Posts published in “Sports”

CROSBY – Houston Heights Bulldogs 6-A walked into The Jungle fully looking an average six inches taller and filling their pads out more than the Cougars but the first quarter taught everybody who was dominant.

The Bulldog’s opening off-side easterly kick resulted in the Cougars taking possession on their 48 yardline.

Quarterback Mannie Netherly marshaled a 22 point first quarter before being finally injured in the opening of the second. It only took about half a minute and two downs for the Cougars to score first. Netherly screened to Terrence Wiley for 45 yards. Mannie’s second play of the game scored because he put a runner, Carlos Grace, where there were no defenders. The sprint to the goal stunned everyone following the backfield dazzle.

The Cougars’ defense was phenomenal, swiping a goal line pass, shutting down the run – playing keep away for four quarters minus one minute exactly. That’s when a Bulldog pass finally got their only score and with no extra point. That pass was very much like the interception in the third quarter, straight over the center. Plus, the Cougars snatched up four fumbles. The first fumble set up Netherly to Craig Williams on a 12 yard touchdown. However, the Bulldogs were ferocious now and it looked like they were holding the Cougars but Netherly showed why LSU pick him early. From fourth down and long yardage, Netherly sprinted 44 yards to touchdown. Cougar runners were reading the plays and taking advantage of mistakes and the Cougar defense did the same. There was four and a half minutes left in the first quarter after that scoring spree and a long time to go.

The Bulldog offense were as frustrated as the man with his new bride stuck in the hotel’s revolving doors. But, they had a defense, too, in spite of the implications of the first quarter.

“I feel good,” said Coach Jeff Riordan, “I had figured we would struggle the first quarter and a half because they really are a good team, like Manvil-very good on defense. We executed some plays early, plays we had been working on from film, that we knew we could get. Had some injuries then. Some guys stepped up and played solid. I am really excited for the team, excited for the defense. Last week too; our defense has put us in a spot to win some ballgames.”

Half the third quarter elapsed without incident when Crosby got a midfield goal.

When asked about the injuries to his first two quarterbacks Riordan said, “The thing about this team is that we have guys that can step up. Mannie went down and Jake Howard came in and then Jake went down and Alex Louis came in stepping up. We do what we have to do. It’s good to have kids that prepare so that if their number is called they are ready to go. “

Barbers Hill Eagles come to town Friday at 7:00 p.m. bringing District play after swatting Santa Fe 54-13.

HOUSTON – The Cougars were outscored by C.E. King Panthers by a single touchdown but the struggle for 21-5A continues.

The result of the Nov. 7 Game of the Year did not yield the first time Crosby went undefeated since 1947 but did make the district conflict score 9-1 for both the Cougars and the Panthers. Co-District Champs with C.E. King, the top four teams go to play-offs. C.E. King is holding number one seed, Crosby number 2, Dayton number 3 and Kingwood Park is number 4. Crosby plays Beaumont Ozen Thursday at Channelview’s Maddry Stadium at 7:00 p.m.

C.E. King’s Jonathan Brantley passed for a 21 yard touchdown to Desmond Coleman to break the defensive stalemate half way though the first quarter.

The second quarter was all Crosby on defense and two touchdowns. Tristan Cotton handed Carlos Grace a seven yard run to equal the score. Craig Williams would catch a fabulous pass from Tristan Cotton and put Crosby up by seven at the half.

But #3, Trayveon Williams of the Panthers, was much like catching a greased pig at the hillbilly fair, he emerged from a cloud of red and white still charging throughout the third and fourth quarter. C.E. King’s Panthers would make three touchdowns in a row. Williams would end up with 239 yards.

Not that Crosby’s defense was lacking, A. Brown pulled down an interception that would put C.E. King off of their air war for several downs.

When minutes counted, just eight left, Cotton would connect with Trevian Edwards on a short pass after a long drive to pull within seven.

The game all came down to a snap over Cotton’s head that lost 15 yards. It was something unfamiliar for Crosby a set back at a critical time.

According to Coach Riordan, “I’m very proud of how our team competed, they played very hard. They had a real good team. We gave them a run for their money, we were ahead at half time, just couldn’t hold on. We still haven’t played our best game yet. We are waiting to peak, it would be a good time to peak right now, right as we start the playoffs. We are excited because the kids came back hungry to work this week. Nobody likes to lose but sometimes a lose will wake you up a little bit.”

CROSBY – Cougar Field became hallowed ground where the greatest high school football game ever was meet and the Cougars emerged victorious 41 to 35 last Friday.

Cougar Coach Jeff Riordan would comment after the game, “We made as many mistakes as we could and still win against a very good team. We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”

He probably means that the number of times yellow flags hit the gridiron was significant. It certainly was common.

There was an eternal pause early in the game as the score was 0-7 before the end of the first five minutes. It would take the rest of the first quarter for Crosby to put 7 on the board, too. That score came at the end of a dramatic defensive duel.

The Cougars would take the lead for much of the rest of the game after Craig Williams would pull a 41 yard dash early in the second quarter.

With about two minutes to go in the half the Broncos would answer the seven points with two field goals. Half time was a fine show of talent on both sides reflected in the 14-13 scoreboard.

Dayton was holding the initiative but staggered by a determined Cougars defense. As the second half opened, the Broncos would score a touchdown on an incredible series of passes intermixed with fragile attempts to run and a bunch of call backs of first downs for the Cougars. Crosby would suffer 14 penalties at 126 yards back from the line of scrimmage but it would be more than 200 from the place the Cougar runner was taken down back to the penalty mark. Dayton would have 6 for 67 yards, including a single facemask called.

Then the Cougars got their second wind and inside 30 play action seconds later would push in C. Williams at three yards after a dazzling 24 yard set up play. Just four minutes later Carlos Grace blitzed 10 yards unscathed amid a flurry of Bronco white and blue.

Crosby would rack up 21 points in the third quarter and would need everyone of them. It was Carlos Grace again with a sky-grab from 10 yards out turn and run 18 more yards that would get the points.

Trevor Larkin would catch three passes on the night to gain 99 yards for his team when they were needed most. Tristan Cotton would throw 22 times, connect for 9 but get picked three times with intermittent high pressure from the Bronco rush. There was no question that the third quarter was all Cougars.’ Convincing was T. Perry nabbing an interception and breaking initiative back to the Cougars.

The Cougars it seemed had relegated the Broncos to the ground but the Broncos pulled every type of run imaginable burning up the fourth quarter until just 9 minutes were left. The Broncos Kyle McBride would carry the ball 11 yards himself to get a touchdown fifteen seconds later. Then he would make two more points by catching a pass from Keandre Rose. The Cougars appeared stunned by the dazzling mix of plays the Broncos were running. After two attempts to get traction the Cougars had to give the ball up to the Broncos again and with 16 seconds left, the Broncos would tie the score on a pass from Baughman to Jacarius Keener.

The Cougars had amassed 289 yards to 186 on the ground and were behind 159 to 179 passing. As overtime began the Cougar defense was wiser and wilder in shutting down the run. The Cougars would hand off to Grace from fifteen yards out for his third touchdown with a lot of blocking and an open path to the goal.

When it was Dayton’s time they had already shown all their run plays and came up four inches short on their fourth down

Crosby 9U All Stars advancing to the 9U Pony League World Series in North Richland Hills, TX. There first bracket game will be held Thursday July 11th at 4pm.