Carroll 36-29.

The Hurricanes gained just 220 yards on Eisenhower but played error-free football while forcing two Eagles turnovers. Hightower quarterback Delvience Chandler completed just four passes (4-for-5) in the Hurricanes’ opener, but two went for touchdowns.