The Woodlands advance off Pinton's 55-yard field goal

THE WOODLANDS, Texas— The Woodlands Highlanders advance to the third round of the UIL State Football Playoffs after their 53-50 win over Cedar Ridge. Highlander kicker Fabrizio Pinton nailed a 55-yard field goal as time expired to keep The Woodlands playoff run alive.



After a field goal on the opening drive for the Raiders, The Woodlands drove the length of the field—ending with a PJ Villarreal touchdown. Cedar Park did not waste any time with an answer back, scoring on the next possession, but missing the extra point.



Bryeton Gilford exploded for a 70-yard run up the middle to re-take the lead for the Highlanders early in the second quarter. With seven lead changes in the first half alone, the back and forth between the two teams would continue. Gilford added his second score of the half from 10-yards out, followed up by a Cedar Ridge double reverse pass that gave the Raiders a 23-21 lead going into halftime.



Malik Johnson opened up the scoring in the second half with his first of two touchdowns— immediately followed by a 67-yard touchdown run by Deuce Vaughn that gave the Raiders the lead.



With time winding down in the fourth quarter, the Raiders would have a chance to score the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left on the clock. Senior safety Ben Langston plucked Jalen Brown’s pass out of the air for an interception in the end zone.



Casey Sunseri led the Highlanders into field goal range with only 55 seconds left on the clock at the start of the drive. Facing a 55-yard game-winning field goal, Coach Jim Rapp put his faith in his kicker who kicked the ball straight through the uprights as the clock hit zero. "He made it in pre-game, so we knew he had a chance of making it again" said Rapp regarding the decision to kick.



Our Highlights were presented by Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center.