College Park Falls Against DeSoto In The 3rd Round, Capping Off A Historic Season

THE WOODLANDS, TX – It was an unfortunate ending to the season for the College Park Cavaliers as they lost to the DeSoto Eagles 56-34 on Black Friday. College Park will finish the season with an all-time best 11-2 record and a third-round playoff appearance, the farthest they’ve gone in their school's history. It’s a bittersweet ending for the Cavaliers as they head into the offseason, hoping to replicate this year's success and maybe go even further. Let’s review this game and analyze what went right and wrong in College Park’s final game of the season.

College Park vs DeSoto: The Eagles Gave The Cavs A Taste Of Their Own Medicine

Honestly, it wasn’t much of a contest. DeSoto came prepared to Gupton Stadium and controlled the game from beginning to end. DeSoto’s dynamic duo of Ethan Feaster and Sarod Baker scored consistently all night, just as the Cavaliers are accustomed to doing. Feaster dazzled all night, while Baker looked like one of the best backs in the state, handing College Park a rare loss to end their season.

The biggest story for College Park was the absence of QB Camden Hughes, who suffered an ankle injury last week and was ultimately forced to miss this game. Hughes was warming up before the game started but ended up sitting on the sidelines as Tate Chowaniec took over once again at QB. Chowaniec gave a valiant effort but struggled through the air, completing only 3 of 13 attempts for 22 yards. Most of his throws were way off target and lacked the firepower usually seen in College Park’s offense. He did throw a touchdown to WR Brian Snodgrass in the 2nd quarter but couldn’t do much else afterward. The run game was also tough, as RBs Duke Stephens and Antonio Booker both faced difficulties overall. Stephens managed 2 touchdowns, including a long run in the 2nd quarter and a late score when the game was already out of reach. Booker scored an 80-yard touchdown on the final play for the Cavaliers to reach the final score of 56-34, providing one last highlight before the season ended. Brian Snodgrass also had a decent game, catching the only passing touchdown of the night for College Park’s first score, and ripping off a 50-yard run in the 2nd quarter that made the game look somewhat competitive for a little while. This offense really missed their starting QB, and things might’ve been more interesting if Hughes had been able to suit up.

The defense struggled in every aspect, as DeSoto’s talented WR Ethan Feaster and RB Sarod Baker dominated them in every way. They made a few key stops early on, but were constantly on the field because the offense couldn't do much. They will lose star defensive back Marco Beltran in the offseason, and replacing him will be tough, as Beltran was the leader of this defense and the backbone of shutting down big threats. Still, they have some incredible players up front and look like a formidable defense for next season.

Final Thoughts:

Although this was a tough loss, College Park is a young team, and many of these players will return next year. It is a bittersweet moment for the seniors, who will graduate knowing they were part of the best team in this program's history. College Park will enter the next season as a new-era powerhouse but will no doubt want to fix some issues from this year. They will be hungry for another district title and are sure to be one of the teams to watch next year. For now, they will head into the offseason to figure out how to go further and continue on this new path.