Video: The Woodlands season highlights
See highlights from the Highlanders heading into Saturday's 6A-1 semifinal game with Allen.For only the second time in school history,
The Woodlands (Texas) has advanced to a state championship game, and it did it by knocking off one of the most successful teams in the nation over the past five years.
The Woodlands (15-0) defeated No. 7
Allen (14-1) 36-28 Saturday to advance to the Class 6A-I championship game. The Woodlands will take on Lake Travis, a big winner over Atascocita on Dec. 17 at 8 p.m.
Ranked No. 24 in the Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard, The Woodlands' only other appearance in the state final came in 2003 when it lost to North Shore 23-7. With the victory over Allen, the Highlanders set a school record for wins (15), breaking the mark of 14 set in 2003. The Woodlands also posted the sixth undefeated regular season in school history this year.
See all the scoring and play-by-play here
The Woodlands struck quickly, taking a 26-3 lead by early in the third quarter.
Carlos Ramos started it off with a 6-yard touchdown run followed by a 39-yard field goal from
Lockhart West to make it 10-0 in the first quarter.
Allen closed to 10-3 on a 27-yard field goal by
Michael Ewton, but a 68-yard pass from
Eric Schmid to
Dylan Casey and second field goal from West made it 20-3 at halftime.
Another long touchdown pass, this one 72 yards from Schmid to
Kesean Carter, made it 26-3.
Allen eventually closed to 26-13 following a 30-yard touchdown pass from
Mitchell Jonke to
Theo Wease, but Schmid's third TD pass, this a 9-yarder to
Grant Murphy with nine minutes left, all but put it away for The Woodlands.
Allen didn't go down without a fight, as Jonke added a 2-yard TD and another scoring pass to Wease plus a 2-point conversion. But West tacked on his third field goal late for the final margin.
The Woodlands defeated one of the most successful teams in the nation over the past five seasons. Allen had a record of 82-2 from 2012 to the present.
The Woodlands receiver Grant Murphy scores on a 9-yard touchdown catch during the fourth quarter.
Photos by Neil Fonville
The Woodlands safety Cole Langston and his teammates celebrate their playoff victory over Allen.
