2025 Texas 6A State Playoffs 1st Round: The Woodlands Highlanders vs Benjamin Davis Falcons

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Coming into the season, The Woodlands Highlanders were expected to be one of the best teams in the district and continue their long playoff streak. While they did make the playoffs, they fell short twice this season against both College Park and Willis, leaving their record at 8-2 for the year. This isn’t to say The Woodlands isn’t a good team, far from it in fact, as they still met most of their expectations and look to be a formidable team heading into round 1 of the playoffs. Their opponent will be 6A District 14’s Aldine Benjamin Davis Falcons, a team that finished with a 7-3 overall record. Aldine Davis did have a game against Willis earlier in the season, losing to the Wildkats 42-14, so this school is familiar with District 13. The Highlanders have also played Aldine Davis before in a playoff spot, winning their only matchup back in 2018 with a score of 66-7. This will be a good test for the Highlanders and should be a solid 1^st round opponent. Let's break down The Woodlands on both sides of the ball and see how they will stack up to their opponents.

The Woodlands Highlanders: Still A Formidable Group

While they haven’t lit the world on fire quite like some other teams in the district this season, The Woodlands still stands as one of the premier teams this district has to offer. They are solid on both sides of the ball, ranking as one of the better defenses in the district alongside College Park, and have an offense that features versatile weapons on all fronts. Lets dive into both sides of this team and see what they’ve done so far this season

Offense

QB: This offense has been interesting all season, and is led by senior QB Jack Daulton. Throughout the regular season, Daulton has been effective both passing and rushing, showcasing his dual-threat skills on many occasions. He has thrown for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air, nearly matching his total from last season. On the ground, he has rushed for 538 yards and 7 touchdowns so far, which is less than last year but still impressive. He’s also been careful with the ball, throwing only 2 interceptions all year. His dual threat capabilities will be a major factor for The Woodlands, and Daulton will be the guy they rely on to score. As the driving force of this offense, the TCU commit will head into this first-round matchup with something to prove.

RB: Running the ball is The Woodlands' bread and butter when it comes to offense, utilizing both Daulton and his RBs to move the ball effectively. There has been some switch-up at the RB position throughout the year, as starting RB Cody Jordan missed a large part of the season due to injury, which forced Jason Haskins and Lincoln Halsey into bigger roles. Jordan has recently returned for the Highlanders, however, greatly aiding their playoff run and providing more firepower at the position. Before his injury, Jordan gained 341 yards and scored 9 TDs on the ground, an impressive feat in such a short time. In his absence, Haskins took over and has looked just as impressive, rushing for 616 yards and 8 TDs since becoming the starter, filling in well and allowing their rushing attack to stay strong. Lincoln Halsey has also been effective off the bench, rushing for 262 yards and 2 TDs, showing a deep stable of backs for The Woodlands to rely on. If Jordan is close to 100% for this game, expect him to make an impact, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Haskins also gets involved.

WR: Receiving has been a mix of different WRs making their mark throughout the season. Daulton loves to spread the ball around, and luckily, this WR group is full of talented pass catchers to get the job done. Players like Eli Lancaster, Carter Cass, Jamieson Gavin, Colton Weddel, and Bryson Bourne all have over 100 yards this season, showing that The Woodlands can rely on anyone when it comes to the passing game. Currently, Gavin leads the team with 372 yards and 4 TDs, with Lancaster close behind at 355 yards and 3 TDs. Cass has proven to be a reliable deep threat, with 234 yards and 3 TDs, including multiple deep catches. Bourne hasn’t scored as much as some of his fellow wideouts, but he still has 287 yards this season. Weddel has been used in various roles, lining up at a pseudo TE position, something the Highlanders rarely do. He has 180 yards and 2 TDs this season and could be worth watching moving forward. Overall, this group may not stand out like some other cores in the district, but they can certainly make an impact in any game.

