Sparks Will Fly As The Woodlands Highlanders and Willis Wildkats Face Off In A Heated Rivalry

THE WOODLANDS – With district play in full swing, we’re seeing some of the year's best matchups this October. For The Woodlands Highlanders, this stretch of games might be the toughest they’ve faced all season, with back-to-back weeks against 2 of their fiercest competitors. Last week, the Highlanders dominated their rivals, the College Park Cavaliers, and now face a Willis Wildkats team hungry for a big win. Luckily, they get to play them at home this season, and a win here substantially improves their chances at a district title.

The Wildkats, meanwhile, want nothing more than to beat the Highlanders. The past few seasons have seen Willis dominate this matchup, winning every game between these 2 since 2022. They handled a good Grand Oaks team well last week, corrected their mistakes from the previous week, and got back to contending form. This Wildkat offense can be electric and, like the Highlanders, loves to throw the ball. These games always turn into high-scoring shootouts, and this year's matchup looks likely to be the same.

The Woodlands Highlanders: Stars Stepping Up All Over The Field

Heading into this season, we wanted to learn a few things about this Highlander football team, and so far, we’ve gotten plenty of good answers. From the offense to the defense, The Woodlands have molded themselves into a fantastic team over the past few weeks, with emerging stars at almost every position. They haven’t been perfect, but they’ve been learning quickly and are quickly becoming a team to fear on Friday nights.

Offensive Powerhouse

Impact Players

• #15 QB Kaden Copelin
• #0 WR Carter Cass
• #1 WR Bryson Bourn
• #4 RB Jason Haskins
• #17 WR Kaiden Stewart

This season, the Highlander offense has evolved into a powerhouse. The passing attack strikes fear into any defense, gashing opponents with a multitude of options all over the field. Junior QB Kaden Copelin has reinvented the offense, quickly becoming the new face of the program thanks to his incredible playmaking. In his 5 starts, Copelin has amassed 1215 passing yards on 78%, resulting in a staggering 19 TDs and 0 interceptions so far. He’s also effective in the ground game, rushing for 156 yards and 2 TDs. When throwing the ball, Copelin’s playmaking ability is evident on almost every dropback, combining excellent footwork and maneuverability to avoid would-be tacklers. He can seemingly make a play every time he’s given the opportunity, hitting tough windows with laser accuracy and making throws many QBs would shy away from. Putting it all together, it’s no surprise The Woodlands offense looks so good right now, and Copelin is one of the main reasons for that.

A good QB needs good weapons around him, though, and the Highlanders have plenty. In the running game, senior Jason Haskins has full control of the backfield, rushing for 290 yards and 4 TDs, while also catching 6 passes for 101 yards and a TD. Haskins has been a stable back for the Highlanders all season, and provides solid running ability behind an offensive line that opens up big holes. He had one of his best games of the season last week against College Park, and hopes to build on it heading into this matchup against the Wildkats.

The Woodlands has a deep WR corps. The speed in this WR room is unmatched, with guys like Carter Cass and Bryson Bourn among the top options. Cass had a career game last week, going for 129 yards on 10 catches and scoring 3 TDs. He currently leads this team in catches (30), yards (329), TDs (8), and yards per game (65.4), making him one of Copelin’s most reliable targets. Bourn has been excellent too, recording 273 yards on 17 catches for 3 TDs. He is Copelin's premier deep-ball threat and is likely to make a big catch in almost every game. Alongside them are guys like Kaiden Stewart and Harry Miller, who only add to this incredible passing attack. Stewart has recorded 195 yards and 2 TDs on 10 catches so far, and his involvement continues to rise each week. TE Colton Weddel has also been a steady option for Copelin, putting up 122 yards and 2 TDs on 6 catches. The towering TE has also seen a steady uptick in usage and is key to this offense, even if he isn't catching the ball all the time, as his downfield blocking is some of the best you’ll see.

Altogether this makes for one of the scariest group of weapons in the district, with talent all over the field. Even the offensive line has been talented, with the guys in the trenches being one of the biggest aspects of this offensive success. If they continue playing like the have, there’s a good chance we see them deep in the postseason.

Defense Clicking

Notable Players:

• #11 DE Magnus Herndon
• #2 LB Max Mitchell
• #8 LB Vinny Lewis
• #99 DT Aiden Ventura
• #20 DB Nico Chavez

After a tough loss early in the season, this defense has come full circle in recent weeks. The young talent on this unit has started clicking, making them one of the more formidable groups in the district. They practically shut College Park out last week, dominating on nearly every play and not letting the Cavaliers score until the final minute, when the game was already effectively over. The combined strength of the LB and DL units is scary for any opposing offense, with a secondary behind them that can make plays when they generate pressure up front. Another strong performance this week could vault them into star status and make the Highlanders one of the scariest teams in the Houston area.

