College Park Dominates Willis In A Marquee District Battle

WILLIS – The College Park Cavaliers traveled to Yates Stadium this Friday to face the Willis Wildkats in a crucial district game that would be a key factor in the district title race. The game lived up to the hype, a high-scoring showdown with both teams playing at full speed, leaving everything on the field. In the end, College Park overcame a 10-point deficit at halftime, dominated in the second half, and won 55-37 in an exciting game. Let's dive into how we got to that score and why College Park looks to be the team to beat this year.

1st Quarter: A Long College Park Drive Ends in Disaster

To start the game, Willis received the ball on their own 35, and Frazier started strong, throwing a nice pass to Jaivion Martin for a first down. College Park then demonstrated why they have an elite defense, stopping Jermaine Bishop Jr. after he lined up at running back. On the following punt, which Bishop handled, Willis was able to pin the Cavaliers on their own 6-yard line. Bishop then showed his defensive skill by making a great tackle for a loss on RB Kaylen Stephens, forcing a punt for College Park from their own end zone. On Willis’s second drive, Frazier connected with Bishop for a pass that he took all the way for a 50+ yard touchdown, putting the Wildkats up 7-0. It was an impressive run and showed that College Park wouldn’t always be able to lock him down on defense. College Park’s next drive was long, as QB Camden Hughes connected with Stephens multiple times on the same screen pass they had tried earlier. This time, those screens turned into big plays, as Stephens was able to get College Park into the red zone and into a strong position to score. During the following red zone drive, disaster struck when Stephens coughed up the ball to Bishop, who recovered it and prevented the Cavaliers from tying the game. Willis then marched down the field after some penalties on College Park and some key throws by Frazier to Martin, ending the quarter with the Wildkats in College Park territory.

2nd Quarter: Willis Surges Ahead

To start the 2nd quarter, College Park again committed a penalty that kept the drive alive for Willis as Bishop and Frazier kept gashing them and frustrating the defense. That set up Willis right on the goalline, where Frazier dove into the endzone for a touchdown, putting the Wildkats up a commanding 14-0. On the ensuing College Park drive, Bishop and the secondary made it difficult for Hughes to connect with any of his weapons, as Stephens seems to be the only guy getting the ball. Hughes then finally connects with WR Brian Snodgrass for a 1st down on a 3rd and long to keep the drive alive. Then RB Antonio Booker rolled out, catching a nice pass from Hughes in the flat and taking it up the sideline to score, giving College Park their first points of the night and making the score 14-7. Willis got the ball back on their own 17-yard line when a nice pass from Frazier to WR Tyler Andrade earned them a solid first down. Frazier then faced a tough stretch, getting sacked and then throwing a bad interception that was hauled in by S Marco Beltran on a pass intended for Bishop. Beltran, who had been shadowing Bishop all game, finally made a huge play, returning the picked ball to the Willis 27-yard line. Stephens continued to run well, helping College Park reach a first-and-goal, where Hughes dove into the end zone to tie the game at 14-14. When Willis got the ball back, Bishop wasted no time making a big play, catching a deep ball from Frazier on a tough contested catch to quickly move Willis into the red zone. The College Park defense then stepped up, forcing a 4th down on the goal line, leading Willis to kick a field goal to go up 17-14. Disaster struck again for College Park during a 3rd and long in Willis territory, as Hughes’ pass was blocked by DE Waylan Nolen, who then intercepted the ball and returned it for a touchdown, swinging the game back into Willis’s favor at 24-14. That play ended the half and put Willis in firm command of the game. College Park looked good, but costly mistakes cost them many points, and Willis was in control as they headed into the locker room.

