- Sections :
- Crime & Public Safety
- Restaurants & Food
- Sports
- More
WACO, Texas – After rattling off 28 points in the second quarter of their soggy Saturday showdown with Round Rock, The Woodlands Highlanders walked out of Baylor’s McLane Stadium with a 41-18 triumph and a ticket to next week’s state semifinals against Texas powerhouse Allen.
The Allen Eagles, who won state titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014, defeated Duncanville on Saturday 42-23. The Woodlands (14-0) and Allen will meet at 1 p.m., Saturday at UT-Austin.
Despite giving up a pair of big plays for touchdowns – one for more than 50 yards, one for 99 – The Woodlands defense turned in a sensational, hard-hitting performance and set the tone with two red-zone stands in the first quarter.
On the game’s first drive, the Dragons ventured inside the 20 before the Highlanders slammed the door shut. Round Rock attempted and missed a short field goal, giving The Woodlands offense its first crack at the end zone.
It didn’t take long for the Highlanders to march downfield, and Connor Klapesky punched it in from a yard out. The point-after was off the mark, leaving The Woodlands with a 6-0 lead.
Round Rock looked strong again on the next drive, but after getting down to their 2-yard line, the Dragons offense stalled against the Highlanders’ unforgiving defensive line. After four cracks at the end zone, the Dragons turned it over on downs. That drive turned out to be the beginning of the end for Round Rock outstanding season.
About a minute into the second quarter, Highlander quarterback Eric Schmid scored from five yards out to make it 13-0. Dragons quarterback Marc Reed got his team on the board just a minute later with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Collin Sullivan. Round Rock missed the point after.
Schmid made it a two-possession game with another rushing touchdown, this one a 17-yarder, and then he connected with Carlos Ramos on a 27-yard pass to inflate the Highlanders’ lead to 27-6. Finally, with under a minute left, Schmid ran for one more score to give The Woodlands a commanding 34-6 edge at halftime.
Schmid ran for more than 100 yards in the first half.
About eight minutes into the third quarter, Dragon tailback Marquis Brown scored on a 12-yard run, but Ramos answered with a 19-yard touchdown run barely a minute later.
That was more than enough for the Highlander defense and Player of the Game Michael Purcell. The Woodlands tormented Reed all night and finished the game with six sacks. Every time the Dragons tried to get their running game in gear, a herd of Highlanders flocked to the football.
Watch the Player of the Game here
Round Rock got one nice final moment early in the fourth quarter. Starting at their one 1, Reed threw a pass over the middle and Jason Uwaeze made a tough one-handed grab before breaking into the open field and completing a 99-yard touchdown.
The Woodlands defense buckled down from that point on, increasing the pressure on Reed and putting the finishing touches on a victory that moves the Highlanders two wins away from a state championship.
Watch the game On-Demand here --- Watch the Highlights here --- Watch the Player of the Game here
