Thursday Night Football Recap: College Park Remains Undefeated and Grand Oaks Nabs A Key District Win

THE WOODLANDS – Last night, two district games took place, with one being a blowout and the other having significant playoff implications. The College Park Cavaliers hosted the Caney Creek Panthers for their homecoming game, and it was a blowout. Grand Oaks traveled to Conroe for a showdown between similarly skilled teams, as the winner would take control of the 4th spot in the district—a spot coveted for a playoff invitation.

Caney Creek vs. College Park: Another Dominant Performance

College Park delivered another outstanding performance against Caney Creek, winning convincingly 52-6 in their homecoming game. This marks the fifth time the Cavaliers have scored over 50 points in a game this season, keeping them undefeated in district play. The game appeared to be effectively over by halftime, with College Park leading 35-0 as they headed into the locker room. The first-half scoring was led by RB Antonio Booker, who scored four touchdowns on the night. Three of Booker’s touchdowns came in the first half, as he scored on back-to-back drives to start the game and added another before halftime with a tough touchdown run. His fourth touchdown was from a short pass from QB Camden Hughes, which he took all the way. Hughes also looked in sync with his wide receivers, connecting with Julian Cromartie on some key passes and throwing a touchdown to Brian Snodgrass. His other two touchdown passes went to Booker, boosting Hughes’s already impressive season scoring total. The offense wasn’t the only one scoring either, as a defensive touchdown was scored as a result of a Caney Creek fumbled snap in the end zone recovered by the Cavaliers. Defensive star Marco Beltran also got in on the action, showing off his next-level speed and scoring an electric 60-yard punt return touchdown to open the half. The defense for College Park wasn’t perfect though, as Caney Creek was able to score on a pass that WR Jahamante Kuhn took all the way from his own 26-yard line to score, the extra point was then missed. There was another good play from RB Payton Pollard that almost scored another touchdown for the Panthers but he was stopped in the red zone on a great effort tackle from the defense. Other than that, Caney Creek didn’t do much else, letting College Park walk all over them. With this win, College Park moves to 7-0 on the season and will look forward to next week when they take on a Woodlands team hungry for a big win.

Grand Oaks vs. Conroe: A Battle for A Playoff Spot

In this district, the top four teams advance to the postseason, giving many of the middle-tier teams a shot at making the playoffs. Grand Oaks took that spot for now over Conroe with a decisive 28-14 victory. Although the score was closer by the end, the game was mostly dominated by the Grizzlies, who kept the Tigers to just 7 points until the final minute. The two scores for Conroe came from passes from QB Cameron Nunley, one to WR Elijah Harris in the first half, and another to Jackson Taylor in the waning minutes. Nunley, however, also threw another rough interception that led to a Grand Oaks score. Conroe’s offense again relied on a slow, run-heavy approach to chew clock. The defense played well, but couldn’t stop Grand Oaks' elite rushing attack. But let’s focus on the winners—Grand Oaks proved once again why they are a top running team. RB Keilan Gause shined, scoring two touchdowns and adding a large run capped by a Bryan Victorian Jr. touchdown. Victorian’s score came from a dump pass from QB Grant Smith in the red zone, and Smith also had a great game overall. In addition to this passing TD, Smith scored on a 30-yard run after faking a handoff. The defense also played a key role, shutting down Conroe’s run attack and forcing crucial turnovers. The earlier interception was made by DB Sebastian Hill, who made a great read on the pass, jumping the route to intercept it. Overall, it was a statement night for Grand Oaks, pushing them into a prime postseason spot in 4th place, as most of their toughest games are behind them. If they can hold onto that position, it will be a big step forward for a program that’s only been around since 2018.

Final Thoughts:

It was an exciting Thursday night slate, with one game carrying major postseason implications. College Park still looks like one of the top teams out there, and Grand Oaks is just a few wins away from making a historic playoff run. College Park will focus on its upcoming game against The Woodlands next week, while Grand Oaks faces rival Oak Ridge. Tonight’s games may not greatly impact the standings, as The Woodlands takes on Cleveland and Willis heads to New Caney, but we won't know for sure until the games are over. To watch the Willis vs. New Caney game live, check it out here on Woodlands Online.