Football: Highlanders dominate Hurricanes

SHENANDOAH, Texas – The Woodlands High School football team was looking to make the 2012 season opener a distant memory - Mission accomplished. The Highlanders defense limited Hightower to just 103 yards rushing in a convincing 29-7 victory over the Hurricanes Friday night at Woodforest Bank Stadium.

The Highlanders (1-1) set the tone early, scoring first on a safety, before quarterback Blaine Gillespie fired a 16-yard touchdown pass to Houston Brown and The Woodlands led 9-0 at the quarter.

Gillespie threw for 89 yards (13-for-25) and rushed for another 104 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown dash midway through the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

The Highlanders got a defensive score in the second quarter when Tyler Patrick returned a Hightower fumble five yards for a score. Patrick Carr added a 9-yard touchdown run just before halftime and the Highlanders led 23-7 at the break.

Carr finished with 52 yards rushing on 13 carries. Houston Brown led the Highlanders in receiving with 37 yards on five catches. Jayme Taylor added 19 yards on four pass receptions.

Hightower (1-1) controlled the football for most of the third quarter but couldn’t put any points on the board against a Highlanders defense that refused to allow anything more than a second-quarter touchdown run.