HS Football: Oak Ridge vs The Woodlands Preview

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Oak Ridge and The Woodlands will meet for the 16th time in the schools’ history this Friday, September 13. The football portion of the rivalry has always been one-sided, but this year’s meeting will have an interesting twist. Leading the War Eagles into battle this season will be head coach Mark Schmid, the man who spent 30 years coaching the Highlanders. It would be quite the story if Schmid was the one in charge of beating The Woodlands for the first time in Oak Ridge Football history.

For that to happen, this week’s game will have to be drastically different from what took place in 2018. In last season’s game, The Woodlands overpowered the War Eagles in a 52-0 victory. The Highlanders gashed Oak Ridge on the ground with 378 rushing yards in the game. The Highlanders’ Bryeton Gilford ran for just under 200 yards and scored twice as a junior in last season’s win. The Woodlands also threw for another 181 yards to complete a great night of offense.

The relentless run game of The Woodlands will return to Moorhead this year with Gilford, as well as, the electric, Taysom Hill-style quarterback, Peyton Janecek. In last week’s game, the Highlanders rushed for 209 yards in the win over Lamar.

Oak Ridge will also come into Friday’s game feeling good about their run game. In last week’s win over Alief Elsik, the War Eagles put up 48 points exclusively from rushing touchdowns. The Ridge’s run game put up 270 yards and featured four different scorers. Alton McCaskill had a hat-trick in the game, so expect Coach Schmid to put the ball in the hands of his talented back early and often.

Friday’s game will feature two teams who will want to run the ball heavily. The crowd at Moorhead should expect a physical game between two teams with coaches that know each other very well. Previous meetings between these schools have never been close, but with Schmid so familiar with The Woodlands, Friday’s game should be competitive for the first time. Prediction: Oak Ridge 24, The Woodlands 20.

Friday’s game will be a Woodlands Online on-demand broadcast sponsored by Hal Watson Air Conditioning Company and Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.