Willis Wins Their Final District Game Of The Regular Season Against Grand Oaks

WILLIS, TX – This Halloween Friday, the Willis Wildkats defeated the Grand Oaks Grizzlies at home to close out their regular season. With this win, Willis improves to 7-1 in district play as they have a bye week before the postseason. For Grand Oaks, they fall to 4-3 in district play, which is still enough for them to qualify for the postseason tournament. It looked like a close game for most of the night, as it was a defensive battle, with the score tied at 17-17 with about 8 minutes left in the third quarter. Willis scored 2 touchdowns afterward to pull ahead, winning 31-17. Willis now ranks #2 in the district and awaits their matchup for the state tournament, while Grand Oaks has one more game next week against Caney Creek.

The Willis Wildkats: Finishing Strong

In a season marked by a few setbacks, the Willis Wildkats finished strong, clinching the #2 spot in the district with this victory. It was a tough, defensive battle, and the low scoring was different from Willis's usual high-powered offense. Jermaine Bishop Jr. had a quieter night by his standards, catching 6 passes for 86 yards and not scoring a touchdown. He did fake a punt, which set up a Willis score to tie the game in the first half. The receiver who made the biggest impact was tight end Jaivion Martin, who scored two touchdowns—one, an excellent back shoulder catch in the end zone after Bishop’s fake punt, and the other, a 70-plus yard reception in the third quarter that broke the 17-17 tie. Martin’s catch in the third quarter sparked Willis's breakthrough against a Grand Oaks defense that had been challenging them all night. RB Jamarcus Williams also had a good night, running for 88 yards and scoring the game-winning touchdown in the 4th quarter. WR Jayden Lane was another standout for Willis, as he had a long run after the catch in the 1st quarter to put Willis on the board first. This was Lane’s 2nd touchdown of the year, and he would not be denied as he broke multiple tackles and ran through a defender to reach the end zone. Quarterback Lincoln Frazier had an inconsistent night; he threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns but also threw a costly interception deep in Willis territory, returned for a pick-6. Frazier is a quarterback capable of highlight-reel throws but also prone to turnovers, which has been a recurring issue this season. If he can tighten up these mistakes before the playoffs, Willis should be in a good position offensively. The defense was the star of the game, limiting Grand Oaks’s explosive offense to just 10 points (with 7 coming from a defensive touchdown) and shutting down their running game effectively. Willis’s defense has really stepped up in recent weeks, showing they can handle opponents when the offense needs them to preserve a lead or maintain momentum. This Willis team is poised to be a playoff threat and could do some damage early on, thanks to talent on both sides of the ball. Hopefully, they can sustain the momentum they've built over the past few weeks and avoid the setbacks faced during losses to Klein Collins and College Park.

Grand Oaks Grizzlies: Tough Loss, But Still Alive

For Grand Oaks, a loss here wasn’t the end of the world, luckily. Obviously, they wanted to win this one, and they fought until the end to try and improve their spot in the playoffs, but even with this loss, they will still more than likely make the playoffs. It was a rough offensive outing, as they were held to only 10 points, their lowest of the year. RB Keilan Gause was asked to do a lot, since his running mate Bryan Victorian Jr. was out. Gause still had a decent day, gaining another 100 rushing yards on a heavy workload of 26 carries. He didn’t score a rushing TD, but he caught a pass from QB Grant Smith that he took 54 yards to score Grand Oaks’ only offensive TD of the night. Smith wasn’t exceptional either, throwing for 139 yards and 1 TD. His rushing was limited, finishing with -5 yards on the ground. His receivers were relatively quiet too, with Preston Cloud catching 1 pass, and Darnell Jackson Jr. catching 3 for 59 yards. This wasn’t the usual showing for the Grand Oaks offense, but luckily, the defense kept them in the game. The biggest play was Kevin Ross’s 15-yard pick-6 that tied the game at 10-10 in the 2nd quarter. The D-line also played great, recording 4.5 sacks and pressuring Frazier all night. Another key factor was the excellent punting from Kaden Rosado, who had multiple punts that pinned Willis deep in their own territory. While punting isn’t always highlighted, as it’s often seen as negative, it can have a huge impact, and Rosado deserves credit for those impressive punts. Overall, Grand Oaks should bounce back next week against Caney Creek and solidify their playoff position. These playoffs will be historic for Grand Oaks, as it’s their first time qualifying since joining the district.

Final Thoughts:

This was a game I predicted would be closer than some might think, and I was somewhat right. It was a more defensive battle until the 4th quarter and was a different type of game than what we’re used to seeing from Willis. Still, Willis got the win, and the upcoming playoffs give them a chance to prove that their early losses this season haven’t set them back. For Grand Oaks, it’s a tough loss, but they are still in the playoff picture and will look for their first playoff win in the short history of their program. It’s been a good season for Willis, and it will be exciting to see where they go in the playoffs this year.