By Dr. David Davis
New head coach Jordan Johnson was facing a losing record in his first season at the helm of his alma mater. The Mustangs were facing playoff-bound Magnolia West, while Friendswood was staying home this year.
The only thing left to play for Friendswood was their pride, as they have always had the reputation of playing with a purpose and never giving up.
That certainly turned out to be true as the ‘Stangs edged Magnolia West 48-47 to end the season on a positive note.
And Friendswood did it in record-setting fashion as senior quarterback Brock Foster broke the 54-year-old single-game passing record that was set back in 1969 when QB Kent Ballard threw for 428 yards. Foster was 33-for-51 for 519 yards. He also broke the single-game passing attempts mark held by QB Jacob Karam who set the record with 41 attempts in 2008. Foster threw 51 passes against Magnolia West for the new FHS record.
Friendswood fans who made the long trip to Magnolia West’s Mustang Stadium returned home with happy hearts to end the 2023 football season. The Mustangs closed out the season with a 5-5 mark in one of the toughest 5A districts in the state.
The pace was fast and furious from the onset, as the first quarter ended with the teams knotted in a 20-all tie.
In the second quarter, Magnolia West took a 23-20 lead on a 28-yard field goal before Friendswood went ahead 27-23 on a 53-yard TD reception from Adam Buffington and took that edge into the halftime intermission.
Magnolia West controlled the third quarter, with TD passes of 55 and 19 yards, giving the hosting Mustangs a 37-27 lead.
Trailing 47-34 in the fourth quarter, a 4-yard TD run by Foster got the visiting Mustangs’ rally started, and special teams came up huge with a blocked field goal to keep it a one-score game at 47-41.
That’s when the never-say-die Friendswood offense came up with that game-winning rally.
In the waning seconds of the fourth quarter, WR Garret Muecke caught a 53-yard scoring pass from Foster after a Magnolia West defender deflected the ball. Muecke displayed great concentration to make the adjustment and haul in the reception to score the game-winning touchdown to make the score 48-47.
Also putting up huge numbers were receivers Muecke (14 catches, 245 yards, two TDs) and Buffington (12 catches, 220 yards, two TDs).
