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Football playoffs: Highlanders late rally falls short

By: Glenn Sattell, Sports Editor
| Published 11/24/2012

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WACO, Texas – The Woodlands High School football team saw its 2012 season come to an end on Saturday afternoon at Floyd Casey Stadium on the campus of Baylor University.

In a place where the college football world was shocked a week before by Baylor’s victory over No. 1 Kansas State, it was the Highlanders who were shell-shocked on the same field by Round Rock Westwood. The Warriors scored 27 first-half points en route to a 34-26 victory in an area round playoff game.

The Highlanders (8-4) rallied from a 27-7 halftime deficit. They scored a late touchdown and recovered an onsides kick near midfield in the final minute of the game but were not able to convert one more time.

The Highlanders dug themselves in an early hole, trailing 10-0 before the offense could take a snap. Westwood scored on the opening possession and then recovered the ensuing kickoff at the Highlanders’ 5-yard line. But The Woodlands defense held and the Warriors settled for a short field goal.

It could have been worse. The Highlanders coughed it up again, giving Westwood excellent field position. But senior defensive back Kolbi Brown came up with his first of two interceptions to prevent further damage. Cole Little also came up with a big fourth-quarter pick to keep Westwood out of the end zone.

The Woodlands answered late in the first quarter with the help of some over exuberant Warriors activity. They were flagged with a personal foul on what would have been fourth down, giving The Woodlands new life.

Jayme Taylor capped the Highlanders’ initial scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, slicing the deficit to 10-7.

Westwood moved the ball through the air and scored on the first play of the second quarter with a short run to extend its lead to 17-7. Warriors’ quarterback Bear Fennimore threw for 200 yards (13-24-1) in the first half.

He got negative yardage on a key pass late in the first half, however, thanks to Highlanders senior linebacker Cole Little, who came up with a big tackle late in the first half. It effectively put an end to the Warriors’ drive and they had to settle for a field goal and a 20-7 lead.

The Warriors took advantage of a late interception and pass interference penalty to tack on a late touchdown and a 27-7 lead at the break.

The Highlanders suffered three turnovers in the first half.

They came out with a purpose in the second half, driving for nearly half of the third quarter to the Warriors’ red zone on the first possession of the second half. But the drive stalled and Alex Garcia drilled a 22-yard field goal.

Westwood answered on its first possession of the second half with a long touchdown drive of its own to put the game seemingly out of reach.

But the Highlanders certainly didn’t travel all the way to Waco just to roll over. They drove the length of the field in just over a minute off the clock and Blaine Gillespie fired a 22-yard touchdown pass to Sean McCanna. Taylor rushed for the 2-point conversion, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 34-18 late in the third quarter.

The Highlanders made it a one-score game with 1:29 left to play when Gillespie threw 69 yards to McCanna, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Taylor. Gillespie added the 2-point conversion run and the Highlanders recovered the subsequent onsides kick but couldn’t gain a first down in the final minute.

Westwood (9-3) advances past the area round for the first time ever. The Warriors take on Allen in a regional playoff game next week.

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