Looking at specific groups, it's hard not to find multiple players at each level who have been making an impact. Up front in the trenches, senior Magnus Herndon continues to blast through any block put in front of him, while players such as Aiden Ventura and Cole Maxwell shore up the inside. The LB unit has really become the stars of the show, with players like Max Mitchell and Vinny Lewis establishing themselves as some of the best outside threats to any offense. Over the middle, the rotation of Nate Beagle, Jacob Montgomery, Cash Mock, and Matthias Molito has flashed excellence whenever they hit the field. In the secondary, DBs like Nico Chavez, Bryce Stott, and Pilot Clary have made excellent plays throughout the season and have only gotten better against opposing WRs as the season has gone on.

This defense is aggressive, getting after the QB quickly while covering nearly every part of the field. They love to get LBs into the backfield quickly, making them one of the best against the run in the past few weeks. Tackling has improved exponentially since Week 1 and is now one of the defense's best attributes. They will have another big test this week, but if they play like they have in the last few games, they could give this Wildkat offense some trouble.

Willis Wildkats: Not Backing Down Just Yet

Despite a tough loss to open district play, the Willis Wildkats rallied last week against a good Grand Oaks team in a solid 51-21 win. Despite the setback, this team is still firmly in control of their own destiny, and a win here could push them closer to reclaiming that district title. With an electic offense much like their opponent, the Wildkats are one of the scariest teams to play against and they have the potential to light it up any Friday night.

Offensive Sparks

Notable Players:

• #1 QB Linc Frazier
• #3 RB Jamarcus Williams
• #11 WR Preston Stephenson
• #9 WR Trey Finney

Living and dying by the pass has always been the Wildkat’s motto these past couple of seasons, and that continues this season. Led by sophomore QB Linc Frazier, this offense can explode out of the gate if all the pieces are clicking. Frazier has continued his solid play from last season, throwing for 1283 yards and 11 TDs this season. Like any young QB, he isn't perfect, as he sometimes struggles to take care of the football, throwing 4 interceptions. Don’t let that fool you, though, as Frazier is still one of the best passers in the district and can still hit throws that punish defenses looking to take advantage of him. He’ll throw a lot against The Woodlands, and if he takes care of the ball, it might be tough for the opposing defense to keep up.

Willis is never low on offensive talent, and that rings true again this season. In the backfield, RB Jamarcus Williams has made a name for himself, adding a much-needed rushing attack to an offense that sorely lacked one last season. The junior RB has racked up 489 yards and 6 TDs on the ground, while also catching 15 passes for 190 yards. Williams has unlocked another level for this offense so far and has been a key player for the Wildkats since taking over the starting role.

In the WR room, Preston Stephenson and Trey Finney have been major contributors to Frazier's top-notch numbers. Stephenson leads the team in yards with an impressive 463 on 31 catches, scoring 4 TDs. Finney is right behind him, leading the team in catches with 38 for 392 yards and 4 TDs. These two players balance the offense with complementary strengths: Stephenson is Frazier’s favorite deep target, while Finney seems to catch everything in the flat. Alongside them, Antrell Warren and Deshaun Williams round out the receiving corps, with Warren logging 9 catches for 159 yards and 3 TDs. Overall, this offense has plenty of talent that can make an impact on any play. They all have different skill sets that translate well on the field, making this a formidable offense to go up against. If all the weapons are clicking, the Wildkats could come out of this game on top.

Defensive Improvement

Notable Players:

• #4 DB A’majai Friend
• #15 DE Waylan Nolen
• #22 DB Longani Friberg
• #62 DE AJ Edwards

Defense hasn’t always been the strongest part of the Wildkats’ past teams, but this season they’ve been on the right track. Aside from that game against College Park, this defense has been solid against opposing offenses, shutting down most things that come their way. This unit rounds out this Wildkat team nicely, being able to get their offense back on the field with quick stops, something that they struggled to do at times last season.

Up front, the Wildkats are among the more formidable opponents for offensive lines. Players like Waylan Nolen and AJ Edwards get to the QB quickly, recording 7 TFLs each in their 5 games played. Joseph Read, however, leads the team with 6.5 sacks in just 3 games this season. The secondary can sometimes give up big plays, but it's aggressive, with A’majai Friend and Logani Friberg both topping the charts in tackles. Friend leads with 47, while Friberg is right behind at 33.

This defense can make some good plays, but it was gashed before this season, and who knows how much remains after that tough loss to College Park. The Woodlands will certainly take advantage of what they saw in that game and, with multiple weapons across the field, might score more than College Park did if they get rolling. Still, this defense has the capability to make big plays, and the Highlander will have to be ready for anything coming into this matchup.

Final Thoughts

Every week, we’ve had one of the best matchups of the season, and that trend continues this week. The Highlanders are coming into this matchup looking for their 1st win against the Wildkats since 2022. Willis, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to stomp out The Woodlands’ district title hopes and continue their reign of dominance over the Highlanders. Both teams have their guys at QB, with Copelin and Frazier battling it out for the top spot in the district. Either way, it’s bound to be an action-packed game and, based on previous results, should be one of the highest-scoring games of the season. Let’s just hope the rain and lightning stay away this time.