Story By Scott Clendenin
The Rosenberg Terry Rangers ground up the College Station Cougars with a run heavy attack and ran their way to a 35-16 victory at Traylor Stadium.
In their first game against a true varsity schedule, the College Station Cougars ran into an offense that is older than most of their coaching staff in the “Split Back veer” invented by Houston Cougar Coach Bill Yoeman, and the hard running Rangers picked up over 375 yards on the ground.
The Cougars took the opening kickoff and picked up only three yards on their first possession, but a high snap on their punt attempt forced Evan Crockett to try and rush for a first down. He was brought down at his 22 yardline, giving Terry excellent field position.
The Rangers needed just two plays to score. Micheal Maxwell took a dive play over the left side for 15 yards before QB Drake James kept the ball on the option and fought his across the endline for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but Terry led 6-0 just over a minute into the ballgame.
The team traded punts, but another bad snap, this time by the Rangers led to great field position for the Cougars. Taking over at the Rangers’ 42, College Station unleashed its rushing attack. On second and 12, Charlie Glover took the ball on the Jet Sweep, and the eight yard carry gave the offense life. Quinterrian White punished the Terry defense with runs up the middle and then gave QB Cole Whittlesey the room needed to hit Drake Carnes with a nine-yard touchdown that tied the game at six.
The Rangers took the momentum right back, rushing the ball 11 straight times for 67 yards. James was excellent in his decisions on when to hand the ball off and when to keep it himself until he had to leave with a leg injury. Maxwell looked to be stopped at the 12 yardline on a key third down play, but he broke out of the pack and sprinted to the corner of the endzone for a touchdown. Backup quarterback Vonte Davis called his own number on the two point conversation and the Rangers led 14-6.
Terry’s defense forced the Cougars into a three and out on the following possession, and that gave the Rangers a chance to break the game open. Davis operated the veer to perfection, and Maxwell broke the dive handoff for 41 yards on a third down play. David Brown carried the ball the final 22 yards on the same play for a 21-6 lead that the Rangers carried into halftime.
Both teams saw their offenses pick it up in the second half. The teams traded punts on their first possession, but Terry, despite having two passes dropped, covered 53 yards in just seven plays for a 28-6 lead when Brandon Foster took an option pitch in from ten yards out.
Whittlesey found his rhythm and marched the Cougars down the field He hit Jeremiah Booker three times on the drive, twice converting third down conversions on the catch and run passes. White broke up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown, but the two point pass fell just short and the score remained 28-12.
Neilson Williams took a handoff and broke away from the line on a dive play, and his 42-yard carry broke the Cougars’ back. Brown again took a late pitch from Davis and strolled in from eight yards out to cap the drive and make it 35-12.
Whittlesey found Booker breaking free in the secondary, and he outran the Ranger secondary for a 65-yard touchdown and the game’s final points.