After the new two-year realignment for Friendswood was announced back in February, the Mustangs found themselves in the toughest 5A district in Houston area and maybe the state. At one point this season, five teams in District 10-5A Div I were in the Houston area top 10, but that didn’t include Friendswood.
Friendswood head coach Robert Koopmann knew that the Mustangs had to win their final three games of the season to advance to the post-season. The Mustangs won the first of the three games with a 30-6 win over Terry, but they were still facing No. 6 area-ranked Angleton and No. 3 area-ranked Magnolia West.
While the Mustangs gave a good effort, Angleton proved to be too much for Friendswood as the Wildcats came away with a 35-21 district win which dashed the playoff hopes of the Mustangs for this season.
Friendswood is now 4-5 overall and 3-4 in district. The Mustangs have an open date this week and will close out the 2022 football campaign on Friday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Henry Winston Stadium.
For Angleton, they are now 6-2 overall and 5-1 in district and have punched their ticket to the post-season and are in contention for the district championship which will be decided over the final two games.
It didn’t take the Wildcats long to take a 7-0 lead as junior quarterback Adrian Ewells hit Kariyen Boniaby-Goins on a screen pass which was turned into an 80-yard touchdown for Angleton.
Angleton scored on their next possession after forcing Friendswood to punt. This time it was a strong running attack for the Wildcats.
After three first-down carries by Ewells and a first-down pass play, running back Deseahn Thomas got the call and burst through a huge hole for a 43-yard scamper to the Friendswood three-yard line where he scored on the next play giving Angleton a 14-0 lead with six minutes left in the opening period.
Friendswood finally found the end zone in the middle of the second quarter when QB Mikey Butler fired a scoring pass to Kale Koopmann covering 30-yards to cut the lead to 14-7 following the PAT by Reagan Rudolph.
Angleton got the ensuing kickoff at their own 38 to begin their next drive. The Wildcats used an 8-play, 62-yard scoring drive when Ewells hit Talon Moten on a 35-yard scoring pass with three minutes left in the second quarter for a 21-7 advantage.
The Wildcats struck again before halftime when defensive back Myalek Woods intercepted a Friendswood pass at the18-yard line. On the first play following the turnover, Ewells hit Bryce Duron for the 18-yard scoring pass to give Angleton a 28-7 lead at intermission.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Angleton found paydirt early in the fourth quarter when Duron caught a short screen pass, juked a Friendswood defender, and walked into the end zone for a 35-7 lead to complete the 10-play, 79-yard scoring drive.
Friendswood began their drive following the ensuing kickoff at the 33 with Matthew Dupuis guiding the offense in place of Butler.
The Mustangs went on an 11-play, 67-yard scoring march capped off with a 20-yard scoring pass from Dupuis to Walker Winters to narrow the score to 35-14 following the PAT by Rudolph.
Friendswood recovered the onside kick at the Angleton 48, but Elijah Walker intercepted the third-down pass and returned it to the Mustang 35 with six minutes remaining in the game.
The Wildcats were forced turned the ball over on downs, so the Mustangs took over at their own 34 with less than two minutes showing on the game clock.
On fourth down, Dupuis hit Koopmann between two defenders and Koopmann turned the play into a 66-yard touchdown. Randolph hit the extra point making the score 35-21 which stood as the final score.