3rd Quarter: The Cavaliers Explode Onto the Scene

The second half started with a bang as Beltran returned the opening kickoff all the way to the Willis 30-yard line with incredible speed, barely missing a touchdown. This set up College Park’s first drive perfectly, as Hughes connected with WR Jordan Styles to gain some yards before Stephens punched it in with an 18-yard touchdown run, narrowing the score to 24-21. College Park’s defense then came out swinging, sacking Frazier on second down and breaking up a pass on third down to force a punt that gave College Park the ball on their own 44. Snodgrass started making an impact as some quick screens from Hughes set up a flea flicker play that Hughes converted for a first down deep in Willis territory. WR Julian Cromartie finally made an appearance, with an excellent pass from Hughes finding him in the end zone, giving College Park the lead at 28-24. Cromartie’s big catch was encouraging; Bishop had been covering him well all night, but he finally broke through and made a great catch to give his team the lead. Willis got the ball back and immediately got to work, as Frazier and Martin connected to convert another third-and-long. College Park’s defense responded well to the following plays, getting Bishop behind the line on one play before stopping him again on a shovel pass that fell just short of a touchdown. Frazier then committed his second turnover as Beltran strip-sacked him near the goal line, returning the ball to his own 22-yard line. Beltran now has two turnovers on the night, and along with his impressive kick return, has had a huge impact on the game. Booker then made another appearance, pushing College Park into Willis territory. Stephens continued to run well, exploding into the red zone on a big middle run. Booker scored his second touchdown of the night on a bruising outside run that firmly put College Park in the driver's seat at 35-24. Martin then started Willis off strongly, catching some great passes from Frazier as the quarter concluded. This was the quarter where College Park truly demonstrated why they are so good—coming out strong, not discouraged by the 10-point deficit, regaining the lead, and putting Willis in a tough spot for the fourth quarter.

4th Quarter: College Park Puts the Pedal Down On Willis

The 4th quarter started with Willis needing to convert on a 4th and 1, which saw Frazier barely make it over the line to keep the drive alive. Frazier then found his favorite target, Martin, in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown, keeping Willis in the game down 35-30 as the 2-point conversion failed. College Park didn’t falter on the next drive, as Styles executed a reverse that he took from his own 30 to the Willis 13-yard line, showing that the College Park offense was here to play and wouldn’t back down easily. Hughes was then stopped just short of the goal line before Snodgrass took a direct snap to score, putting College Park up a commanding 41-30. It was obvious the Willis defense was worn out from all the plays College Park was able to run, and the Cavaliers were taking advantage of it, costing Willis chances to get back into the game. Willis then struggled on offense, as Frazier was sacked again, forcing a 3-and-out, and Bishop to punt again on a fourth and very long, meaning there wasn’t much opportunity for him to tuck and run. Stephens again stepped up big for College Park, running all the way into Willis territory and reinforcing the fact that Willis could not keep up with the run as the game progressed. Snodgrass then found the end zone again on an impressive pass from Hughes, who pump-faked a screen before turning and firing it to Snodgrass in the end zone. This virtually sealed the game, as College Park now led 48-30. Willis didn’t let that bother them, though, as they drove down the field on the next possession, with Bishop powering his way into College Park territory before a PI call on College Park put them within scoring range. College Park responded strongly, as Frazier was hit with two consecutive sacks, making a score all the more difficult. On the ensuing fourth and 25, Frazier showed resilience by firing a deep pass to his WR Jayden Lane, who caught it between two defenders for a touchdown, reducing the lead to 48-37. Willis attempted an onside kick; College Park recovered it, making a defensive stop the only way for Willis to get back in the game with only a few minutes remaining. Booker then continued College Park’s strong rushing game, running all the way to the red zone, setting up Snodgrass to once again dive into the end zone. This all but ended the game, as the Cavaliers took a 55-37 lead with under a minute left. Willis tried to move down the field, but a final pass from Frazier to Martin was broken up by none other than Beltran, ending the game and giving College Park a commanding 55-37 victory.

Final Thoughts:

This was an incredible game, one that showcased just how far College Park has come and reinforced the fact that they are the toughest team in the district. Coming out of halftime down by 10 and then dominating to win by 18 is nothing short of impressive. The offense came out firing in the second half, and their game plan to run the ball worked perfectly, allowing them to wear down the Willis defense and score lots of points. Stephens and Booker hadn’t had such a strong rushing night all season, and it was encouraging to see this offense adapt and demonstrate that they can move the ball on the ground instead of just relying on the passing game. The defense was exceptional tonight; Beltran made some huge plays, and aside from that early touchdown from Bishop, they didn’t give up big plays. They contained Bishop very effectively and prevented him from doing what he usually does. The tackling was excellent, and they looked just as sharp as the offense. It was truly a team effort, and it’s exciting to see how this team will perform moving forward. As for Willis, this was another tough loss. Bishop had some impressive splash plays but wasn’t able to make the ground impact he showed against The Woodlands. Martin seemed to be the only one making progress through the air. Their offense was completely shut down in the second half and looked vulnerable, as they couldn’t establish a consistent run game, and the offensive line collapsed. The defense faced the same struggles as against Klein Collins — they couldn’t stop the run and were forced to play into College Park’s game plan. Overall, this is a significant setback for their district title hopes, but they will look to keep their season alive and fix some things before the playoffs. To watch the full game broadcast as it was presented on Woodlands Online, check it out here.