Thursday Night Recap: College Park Finishes Their Historic Regular Season Undefeated, and The Woodlands Takes Down Oak Ridge At The Bank.

THE WOODLANDS, TX – It was an eventful Thursday night in District 13 as two of the top teams in the district, College Park and The Woodlands, both hit the road to finish out their regular seasons. College Park traveled to New Caney, finishing with another big win to finish their regular season a perfect 10-0, putting them in a prime spot for a big playoff run. The Woodlands was the visitor against Oak Ridge at Woodforest Bank Stadium, securing their final win to move to 8-2 on the season. Both teams will head into the playoffs in search of a run in the postseason tournament and a chance at the Division II 6A title.

College Park vs New Caney: The Cavaliers Finish Perfect

Heading into this game, College Park had a chance to finish the regular season undefeated, something they have not accomplished in the history of their program. There weren’t many who thought College Park wouldn’t win this one, as after their victory over The Woodlands, it seemed like the Cavaliers were all but guaranteed to remain undefeated for the rest of the season. They didn’t leave much doubt, winning the game in another blowout with a 43-3 score. QB Camden Hughes had a solid game to finish the regular season, throwing for 125 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for 104 yards and another TD. He did throw an interception, however, and his yardage total was relatively low for what we usually see from him. That yardage makes sense considering College Park was doing most of the ground work, with Hughes as their leading rusher, using his legs alongside RBs Kaylen Stephens and Antonio Booker, who were heavily involved. Stephens finished with 14 carries and 84 yards, and while he didn’t score rushing, he found the end zone in the passing game. Booker finished with 73 rushing yards and a TD, a modest day for the sophomore RB. As for the passing game, it was nearly nonexistent, with WR Julian Cromartie noticeably absent, leaving Jordan Styles and Brian Snodgrass to catch all the passes. Styles ended his night with 2 catches for 51 yards and a TD, while Snodgrass finished with 3 catches for 37 yards. Despite the modest yards, College Park still scored 43 points, continuing their season-long scoring streak. The defense played outstanding once again, only allowing 3 points to New Caney early in the first quarter. New Caney’s QB Payton Lopez gained just 65 yards through the air, and the rushing attack was held to only 28 yards for the entire game. It was a strong performance for College Park, capping off an incredible season for the Cavaliers. They will head into the postseason as one of the top teams in the division and have a good shot at making a deep run if everything clicks. We’ll dive more into their chances next week and preview what all they could do when the bracket is announced.

The Woodlands vs Oak Ridge: A Lower Scoring Affair

The game the other Thursday featured The Woodlands playing away against an Oak Ridge team that has looked ineffective in recent weeks. It was a low-scoring contest, mainly highlighting rushing from both teams, and it could have been closer if Oak Ridge had capitalized on some of the Highlanders’ mistakes. The Woodlands only scored 21 points on offense, marking one of their lowest scoring games of the season. QB Jack Daulton was the standout for the Highlanders, throwing 3 touchdowns, 2 rushing and 1 passing. Daulton’s first TD came on a deep pass to WR Carter Cass, putting The Woodlands ahead early. His first rushing touchdown was a 70+ yard run, demonstrating how dangerous he can be if not contained. His second TD followed another deep reception from Cass, who fought through multiple tackles to reach the end zone just short of the goal line. The other score was a fumble recovery by DB Caycen Bartolazzi, who returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. Bartolazzi once again played a key leadership role on defense, ending the game with a high number of tackles along with his defensive touchdown. After halftime, The Woodlands was unable to score again, failing to reach the end zone on any of their subsequent drives. This was quite a night for the Highlanders; although their first-half dominance didn’t affect the final result, it could be problematic if they play like that again in the playoffs. For Oak Ridge, the game was full of missed opportunities. QB Drayton Urbay was the only offensive player making significant plays, leading three red-zone drives, almost scoring on a long run that was stopped just short of the goal line. However, Oak Ridge failed to score from those drives, with a field goal attempt blocked on the opening drive and inability to convert on 4th down in the other two. If they had managed to reach the end zone on those drives, this game might have been much closer. Oak Ridge’s bright spot was on special teams, scoring on a 50-yard punt return by Jayden Barnes. They also blocked a punt on another drive, creating good field position that their offense couldn’t capitalize on. Defensively, they performed well, forcing more punts than they would have liked and putting pressure on The Woodlands. Overall, Oak Ridge’s performance wasn’t their best, which explains their final record. They dominated time of possession but struggled to capitalize on big plays, with Urbay seeming to be their only effective threat all night. Hopefully, they can regroup in the offseason and come back stronger next year. Overall, the game was quick and somewhat boring except for a few big plays. Both offenses heavily ran the ball, leading to long drives that chewed up most of the clock. The game lasted just under two hours, one of the shortest I’ve watched this year. The Highlanders are in a good position to be a top seed in the 6A “big school” bracket, and they have a strong chance at a deep run if their offense can continue to perform and their defense maintains its form.

Final Thoughts

While both of these games pretty much played out as we thought they would, it was still good to see both College Park and The Woodlands end on a win. College Park will be one of the teams to beat in their bracket, with a solid chance at making a deep run if all goes well. The Woodlands will once again head into the playoffs with a strong record and a team that might not always have star power, but has the capability to compete with anyone. We will preview both of these teams next week ahead of their playoff matchups and explore who they will face when the bracket is ultimately decided.