Highlanders seek more hardware

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – The Woodlands High School football team has gotten used to playing for district championships. The Highlanders have won or shared the district title in four of the past five seasons. They have also made the playoffs the last 18 consecutive years.

This season should be no different despite needing to develop a new quarterback and returning only five starters on offense. The Woodlands is coming off an 8-4 season that included a share of the District 14-5A championship. The Highlanders advanced to the area round of the playoffs.

“Each year we graduate a large number of seniors,” said Highlanders head coach Mark Schmid. A total of 58 lettermen finished their careers at The Woodlands High School. “Every year through our offseason, through the work that the kids do over the summer, through the great senior leadership that we have, we always seem to fill those spots.

“Football is not like it was when I was a kid. As a kid you had summers off. Every once in a while you’d show up and lift weights and you were ready to go. These kids (today) are working year round.”

Schmid said he has high expectations for the group that is returning; “Looking at the kids and what they’ve been able to do over the summer and the offseason, I’m excited about what we have coming.”

How could it not be exciting to have junior running back Patrick Carr returning to the team after what he did last year. Carr set the school single-season record and became the first-ever Highlander to rush for more than 2,000 (2,021) yards.

The Highlanders are looking for senior Dylan Larsen or junior Chris Andritsos to establish himself as the starting quarterback by the time the district season begins.

The good news for Andritsos is that he played an integral part of the Highlanders’ state championship baseball team. The bad news is that because of that he missed all of spring football.

But Andritsos played well in the summer 7-on-7 season in which the Highlanders advanced to the state tournament.

Both Andritsos and Larsen threw touchdown passes in the Highlanders scrimmage game with Cy-Woods last week, a blowout victory.

“They’re going to split time at the start of the season,” Schmid said of the two signal-callers.

Senior center Tyler Rapp (6-1, 280) is one of the handful that return on offense.

“I’m proud of him,” Schmid said. “I’ve known him ever since he was born.” That’s because his dad, The Woodlands offensive coordinator, Jim Rapp, has been a coach in the program for 22 years.

Wide receiver Bayley Novak is another returning player on offense. Novak (6-2, 190) rolled up 154 yards and two touchdowns on 14 pass receptions a year ago.

Sean McCanna and Tyler Patrick are two more solid targets at wide receiver. Patrick (6-1, 185) was the team’s top tackler last year as a safety. He caught two touchdown passes in the scrimmage last week with Cy-Woods.

Thomas Gilstrap (LB), Zach Krolczyk (DL), Tanner Birdsong (LB), Matt Miller (DL) and T.C. Schneider (CB) are just a few of the talented returning players on the Highlanders defense. Those guys will look to help shore up an injury-riddled defense that gave up 30 points per game in 2012.

“They’ve kind of taken the bull by the horns and they’ve started to create a chemistry amongst our group,” Schmid said. “That’s how we do things. The kids have to lean on each other, they have to rely on each other.

“As coaches we try to put them in good spots, get them lined up right, prepare them in the offseason. But in the end, the kids are the ones that get it done.”

The Highlanders play a murderous opening schedule with consecutive games against Division I state quarterfinalist Dallas Skyline, Hightower and Division II state champions Katy, all on the road.

That should certainly have them prepared for the home opener, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, with Monterrey Tech at Woodforest Stadium. The Highlanders open District 14-5A play the following week with Conroe at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at Woodforest Stadium.

The Woodlands plays road games at A&M Consolidated on Friday, Oct. 4, and at Bryan, Friday, Oct. 25.

The big battle with Lufkin takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Woodforest Stadium. Additional Woodforest Stadium games are Friday, Nov. 1, with College Park, and Friday, Nov. 8, with Oak Ridge. Both games kick off at 7:30 p.m.

It shapes up to be another exciting season of Highlanders football.

“I feel real good about where we’re headed,” Schmid said.