Week four preview: last tune-up before district play begins

Week Four of the high school football season kicks off Friday and runs through Saturday for local teams, as they play their final non-district games of the year, excluding potential playoff matchups.



The Woodlands Highlanders (2-1) vs. La Porte Bulldogs (2-1)

Next Up:The Woodlands High School takes on La Porte at Woodforest Bank Stadium 7:30pm on Friday, September 19th. This game will be broacast On Demand at woodlandsonline.com

Last Week: The Highlanders looked impressive wearing down the then-second-ranked Katy Tigers en route to a 24-7 victory. La Porte is coming off a 43-34 win over Clear Springs at home.

What to Watch For: The ‘big win letdown.’ The Highlanders came away with their most impressive win of the young season last week by upending powerhouse Katy. After such an emotional win, teams often start to feel good about themselves and can lose focus the next week, so the first quarter will provide us a good glimpse on how The Woodlands will handle their success and react to their win the previous week.

Analysis: With Chris Andritsos returning to the offense, the Highlanders are that much more dynamic. Having two dual-threat quarterbacks makes it that much harder for La Porte to gameplan. For the Highlander defense, they will have to slow down the ground attack for the Bulldogs. La Porte has rushed for over 1,000 yards on the season, including 544 yards (9.38 ypc) and seven touchdowns by running back Britt Grant. Quarterback, Austin Upshaw, has thrown for over 200 yards and rushed for almost 400 yards, so slowing down this dynamic duo for the Highlander defense might be the difference in a win or loss for this contest.

The College Park Cavaliers (0-3) at Aldine Davis Falcons (1-2)

Next Up: The College Park Cavaliers travel to Aldine Davis to take on the Falcons at 7pm on Friday, September 19th.

Last Week: The Cavaliers fell in a tight contest, 14-13, to the Katy Taylor Mustangs at Rhodes stadium last Thursday. The Falcons fell to the Montgomery Bears 33-23 at home.

What to Watch For: Cavalier consistency on offense. College Park has been solid on defense, but the offense have been hit or miss depending on the week. The Cavaliers racked up 261 yards against a highly touted Pearland defense, but then produced less than 100 yards in week two, before bouncing back with over 250 yards in week three.

Analysis: If College Park can run the ball effectively and gash the Falcon defense for big gains, this game is for the taking. Keeping the defense off the field will be crucial, as Aldine Davis has had 298 yards of offense or more in all three game this season. The Falcons have thrown for 478 total yards and ran for 521 total yards, so the Cavalier defense will have to be ready for both the run and the pass to slow down the Aldine Davis attack.

The Oak Ridge War Eagles (3-0) vs. Deer Park Deer (3-0)

Next Up: Oak Ridge takes returns to Woodforest Bank Stadium after two weeks on the road, to take on the Deer Park Deer at 6pm, on Saturday, September 20th. This game will be broadcast LIVE at woodlandsonline.com

Last Week: Oak Ridge ran through Klein Forest, winning 62-34, while the Deer defeated League City Clear Creek by a score of 24-14.

What to Watch For: War Eagle offense vs. Deer defense. The Deer defense is stingy, and haven’t given up more than 21 points in a game this season. After a slow start in week one, Oak Ridge has compiled 135 total points on the season, including 22 in the late third and fourth quarter against Morton Ranch in their comeback week one victory.

Analysis: If running back Kwame Etwi keeps rolling (115 rushing yards and 139 receiving yards last week, five total touchdowns) it will be hard to stop Oak Ridge. Quarterback Braden Letney returned from injury last week and the offense is firing on all cylinders. For Deer Park, it’s important they play ball control. The Deer are a running team (513 yards rushing vs. 219 yards passing), so if they can force a grind-it-out game in the trenches and keep this a low scoring affair, it could come down to who has the ball last.

The John Cooper Dragons (1-2) vs. St. John Mavericks (0-3)

Next Up: The Dragons will host the Mavericks at home at 7pm on Saturday, September 20th, at John Cooper High School.

Last Week: The John Cooper Dragons picked up their first win of the year by besting Rosehill Christian 40-14, while the Mavericks fell 56-14, to Lutheran South Academy.

What to Watch For: Cooper quarterback Michael Gerber running the offense. The Dragons got it together last week putting 40 points on Rosehill Christian, and the defense for the Mavericks has been soft so far this year, giving up an average of 47 points a game.

Analysis: Gerber is a returning quarterback, and has had several games this year to gel with the offensive skill players. Wide receiver Sam Hodges, will be looking to hookup with Gerber early and often to put this one away quickly. The Mavericks will need to force turnovers to have a chance to keep up with the Dragons, but if they can’t stop John Cooper from scoring, expect this one to get away from them early.