Site
Sponsor

The Woodlands Highlanders embark on quest to slay Dragons

By: Jim East, Woodlands Online Sports
| Published 11/30/2016

Linkedin

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Do you know the way to Waco? The Woodlands Highlanders and their fans sure do.

Sometimes the best defense is a volcanic offense.

For the third consecutive weekend, the Highlanders will make the road trip to “The Buckle of the Bible Belt” in their pursuit of a high school football state championship.

You can watch the action unfold here on our livestream broadcast as The Woodlands (13-0) take on Round Rock (10-3) at 2 p.m., Saturday, at Baylor’s McLane Stadium. The winner clinches a berth in the state semifinals.

Not surprisingly, both teams have faced some tough challenges as they push deeper into the playoffs. For example, The Woodlands defense had been handcuffing opponents as they closed out their regular season, allowing a total of 24 points in their final five wins.

But in their three postseason victories, the Highlanders are giving up more than 30 points per game. Sometimes the best defense is a volcanic offense. The Highlanders have topped the 50-point mark in each of the last two weeks (both in Waco), and for the year The Woodlands is averaging nearly 47 points per game.

The Dragons were fighting just to qualify for the playoffs after they finished week 7 with a 51-43 loss and a 4-3 record. Since then they’ve reeled off six straight wins, averaging more than 51 points per game and winning by an average of 32 points.

Like The Woodlands, however, they’ve also faced tough tests in the playoffs, especially in last week’s 49-45 win over Coppell. Round Rock junior running back Malik Pena ran the ball into the end zone with under a minute left to keep the Dragons’ title hopes alive.

Pena is one of three outstanding rushing threats on the Round Rock roster. Both he and sophomore Marquis Brown have run for more than 800 yards while scoring a combined 21 touchdowns. The primary rusher, senior quarterback Mark Reed, has gained nearly 1,300 yards on the ground while scoring 17 touchdowns.

Reed has also passed for more than 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns, but it’s clear the Highlanders defense needs to focus on stopping the run first.

Round Rock will also have its hands full containing Highlander quarterback Eric Schmid, who proved once again he is a threat both throwing and running the ball. Last week he dialed up a dazzling performance with 273 yards and three touchdowns passing. He also rushed for 189 yards and three more scores. Schmid was the Team Sinisi Player of the Game.

The Dragons secondary will struggle to keep track of Kesean Carter, Chris Stewart and Dylan Casey. Nobody has managed to silence all three. Carter needs just nine more receiving yards to surpass 1,000 for the season.

Undoubtedly the Highlanders will take the field with senior linebacker Grant Milton on their minds and in their hearts. Milton, who has been a clutch member of the defense all season, was hospitalized shortly after last week’s victory with a traumatic brain injury.

Highlander fans will remember Milton’s decisive two-interception performance against Oak Ridge in October. Milton returned an interception 48-yards for a touchdown that was a knockout blow right before halftime. He was that week's Team Sinisi Player of the Game.

“That was a huge momentum shift right there,” said Highlanders coach Mark Schmid after that game. “We had just gone down and scored, and then he made a great play on defense. Grant Milton picks it off in the flat, takes it to the house, and that turned the tide.”

Join Woodlands Online Sports for our live broadcast 2 p.m. Saturday, presented by Guy M. Lewis DDS and Sterling Ridge Orthopaedics.

Comments •
X
Log In to Comment