HS Football: Wildkats Win Troublesome Season Opener over Benjamin Davis

WILLIS, TX -- The Willis Wildkats (1-0) rode a late wave of offense to a 30-23 win over the visiting Benjamin Davis Falcons (0-1) in the 2024 season opener.

Expectations were high for the Wildkats following their historic 2023 season. An undefeated regular season and a district title weighed heavy on the players and coaches who had to carry the torch into their matchup against the Falcons.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Willis Head Coach Trent Miller spoke on his expectations for the team entering their opener.

“The expectation for this team is just to piggyback off what we did last year,” said Miller. “We are a very talented football team on both sides of the ball, and so we come out here to play.”

With the Wildkats in control of the ball to start the game, it seemed like their explosive offense would ride similar production to last year. Transfer quarterback Jack Emerson dotted the Falcon defense to find Jermaine Bishop Jr. who burst down the sidelines toward the endzone. But an unusual fumble inside the 10-yard line bounced to the Falcons for the first turnover of the season.

With sudden shock inside Yates Stadium, the Falcons marched 91 yards down the field to score on a rushing touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead over the Wildkats. Frequent offside penalties aided Benjamin Davis on their drive, leading to frequent stoppages and opportunities for free play.

The immediate deficit lightly fazed the Wildkats at the moment, but the team quickly returned to work to reassert themselves as the driving force for the game.

Back-to-back 60+ yard drives were taken to the endzone due to a combination of safe, reliable passes from Emerson to the stacked receiving core and hard-fought yards from Willis’ dynamic duo of running backs.

“I was beyond pleased with how [the team] responded,” said Miller. “We go down that opening series and made some mistakes on both sides, but I was so pleased with the fact that our kids didn’t start pointing fingers. They had each other’s back.”

Both Terri Lawrence III and Daylion Robinson would find the endzone for scores in the first quarter. Their work at the goalline would reward the Wildkats with a 14-7 lead entering a third quarter that slowed the game to a crawl.

The defenses came to play in the second quarter. A combined five drives for both teams saw neither squad score any offensive points.

Lockdown coverage from the Falcons kept the Willis passing game dead silent, while Wildkat rushers harassed Davis runners behind the line with bone-crushing tackles.

Following a Willis drive that was fumbled at the Davis 2-yard line, the Falcons looked to tie the game before receiving the ball after halftime. But with no room to breathe in their endzone, too much pressure from the Wildkat pursuit on a broken play resulted in Davis conceding a safety.

The two-point play would be the only points scored by either team in the second quarter. A halftime lead for the Wildkats was part of the expectation, but a 16-7 scoreline was not.

Luckily for those in attendance, the offenses reemerged from the halftime lockerrooms with renewed energy and tactics.

The Falcons struck first with a 46-yard touchdown drive that put the team within one possession of taking the lead. The effort was completed when a 62-yard bomb down the field from Andre Salazar to Jeremiah Jackson went into the endzone, giving Davis a 20-16 lead.

Willis’ offense needed a spark. Short passes to receivers Bishop Jr., Jalen Mickens, and Romel Stevens were covered in the first half, but clever scheming and blocking saw the threats take center stage in the late third quarter.

Open spaces in the defensive backfield saw the Wildkats move the ball downfield with efficiency. With too many weapons to cover across the formation, Emerson found Robinson in the slot for his second all-purpose score of the night to reclaim the lead for Willis.

“It's exciting to see those guys go to work,” said Miller of his offensive weapons. “They’re great three-year starters in some cases and it's a big piece of the success that we’ve had these last couple of years.”

Robinson’s score opened the fourth quarter for the Wildkats, and it fell on the suddenly stagnant Falcon offense to respond.

The revitalized Wildkat defense asserted pressure on Salazar with every dropback. Pressure from the middle in the form of Frankie Long freed up the edge-rushing combo of A.J. Edwards and Luke Reynolds to smash their way into the Falcon backfield for big losses.

Punts followed stalled Falcon drives and provided opportunities for the Wildkats to distance themselves on the scoreboard.

A dagger of a pass from Emerson to Mickens sent shockwaves through the stadium as the talented slot receiver ended Davis’ hopes with a 61-yard touchdown reception.

The Falcons managed a field goal in response with two minutes remaining, but an unsuccessful onside kick gave the ball back to the Wildkat offense.

A single first down conversion from the Willis running game ended the night with the Wildkats kneeling out a 30-23 victory to start the season on the right foot.

Lessons will be learned from a game that was closer than many expected. Frequent penalties against the defense and sloppy drops from the offense gave the Willis coaching staff talking points that will turn into teaching.

“I think we took Aldine Davis for granted tonight,” said Miller. “On paper, they were more than we were expecting and they came to lay us out. But now the focus shifts, and we have to prepare through a short week with the lessons we can take from the film to be better prepared for next week.”

Willis’ focus now rests on Klein Collins who will host the Wildkats on Thursday at Klein Memorial Stadium.

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