Overall, this offense is a balanced attack capable of scoring effectively, but it can sometimes struggle to get going if certain elements are shut down. If Daulton is at his best and the running game is firing on all cylinders, expect the Highlanders to be rolling.

Defense

Now, the defense is something the Highlanders are making known this season. They have been one of the most effective defenses in the district, recording multiple shutouts and holding elite offenses like College Park and Willis to under 40 points. The reason Willis scored 42 points was due to a defensive touchdown, so it's not the defense's fault. They have been impressive and do everything they can to support the offense, even if the offense sometimes lets them down. DB Caycen Bartolazzi is the standout in this group, leading the team and district with an impressive 85 tackles. Bartolazzi has also recorded 2 interceptions and a punt return touchdown. He is effective as a returner, breaking off several big runs and setting up his offense in good scoring positions. The defense is full of talent beyond just Bartolazzi, with players like Parker Stewart, Cole Carlin, Jabaric Sullivan, Luke Podowski, Jy’ree Jefferson, and Magnus Herndon making impacts. Herndon particularly stands out, as the junior DE has recorded 14.5 sacks this season, leading the district and being one of the most intimidating players on the line. These contribute to an impressive total of 38 sacks for the defense, a number that should scare opposing offenses. LB Vincent Lewis also deserves a shoutout, as he is a key depth piece for this team and has shown that he will be a force on this defense next season. Overall, the defense has forced 19 turnovers, including 12 fumble recoveries and 7 interceptions, another intimidating stat for opponents. They have also scored 3 defensive touchdowns, further demonstrating their impact on the team. They will look to dominate the Aldine Davis offense in the first round and could be a driving force behind a deep playoff run. If the offense plays up to standards, this defense will always be able to keep them in games.

Overall, this Woodlands team is a tough opponent for any team and, despite two tough losses, still remains a threat in the playoffs. If they can get everything together on both defense and offense, then this team has a good chance at a strong postseason run. But lets explore their opponents and what they look like heading into this game.

Benjamin Davis Falcons: A Slow Start But A Strong Finish

Benjamin Davis, or simply Aldine Davis, hails from District 14 and is a tough opponent, having gone 6-1 in their district after a 0-2 start. The Falcons began the year slowly, losing to the same Willis team The Woodlands would later lose to, along with Strake Jesuit, which I didn't realize was a 6A program and not in the private school sector. Their only district loss was to Nimitz in a 40-7 blowout. Their schedule is interesting, as they were heavily beaten by both Willis and Nimitz but won most of their other games comfortably. They had one tough, grind-it-out game against Westfield, winning 6-0, but they seem capable of scoring effectively on offense and have a solid enough defense. Watching some of their games shows they love to run the ball and are quite good at it. Leading their offense is RB Nicholas Tramble, with 848 rushing yards and 12 TDs this season. He's similar to Grand Oak’s Keilan Gause, and The Woodlands managed to shut him down, so Tramble might not be as effective against this defense. They also can throw the ball, and like The Woodlands, they spread it around to multiple receivers. Davis has four WRs with over 200 yards this season. While they don’t score many TDs, they’re still a threat The Woodlands will need to watch closely. The defense isn’t terrible but not as impressive as some of the top teams The Woodlands has faced, as they’ve only recorded 12 sacks and 3 turnovers all season. Overall, this Aldine Davis team is solid, no bad or even mediocre team would go 6-1 in district play, so it should be an interesting challenge for The Woodlands.

Final Thoughts:

This should be an exciting game to watch, as both teams are evenly matched in offense and could make things interesting for The Woodlands. Overall, though, I believe The Woodlands' defense will be the key difference, since Aldine Davis isn’t at the same level as the Highlanders in that area. This will be a road game for The Woodlands, and sometimes unexpected things can happen on the road. I think The Woodlands will win and advance to the next round of the playoffs, but to do so, they need to stay focused and prepared on both sides of the ball.