By Dr. David Davis
As the 2023 football season winds down, the Friendswood Mustangs’ playoff hopes rest on the outcome of the final two games against Angleton and Magnolia West, who are both in the playoff hunt.
Six teams in the district are vying for the four post-season spots, with four teams in hot pursuit of the final two places to continue their season.
Friendswood is 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the district, while Angleton and Magnolia are 3-2 in the league standings.
The Mustangs stayed in the playoff picture by taking care of the Terry Rangers (1-4) 59-14 to eliminate them from the playoffs.
The game was close in the opening period as Friendswood led 21-14 after the first 12 minutes of the game, but then the Mustangs outscored the visitors 38-0 in the final three quarters to post the lopsided win.
Friendswood opened up the scoring when QB Brock Foster hit WR Garrett Muecke for a 57-yard scoring strike. Reagan Rudolph booted the PAT for a 7-0 lead to cap the 6-play, 68-yard opening drive.
Terry responded with a 10-play, 84-yard scoring drive to tie up the game 7-7 in the first quarter. Marcos Townsend scored on a 48-yard run for the Rangers.
The Mustangs quickly answered as Foster scored on a 10-yard run to regain the lead 14-7 following the PAT.
The key play in the drive was a 21-pass from Foster to Muecke to the Terry 10.
Friendswood forced a punt by the Rangers and set up shop at the Mustang 29.
It took only one play for Friendswood to score as Foster hit Friendswood’s leading receiver on a 71-yard bomb to increase the lead to 21-7 following the PAT by Rudolph.
But the Rangers weren’t going away as Townsend burned the Mustang defense for another scoring jaunt, covering 68 yards to close the gap to 21-14 at the end of the first period.
Terry recovered the ensuing kickoff but was forced to punt after three plays.
Friendswood began their next drive at their own one-yard line but scored in six plays when Foster hit Muecke on another bomb covering 74 yards for the score. Rudolph hit the PAT, and the Mustangs had a 28-14 lead.
That would be all the scoring in the first half.
The second half belonged to the Mustangs as they scored three more times in the third quarter as Foster scored on an 8-yard run, Foster tossed a 15-yard scoring pass to Muecke, and RB Walker Winters scored on a 1-yard plunge to bump the score to 49-14.
Friendswood added a 35-yard field goal by Daniel Esmaeillou and a 5-yard scoring run by Ty Rudolph in the final quarter to post the final 59-14 score.
Foster was 14-of-23 for 362 yards passing and four TDs while rushing for 56 yards on eight carries and two more scores.
Winters had eight carries for 51 yards and one TD, while Ty Rudolph had 10 totes for 42 yards and one score.
Muecke had nine catches for 234 yards and three TDs, while Buffington had five grabs for 128 yards and one score.
Friendswood will host their final home game on Friday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Henry Winston Stadium in a critical district game against the Angleton Wildcats.
