HS Football: Highlanders Lap the Cleveland Indians in Their Lopsided District Matchup

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The Woodlands Highlanders (5-1) handled their business against the struggling Cleveland Indians (0-7) in a 70-0 shutout to keep pace with 13-6A’s top teams.

With the Willis Wildkats and Conroe Tigers being unbeaten heading into the week, the Highlanders needed to continue their winning ways if they hoped to catch one of them slipping in the standings.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Woodlands Head Coach Jim Rapp spoke on the team’s preparation ahead of their matchup against the Indians.

“The season is long and what we’ve been doing these last few weeks is working on things that make ourselves better,” said Rapp. “We had a solid week last week in our open week against ourselves.”

The Woodlands defense got the team off on the right foot early, stopping the Cleveland offense early and giving the ball to the powerful Highlander offense that averaged 412.8 yards per game entering Thursday night.

Jack Daulton and the rest of the Highlander offense set out on their first drive with clinical execution. A healthy mix of passes and runs worked the ball to the Cleveland 36-yard line where Daulton found the sideline on his rush to the endzone for a quick 7-0 Woodlands lead.

The Highlanders were off to the races after their first touchdown. Defensive stops throughout the rest of the first quarter forced the Indians into two punts and a turnover on downs, allowing the Woodlands offense to work freely.

Another rushing score for the Highlanders, this time by Lincoln Halsey, breached Cleveland’s red zone defense for a second Woodlands score. He and Daulton were joined in the first-quarter scoring procession by Jackson Bolender through the air for a 21-0 Woodlands lead as the first quarter closed.

“It came down to our kids executing,” said Rapp on the team’s offensive success. “I have a lot of respect for Cleveland and what they do, but I was proud of how our guys focused on us and executing what we needed to execute.”

Multiple passing options for Daulton carried the team’s offense into the second quarter. The deep ball was used to catch the Cleveland defense flat-footed, as Michael Garcia had sailed past the Indian defensive backs for a fourth straight touchdown drive.

Compared to the high-end offensive success of the Highlanders, the Indian attack was muted in their production. Passes missed their marks, runs were stopped at the line of scrimmage, and the Highlander defense continued to win the war in the trenches.

Cleveland’s inability to move the ball effectively saw the team punt the ball an additional four times and throw an interception. The ineffective offense and continual punts allowed the Highlanders to resume their scoring ways and stretch the lead even further.

“We have a tradition of playing really good defense here,” emphasized Rapp. “I was proud of our kids because they bowed up when needed and they weren’t always our starters.”

After five straight touchdown drives, the Highlanders inserted sophomore quarterback Parker Stephenson to orchestrate the offense for the rest of the half. Even with his inexperience against other varsity teams, Stephenson would prove to be a valuable addition to the red-hot Highlander offense.

Fortunately for Stephenson, Jason Haskins went on a tear to end the first half. The talented running back capped off three straight drives with rushing scores, including a 54-yard rushing score on the team’s seventh consecutive touchdown drive.

In total, five different Woodlands scorers through 24 minutes cushioned the team with a 49-0 lead going into the locker rooms.

A spot of hope came through for the Indians on the second-half kickoff. The Highlanders were set to return but a stealthfully executed onside kick gave possession to Cleveland inside of Woodlands territory for the first time.

Unfortunately for the Indians, the hope was short-lived. Three straight negative plays put the maligned Cleveland offense behind the chains and they were forced to punt away their most promising start yet.

Another Woodlands touchdown pushed the lead over 50, but the Indians refused to throw in the towel against the insurmountable odds.

Passes and chunk plays through the air worked the ball well into Woodlands territory. Missed tackles from the Highlander defensive backs allowed the Indians to maneuver inside the five-yard line.

But just like their first drive of the half, the Indians dug themselves into a hole and were forced into kicking a field goal. Even worse for Cleveland, the attempt was blocked and nearly returned for a Highlander touchdown.

“As coaches, that’s the kind of stuff we want,” said Rapp on his second and third-unit players. “We try to give kids opportunities to play. So when they get to the varsity level, those opportunities aren’t unusual to them.”

The blocked field goal was symptomatic of Cleveland’s struggle throughout the night. An inability to stop the Highlander offense, ineffective yardage, and now a silent special teams unit plagued Clevaland’s team through the final whistle.

A late turnover on downs by the Indian offense was the last gasp of an already-dying Cleveland unit. Another Woodlands score simply compounded the issue against one of the district’s worst defensive units.

The clock continued to tick, but a dominant performance from the Highlanders was plain to see from a long time before. The result of a 70-0 Highlander win was well deserved on The Woodlands’ behalf, and it situates the team with positive momentum ahead of their rivalry matchup with College Park.

“A lot of people want to make it a big deal, but for us and our thought process, it’s just our next football game,” said Rapp. “We have not qualified for the playoffs yet and that’s our goal. So this is just our next opportunity to get a chance at that.”

The Woodlands’ date with College Park will be next Thursday at Woodforest Bank Stadium while Cleveland heads into its bye week.

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