The Willis Wildkats Take Care of Business Against Caney Creek

CONROE -- The Willis Wildkats started their district season with a road game against a struggling Caney Creek team this Friday, earning a much-needed win to begin district play. A defensive shutout by Willis and impressive plays from Lincoln Frazier and Jermaine Bishop Jr. demonstrated why they are one of the strongest teams in the district.

1^st Quarter: An Interesting Start

To start the game, Willis received the opening kickoff and returned it to their own 30-yard line to begin the first drive. Caney Creek came out strong on defense, with a big tackle for loss on Jermaine Bishop Jr. after a shaky handoff, setting up a third and long that the Wildkats couldn't convert after QB Lincoln Frazier threw a pass over RB Jamarcus Williams' head. A punt gave Caney Creek the ball in their own territory, and to open the drive, it looked like a pass from Marshall was headed for a touchdown, but a holding call on Caney Creek negated the big run, pushing them back. DE Waylan Nolan then sacked Marshall on third and long, forcing a punt. On Willis’s second drive, Frazier completed a screen pass to Bishop, who took it 30 yards, and a roughing the passer penalty was called on top of that, putting Willis in the red zone. Williams then carried the ball up the middle for Willis’s first touchdown of the night, making the score 7-0. The following kickoff was almost returned for a touchdown by the Panthers, but another penalty nullified it, bringing the ball back to the Caney Creek 30. Marshall then displayed his scrambling ability, converting two first-down runs. Marshall was later sacked again by a swarm of Willis defenders, forcing another punt. Willis started their third drive on their own 7, and as time ran down in the first quarter, Frazier made a nice run up the middle to carry into the second quarter.

2^nd Quarter: Willis’s Pass Attack Comes Alive

At the start of the second quarter, Willis advanced into Caney Creek territory, but Frazier was sacked on 4th down, turning the ball back over to Caney Creek. The Panthers were then stopped trying to convert a 4th down, showing Willis adjusted their defense from last week and really put the heat on Marshall and the run game. WR Tyler Andrade made a nice run to put the Wildkats in good field position before Frazier connected with TE Jaivion Martin, who took it deep into Caney Creek territory. Frazier then threw a pass to Bishop in the end zone to put Willis up 14-0. Another 3-and-out gave Willis the ball back with 3:30 left, which Frazier took advantage of, throwing a bomb to Andrade on the first play to score a 60+ yard touchdown, putting Willis up 21-0 after they scored twice in under 3 minutes. The next defensive series from Willis was another 3-and-out, setting up Willis with about 1:30 to move down the field. Bishop caught a great pass from Frazier that he brought all the way to Caney Creek territory. Frazier was then sacked on 2nd down, setting up a third-and-long, which Bishop converted with another throw, but time expired, ending the half before Willis could try to score again.

3^rd Quarter: Bishop and Frazier Step on the Gas

Caney Creek is set to receive the kickoff to start the half, and a nice return again sets up Caney Creek well. In Willis territory, Martin causes a fumble, scoops it up, and nearly takes it to the house, but a holding call on Willis nullifies the return and pushes the ball back to the 50-yard line. Bishop makes another nice catch to convert a first down, but on the next series, Frazier fails to convert on 4th down, resulting in another turnover on downs. Willis forces another three-and-out on the next drive as Caney Creek struggles to get anything going against Willis’s defensive front. Bishop then bobbles a screen pass from Frazier but secures it, jukes two Panther defenders, and sprints up the middle of the field for another Willis touchdown, putting Willis up 28-0. Once again, Caney Creek has a solid kick return that almost leads to a score before a shoestring tackle by Carter Isom prevents a touchdown, stopping Caney Creek around the 15-yard line. On the opening snap, the ball sails over Marshall’s head, but Willis dives on it to retain possession, preventing Caney Creek from capitalizing on the great return. Andrade has another strong run up the middle, then Frazier fires a laser to WR Daylen Wilkerson that pushes them past midfield. Andrade runs deep into Caney Creek territory, and Bishop scores again on a jet sweep on the next play, making the score 35-0. Willis forces yet another punt, but this time it’s blocked, giving Willis the ball on Caney Creek’s 30-yard line. Martin makes a great grab, catching a pass from Frazier while falling, which is stopped just short of the goal line. The quarter ends before Willis can score, but they look primed to get more points as the 4^th begins.

4^th Quarter: The Panthers are Outmatched

Martin makes up for coming up short by scoring on the first play of the quarter, putting Willis up 42-0. Caney Creek receives the kickoff but is forced to punt again after a Willis stop. Bishop catches a screen pass from Frazier that seems to go nowhere, but some quick moves from the wideout shake off the defenders and allow him to gain another 12 yards after the catch. Andrade then scores, catching a dart from Frazier before running it in himself on the next play to put Willis ahead 49-0. On the next drive, Caney Creek converts a rare first down off a Marshall scramble but is ultimately forced to punt again as the clock ticks down to 2:45. Willis puts in their backups with Andrade now at QB, who throws a solid pass to WR River Shaunfield before running out the clock to end the game. Willis gets the blowout victory with a defensive shutout.

Final Thoughts

Willis played well today after that tough loss to Klein Collins last week, as the offense looked much better and the defense was significantly improved. Now, Caney Creek isn’t quite at the same level as Klein Collins, but this is a great confidence booster for the Wildkats moving forward. As expected, Jermaine Bishop looked incredible for this offense, and his dazzling moves will always steal the show. Lincoln Frazier had a rough start to the game but pulled it together as it went on and made some impressive throws. Willis’s other offensive players like Jaivion Martin and Tyler Andrade also performed well, showing that the Wildkats can score with players other than Bishop. Willis looks ahead to next week when they will face The Woodlands Highlanders at home, which will be a big challenge for them and could indicate who might be the front-runner in this district. To watch game highlights, check them out here, and for the full broadcast, both provided by Woodlands Online, check it out here. Photos from the game can also be found here.