HS Football Playoffs: Instant Classic Leaves Willis Victorious and Still Unbeaten

SPRING, TX -- The Willis Wildkats (12-0) defeated the Tomball Cougars (10-2) in a 28-24 instant classic in the Area Round out of Planet Ford Stadium.

A tough matchup against another double-digit winning team meant increased preparation for the Wildkats ahead of a make-or-break game to return to where the team went last season. The hopes of rematching Desoto rested on the team’s performance against the one-loss Cougars.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Willis Head Coach Trent Miller laid out the team’s mindset and determination against another impressive opponent.

“A lot of the main focus was on what they do on both sides of the ball,” explained Miller. “We knew they were going to get us out of rhythm and make us impatient. So, we had to find ways early to overcome that.”

With the staff and players bought into a potential rematch with the Desoto Eagles, the Wildkats got to work on their opening drive to set the tone and get on the scoreboard first.

A quick succession of no-huddle passes and runs maneuvered Willis deep into Tomball territory. The fast pace and play variety put the Cougars in a trance that kept them unable to adjust to the Wildkat formations.

Terri Lawrence III took advantage of the flat-footed Cougars and a short jog into the endzone to make the game 7-0 in Willis’ favor in a statement-making opening drive.

Adding to the pressure against Tomball early was the team’s lackluster first offensive possession. A huge loss on a sack of Jaxyn Faldyn put the Cougars in a deep hole that was nearly impossible to come out of. The sack and incompletion on third down forced Tomball into a quick three-and-out that gave the ball back to the rampant Wildkat offense.

A short punt only pushed the Willis offense to midfield. Jack Emerson and Jermaine Bishop Jr. made quick work of the drive with deep shots to the talented junior receiver piercing the staggered Cougar defense for a second-straight Willis score.

Despite the quick scores putting the team down early, Tomball refused to give in early and made their second possession a touchdown drive from a shortened field. 36 yards and a passing score from Faldyn were enough to get the Cougars back into position for a tie.

The Tomball score provided the team with positive energy, and an interception on an Emerson throw to the endzone compounded the positive swing further to the Cougars’ side.

“We knew they were going to play a tough ground and point attack,” said Miller. “It was a challenge to find spots to put our guys in without getting too aggressive.”

Unfortunately for the advancing Cougars, their starting quarterback and workhorse for the offense, Faldyn, was met on a devastating hit near the goal line. The hit called for a lengthy delay while staff attended to the downed gunslinger, but the question of maintaining the team’s momentum hung in the air as Brock Taylor entered under center for Tomball.

Following the delay and the short distance needed to score from Faldyn’s previous run, the Cougars went back to the ground to get another touchdown. Oswaldo Morales took a handoff to the right of the offensive line for his first score and a tie game at 14 into the second quarter.

Willis needed a cohesive offensive drive to regain momentum following the Tomball surge, and the trust in Emerson to maintain his effort pushed the Wildkats’ next drive.

Short passes to the talented Willis receivers rebuilt some of Emerson’s confidence after the interception while allowing the ball-carriers to work their magic in space. Jalen Mickens, Daylion Robinson, Lawrence III, and Bishop Jr. all got involved in a huge responding drive from the Wildkats.

A well-ran post route to the outside corner of the endzone from Bishop Jr. got the receiver into open space for his second touchdown of the half and a 21-14 Willis lead.

“We got out hot and started fast before sort of relaxing, and that got us against the ropes for a bit,” said Miller. “The great thing was how the kids never pointed fingers or blamed the offense or defense. They came together.”

Tomball was only able to mount one more substantial drive before the end of the half, but the long-distance field goal from Rocco Devita meant the Cougars were still down going into the halftime locker rooms.

Willis’ aggression at the start of the game by receiving the opening kickoff gave Tomball a shot to continue their push for the lead with the Cougars starting with possession in the second half.

It took until the second possession for the Cougars, but a tremendous one-handed grab from Hunter Rathke down the sideline sent the Wildkat secondary spinning on his way to a second receiving score.

Tomball’s touchdown broke the scoreless third quarter while getting the team ahead on the scoreboard for the first time. The sudden shift on the scoreboard on the heels of Willis’ now silent offense added pressure to the 13-6A Champions to keep their season alive.

Emerson and the Wildkats used a mixture of plays and scrambles from the quarterback to find holes in the reawoken Tomball defense, but effort plays led to a hard hit from the Cougar defense jarring the ball loose for Willis’ second turnover.

The fumble was a potential backbreaker heading into the final 12 minutes of play, but a forced punt by the Wildkat defense kept the window open for a potential push from Willis before time expired.

“We needed the defense to bow their necks and get some self-confidence in the last minutes,” said Miller. “Everyone talks about our offense all year long, but when we hit adversity the defense is what steps up.”

A promising drive from Willis started the fourth quarter strongly for the Wildkats, with Bishop Jr. and Emerson linking up for a handful of completions to move the chains into Tomball territory. But, the Cougars refused to bend under the pressure and forced a stop on a fourth down attempt from the Wildkats.

The clogged holes and forceful push from the Cougars at the line gave possession back to the team’s offense, but the defense would have a short-lived stay on the sideline due to Willis’ defensive 11 getting its biggest stop of the second half.

A broken screen pass from the Cougars saw the ball lofted over the head of the intended receiver into the hands of a Wildkat defensive back for the first turnover committed by the Tomball offense.

Willis parlayed the short field following the interception into flashy plays from Mickens. The Lousiana Tech commit took a high-flying reception inside the five-yard line before a slant route got him into the back of the endzone to reclaim Willis’ lead at 28-24.

Both teams only had one scoring drive apiece during the second half, but what they did offensively during the fourth quarter would determine who continued their playoff run and who would be sent home.

With time ticking, Tomball’s possession with under five minutes pushed into Willis’ territory, but needing a touchdown, the Cougars needed the endzone against the revamped Wildkat defense.

Trust in Taylor to work the offense seemed misplaced following a sack deep in the backfield, but the backup play-caller made up for it with an accurate ball for a first down at the red zone with the time under two minutes remaining.

Fans got to their feet as Tomball continued the plunge under a minute from inside the Willis 10-yard line, and both teams geared up for an all-out push to keep the score in their favor.

Willis needing a stop, Tomball needing a touchdown, it all came down to last-minute plays to decide a winner under the intense Friday night lights.

On a fourth and goal from the five-yard line with three seconds left, a lofted throw from Taylor nearly found the hands of his intended target. But, an underthrow and incompletion sent a wave of excitement and release through the Willis stands in celebration of the team’s 28-24 win.

“[Tomball] got the ball back with seven minutes left and took every second off the clock to get to that last play on fourth down,” said Miller. “For our defense to step up like that when we needed them is what I’m so impressed with and so proud of.”

Willis’ goalline stand keeps the unbeaten streak alive going into the Regional Round, but a familiar face looks to be an increasingly difficult test compared to all of their previous wins.

“I think our approach is going to be very different, cause Desoto is Desoto,” said Miller. “But the biggest difference from this year compared to last is the fact that this isn’t new to our kids anymore. Last year they walked around the Alamodome for an hour staring at the stands and the lights, but now they’ve seen it and it will hopefully settle their nerves.”

Willis’ long-anticipated rematch with the Desoto Eagles will take place on Friday the 29th inside of The Star in Frisco.

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