By Lloyd Hendricks
The Pearland Oilers continued their unbeaten march through the 2026 football season Friday night, overwhelming the Sam Rayburn Texans 70-0 at Pearland Stadium on Homecoming night. Coming off a bye week, the Oilers showed no signs of slowing down, delivering their highest-scoring performance of the season while recording their second shutout. The victory improved Pearland to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in District 19-6A play, while Sam Rayburn dropped to 1-8. The Oilers have now outscored their opponents 403-69 through eight games, averaging more than 50 points per contest.
Pearland’s rushing attack once again proved unstoppable, piling up 369 yards on the ground behind another outstanding performance from junior running back Royce Swan. Swan needed just seven carries to rush for 137 yards and three touchdowns, averaging nearly 20 yards per attempt. Swan currently leads the district with 1,271 total rushing yards on the season and has scored at least two rushing touchdowns in six consecutive games. His 13 total touchdowns on the season is tied three ways for first place with Shadow Creek wide receiver Brandon Lafell Jr. and Manvel quarterback Brayden Tuiasosopo.
Oiler senior running back Ryan Miller was equally effective near the goal line, scoring four touchdowns on eight carries while adding 59 rushing yards. The Swan/Miller duo combined for seven touchdowns as the Oilers dominated the line of scrimmage and kept the Texans’ defense on its heels throughout the night.
The victory precedes Pearland’s biggest challenge of the season as the Oilers travel to Freedom Field on Friday, October 30, to face the Shadow Creek Sharks with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Shadow Creek is 7-1 and coming off a 59-0 shutout of Alvin, setting the stage for a highly anticipated marquee matchup as Shadow Creek is ranked 9th and Pearland ranked 12th in the state. The game will also decide the 2026 District 19-6A Championship. With just two regular-season games remaining, Pearland will look to preserve its perfect record before closing the regular season at home against Brazoswood on November 5.
