On a perfect Friday evening at Randall Reed Stadium, The New Caney Eagles got set to take on division foe, The Woodlands Highlanders. The Eagles entered the game with a 3-0 record and 1-0 in district play. The Highlanders entered the game with a 2-1 record with their only loss coming against the number 4 team in the state, North Shore 49-21. The Highlanders offense has averaged 33.1 points per game in their previous 3 contests and have given up 29 points per game defensively.
The Eagles team captains were Kedrick Reescano, Ryland Hurst, and Daylen Wilson. The Highlanders won the toss and deferred so the Eagles would get the ball first to start the game.
The starting kickoff of the game would be sent out of the back of the endzone, and the Eagles would start on their own 25-yard line. On the first play of the game, Eagles Quarterback Nehemiah Broussard would hit Kendall Dove across the middle of the field for a 16-yard gain to get the offense started. After a run for no gain by running back Kedrick Reescano, Broussard would run a QB power player for a 10-yard gain and another first down. Reescano would take the next handoff for a 10-yard gain down to the Highlanders 39-yard line. On 3rd and 10, Broussard was unable to hook up with Wide Receiver Dravon Wilson and the Highlanders would force an Eagle punt. Broussard would punt the ball for 38 yards, and it would roll out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
The Highlanders would go on a 10 play, 99-yard touchdown drive on their first possession taking over 4 min off the clock. The first play from scrimmage, running back Arkez Gomez would break a couple of tackles and break free for a 49-yard run to the 50-yard line. The Highlanders would score on a 2-yard touchdown run by Jason Williams. The point after by the Highlanders kicker would be good as the Highlanders take the early lead 7-0 over the Eagles.
The Highlanders kicked it out of the back of the end zone on the next kickoff and the Eagles would again take over at their 25-yard line. On 2nd down and 8 after a 2-yard run by Reescano, Broussard would find Wide receiver Dravon Wilson for a 9-yard gain and an Eagle First down. On the next play, Broussard hit wide receiver Albert Pearson for a 20-yard gain down to the Highlanders 41-yard line. On 2nd down and 7, the eagles would get called for a holding penalty and would get set back on the drive ultimately forcing the punt. Broussard would punt the ball for 27 yards and out of bound at the Highlanders 23-yard line.
The Highlanders would pick up a first down on a run by Gomez. On 1st and 10, The Highlanders Quarterback Mabrey Mettauer would hand the ball off to Williams who will get blown up at the line of scrimmage by Trayce Baker. On the next play, Mettauer would air out a deep ball that’s broken up by Eagles defensive back C.J Blocker. The Eagles would force the punt after a short pickup on a screen pass. The Highlanders punt would pin the Eagles down at the 10-yard line after a 52-yard punt.
On the first play of the drive for the Eagles, Reescano would take the next three handoffs for 16, 6 and 5 yards and 2 first downs to their own 37-yard line. The eagles next 3 plays would result in 4 yards, and they would have to punt it back to the Highlanders. Tayte Baker would punt the ball 21 yards and the Highlanders would take over at their own 39-yard line.
The Eagles would force a three and out on the next series for the highlanders after 2 incomplete passes and the Eagles would take over at their 23-yard line after a 32-yard punt.
On 2nd and 8, Broussard would fake the handoff to Reescano and would run for 20 yards and a fresh set of down for the Eagles. Broussard would then connect with Pearson on an 8-yard completion before Reescano took the handoff 10 yards before fumbling the ball and the Highlanders would recover at their 36-yard line.
On the first play of the drive, the highlanders would be called for an illegal shift setting them behind the chains to start the drive. The Highlander would be able to get to a 4th down and 1 where they would convert on a Mettauer QB run for 6 yards to the 50-yard line. The Highlanders would again be called for a false start penalty on first down. On the first downplay, Linebacker Daylen Wilson would hit Mettauer as he threw causing the incomplete pass and bringing up a long second and 15 for the Highlanders. The Eagles would shut down the Highlanders on the next 2 plays and the Highlanders again would have to punt. The Eagles would run the ball twice and run out the clock to halftime.
At the half, the Highlanders still hold the lead 7-0 over the Eagles.
The Eagles will kick off to start the 2nd half. The Highlanders took over at the 30-yard line after the kickoff went out of bounds. On the first play of the drive, the Highlanders would hand the ball off to Williams who was hit in the backfield by Eagles defensive end Ryland Hurst. On 3rd and 10, Mettauer dropped back to pass and was sacked by Daylen Wilson causing a 3 and out for the Highlanders. The Highlanders punter kicked for 40 yards and New Caney took over at their own 36-yard line for their first possession of the second half.
The Eagles drive consisted of a false start penalty and a 4-yard loss by Reescano on a run and the Eagles would have to punt from their own 40-yard line. Tayte Baker would punt for 35 yards and returned by the Highlanders to the Highlander 33-yard line.
The Highlanders would start the drive with a 9-yard carry by Mattauer before being set back again by a holding penalty. On 3rd and 11, Mettauer dropped back to pass and was hit by Tayte Baker but was able to get rid of it to Quannel Farrakhan for 14 yards and a first down. The Highlanders again got a false start penalty on 2nddown. On the next play, Mettauer was hit by defensive end Andrew Wilkinson causing the incomplete pass. DJ Lewis stepped up on the 3rd downplay with a pass breakup forcing yet another punt by the Highlanders. The Eagles took over at their own 22-yard line after the 38-yard punt.
