STORY BY SCOTT CLENDENIN
LIVINGSTON — The College Station Cougars were rude guests at the Livingston Lions’ homecoming Friday night, cruising to a 70-17 victory in District 18-5A action.
In what looks like an inevitable trek into the playoffs in their first year in a UIL district, the Cougars’ fifth straight victory pushed their streak of district blowouts to three for three.
The Cougars amassed 629 yards of total offense, 402 on the ground. Quinterrian White was the workhorse, carrying the ball 18 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Sennette gained 100 yards on three carries while scoring twice. Cole Whittlesey was 10-of-13 passing for 154 yards and three TDs.
The game began after a 19-minute weather delay that saw very little rain fall on the playing surface. College Station’s defense then dampened the home crowd’s enthusiasm for the homecoming ceremonies. The Cougars controlled the Livingston offense and corralled both quarterback Kurt Wilson and running back David Caddie. Wilson completed just 9 of 19 passes for 165 yards with an interception, while Caddie needed 31 carries to reach 107 yards and a touchdown.
Livingston, the smallest team in 18-5A, has lost four straight games allowing an average of 35 points a game, and College Station surpassed that mark in the second quarter.
The Cougar offense is the only team in district to eclipse the 300-point barrier in the first six games of the season while only two other teams have even scored 200 points in that same time frame.
College Station’s defense forced a three-and-out to start the game, and a short punt set up the Cougar offense at the Lions’ 36-yard line. Whittlesey’s swing pass to White nearly covered that whole distance with him going out of bounds at the 2. Whittlesey then rolled out on the next play and found Drake Carnes in the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
Taking over on downs at their own 31, the Cougars needed just four plays to score again. Whittlesey hit Carnes for 16 yards on the first play of the drive. White abused the middle of the Lion defense on a 16-yard carry, and after Whittlesey gained 15 on a draw play, White went in untouched from 20 yards out. The extra point hit the upright for a 13-0 lead.
The defense again forced a three-and-out and gave the ball to the offense on the Lions’ side of the field. Taking over at Livingston’s 46, College Station overcame a penalty for a chop block with Whittlesey completing a 17-yard pass to Charlie Glover before calling his own number on fourth-and-1 for a first down run to the 28. Two plays later, White rumbled in from 20 yards out, and a two-point pass to Jeremiah Booker gave the Cougars a 21-0 lead.
Livingston showed some life with a 13-play, 76-yard drive that featured sweeps by JaQuavious Nickson and Caddie running up the middle. Caddie scored on a 4-yard dive.
But the Cougars answered and never looked back. Whittlesey finished the drive with a 22-yard pass to Jake Georgiades, who kept his feet inbounds on a fade route in the corner of the end zone for a 27-7 College Station lead that the Cougars eventually turned into a 35-10 advantage at halftime.
College Station scored five second-half TDs, including backup quarterback Ty Brock’s 60-yard pass to Glover on a short catch-and-run play that went the distance.
Story courtesy of the B/CS Eagle