Mustangs and Bobcats advance to area round, Cards season ends

Junior Keyshawn Holman takes down Spartan Brodrick Peterson after a one yard completion from Spartan Jared Holley.

Three Orange County high school football teams entered the first round of the playoffs, and now only two remain.

The West Orange-Stark Mustangs, Orangefield Bobcats and Bridge City Cardinals all had playoff football games this past weekend, but only two will continue to play another week. The Mustangs and Bobcats will advance to the Area round, while the Cardinals season has come to an all too quick end.

The Mustangs (10-1) traveled to Baytown this past week and easily defeated the Houston Scarborough Spartans, 63-0. The game was never in doubt as West Orange-Stark scored on its first play of the game when quarterback Jack Dallas connected on a 38 yard scoring strike to Thomas Wallace.

The Mustangs galloped to a 47-0 half-time lead, before pulling back on the reins in the second-half to defeat the Spartans, 63-0. Coach Cornel Thompson's vaunted "Chain Gang" defense stymied the Spartans all night and restricted Scarborough to more than negative 40 yards of offense.

WO-S advances to the Area round and will take on the Wharton Tigers (8-3), which finished in second place in District 12-4A Division 2, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Maddry Stadium, which is located at 828 Sheldon Road in Channelview. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students in advance. Tickets are $8 at the gate on Friday.

Wharton, which defeated La Grange 27-24 in the Bi-District round of the playoffs this past week, is led by Coach Tim Finn.

The Orangefield Bobcats jumped out to a fast start in its game this past week in Mont Belvieu against the Houston Worthing Colts and almost gave the game away, but the Bobcats demonstrated its toughness and came from behind for a 37-28 win to advance to the Area round this week.

The Bobcats gained a measure of revenge by defeating the Colts in the playoffs, as it was the Colts who beat the Bobcats by a score of 35-31 on Oct. 2.

Orangefield (6-5) jumped out to a quick 13-0 in the first quarter as its potent running attack moved the ball and took time off the clock, and the Bobcats maintained a 19-13 lead at the half courtesy of two touchdown runs by Christopher McGee and one by Hunter Evans.

However, in less than a 60-span of the third quarter, the Bobcats found themselves down by nine-points. Worthing quarterback Alfred Robertson zipped for a 54-yard score and then connected with sibling Johnitz Robertson on a 45-yard strike to give the Colts a 28-19 lead.

A lesser team may have given up, but Coach Josh Smalley's Bobcats are no such team and proved it by scoring the games final 18 points on the way to a bi-district win. Orangefield had more than 400 yards of total offense in the victory, despite having three costly turnovers as well.

The Bobcats advance to the Area round for the second consecutive year and will face the Giddings Buffaloes (11-0), the winner of District 11-4A Division 2. Orangefield and Giddings will square off at 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Pearland Stadium, affectionately known as The Rig, which is located at 3775 South Main at Oiler Drive in Pearland, Texas. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students through Thursday and can be purchased at the OHS Fieldhouse. Tickets are $8 at the gate on Friday.

Giddings, which cruised by Sweeny this past Friday for a 35-7 victory in the Bi-district round, is led by Coach Chris Jones.

The Bridge City Cardinals have been the surprise team of the season as the team compiled win after win on its way to a 7-3 season and third place finish in District 10-4A Division 1.

However, as surprising as the Cardinals have been this year, the team's luck ran out this past Saturday night in Lufkin as the Carthage Bulldogs defeated Bridge City, 44-20.

Carthage scored on its first offensive possession for a quick 7-0 lead. Turnovers plagued the Cardinals most of the night, including its first play from scrimmage, and the Bulldogs capitalized on those mistakes on the way to a 24-0 lead.

Bridge City finally got on the board just before half-time and narrowed the lead at the break, 27-7. The Cardinals narrowed the Bulldogs lead to 27-14 in the third quarter following Derrick Dearing's second score of the game, this time from 23-yards out.

Unfortunately, Carthage's offense score 17-consecutive points for a 30-point lead and coasted to a 44-20 victory. The Cardinals season ends with a 7-4 record, but with a lot of excitement for the future under Coach Dwayne DuBois' leadership.