After a holding penalty on first down the Eagles started their drive with a 1st and 20 at the 12-yard line. The Eagles would go on a 14 play, 88-yard drive covering 7 minutes and 58 seconds on the clock. After an incompletion on 1st down, Reescano ran for 4 yards setting up a 3rd down and 16. Nehemiah Broussard hit Reescano on a screen pass and Reescano was able to break some tackles and pick up 20 yards for the first down. Reescano would then take the direct snap for another 10-yard run to move the chains again. Broussard then hit Wilson on 2 passes for a short pickups bring them to a 4th down and 1. Reescano would pick up the first down on a direct snap taking it 7 yards to convert the 4th down as we ended the 4th quarter.
Highlanders still on top 7-0 as the Eagles are driving at the Highlander 25 yards line.
After 3 runs for Reescano for 7 yards it would bring up another 4th down for the Eagles. On 4th and 3, Reescano would take the direct snap and run behind his lead blocker Tayte Baker and pick up 4 yards and the Eagle first down at the 16-yard line. On the next snap, Broussard would keep the ball on an option play and run it 15 yards down to the 1-yard line. Reescano would power the ball on the endzone on the next snap for the Eagle touchdown. Eagles’ kicker Israel Oregon missed the extra point after making 19 consecutive this season.
The Highlanders still lead halfway through the 4th quarter 7-6. The Eagles kickoff would be taken by the Highlanders and returned it to the Highlander 33-yard line but after an Eagle penalty they would have it at the 38-yard line. The Eagles would force a three and out after big defensive plays by Kayden Cooper, Trayce Baker, Tayte Baker, Ryland Hurst, and Jalen Menny. The Highlanders would hit a 49-yard punt down to the Eagles 7-yard line.
The Eagles would go on a 13 play, 93-yard drive using 6 minutes and 25 seconds on the clock. To start the drive, Reescano will take the first 3 carries for 14 yards. On 3rd down and 10, Broussard rolls out to the right and hits wide receiver Eric Sanchez for 14 yards along the sideline at the Eagle 35-yard line. After 2 short pickups, the Eagles face a 3rd and 4, Broussard hits Reescano on a swing pass for 5 yards and another Eagle first down. The Eagles were only able to pick up 2 yards on 1st and 2nd down bring up another 3rd down and 8 to go. Broussard dropped back and threw a dart to Pierson who tight roped the sideline for the catch and pickup of 14 yards for the first down. Reescano would take the first down snap and pickup 3 yards down to the Highlander 35-yard line. On the next play, Broussard will air it out to Eric Sanchez deep down field who catches it and falls backwards into the endzone for an Eagle touchdown with 1:28 left on the clock.
The Eagles attempted a 2-point conversion, which was unsuccessful but a roughing the passer penalty was called against the Highlanders giving the Eagles another retry on the attempt. Broussard would roll right and throw it back to right to Reescano who could jog into the endzone for a successful two-point play.
The Eagles take the lead 14-7 with 1:17 seconds left in the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Oregon would hit a pooch kick and the football hit the ground bouncing back towards the Eagles players where David Stewart was able to pounce on it before any Highlanders could get to it and it would be Eagle ball.
With the Highlanders only having one remaining timeout, the Eagles were able to run out the clock and finish off the game in the victory formation.
GAME ANALYSIS:
Offensively, the Eagles put up good numbers and were able to move the ball consistently all night long. They rushed the ball 37 times for 174 yards with 1 touchdown (4.7 YPA) and were 16/25 for 176 yards and a touchdown. The offensive totaled 350 yards on the night against a very good Highlander defense. The Eagles were set back by penalties in the first half which stalled out their drives but cleaned them up in the second half leading to the 14 second half points. The only offensive blemish would be the Reescano fumble in the first half as the Eagles were closing in on the redzone.
Nehemiah Broussard went 16/24 with 176 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. Broussard also carried the ball 7 times for 58 yards.
Kedrick Reescano ran the ball 29 times for 113 yards and 1 touchdown.
Dravon Wilson had 8 catches for 50 yards, Eric Sanchez had both of his catches on the last drive of the game for 49 yards including his 35-yard touchdown catch. Albert Pearson had 2 catches for 28 yards and Kendall Dove finished with 1 catch for 16 yards.
Defensively, the Eagles took on the challenge of facing a very good Highlander offense with one of the top prospects in Texas at the QB position. The defense limited the Highlander offense to 165 yards on the night and only 50 yards in the second half of the game. The defense held the Highlanders to 96 yards rushing and 69 yards passing. Enough can’t be said about how well the defense played on the night. There were no flashy performances or anything that’s going to jump off the stat sheet. Just a group of hard-nosed defensive players that all did their jobs and rallied to the ball to make plays. This performance was the epitome of a team defense.
Trayce Baker led the team in tackles with 8, DJ Lewis finished the night with 7 tackles and Daylen Wilson and Kayden Cooper both finished with 5 tackles.
Daylen Wilson picked up a sack with Tayte Baker also getting ½ a sack. Ryland Hurst was the only player to register a tackle for loss.
SPORTCAST PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Another week of tough decisions, the entire defense was considered because of their performance in shutting down a very dynamic Highlander offense but out player of the game is going to…
Nehemiah Broussard, when a play needed to be made in this game Broussard was the man to make it. He engineered 2 scoring drives of 14 and 13 plays to end the game. He completed big pass after big pass on 3rddowns in both of those drives to keep the drive alive and had the game winning touchdown pass to Eric Sanchez that put the Eagles in front to win the game.
Congrats Nehemiah and to all the players. It took everyone’s contributions and you doing your job to accomplish this win. Congrats on the win!
