Pearland senior linebacker Charles Gooden Jr. (3) celebrates as he gets up from the turf after recovering a fumble by Atascocita quarterback Cardae Mack on Friday night. The Pearland defense has been very reliable for head coach BJ Gotte all season and will work to improve even more this spring as they bring back seven defensive starters next year. The Oiler defense will sorely miss Gooden as he graduates and passes the torch of defensive field general over to linebacker Joseph Credit.
—photo by Lloyd Hendricks.
Pearland junior wide receiver Jet Hernandez (15) makes a move to get free of the defender and hauls in a touchdown pass while falling backward from quarterback Jake Westmoreland. The Oilers put up a fight vs the heavily favored Atascocita Eagles but ultimately fell 28-17 to finish the season at 9-3. Hernandez has been a stalwart at wide receiver for the Oilers all season and will look to improve even more in his senior season next year as he is one of several returning starters on the offensive side of the ball. Newcomer DeShun Washington will be a junior next year and is one to watch this spring as he works to earn the starting wide receiver spot opposite of Hernandez next season. —photo by Lloyd Hendricks.
Pearland senior running back Tate Chisholm (7) breaks loose on a rush vs the Atascocita Eagles on Friday night. The Oilers had a challenging task in facing the number five state-ranked Atascocita, but they came out strong, taking a 7-0 lead with a rushing touchdown by Chisholm to start the game and a 17-14 lead at the half. That was the end of the scoring for Pearland, though, as the season would end with a 28-17 victory by Atascocita. The Oilers finish the season 9-3 with a bright future under head coach BJ Gotte, as there will be seven starters returning on offense and another seven returning on defense next season. —photo by Lloyd Hendricks.
