photos by Pat Carrigan, First Down Photos
With the Up-Tempo, RPO-style Offenses a lot of High Schools across Texas employ, if I told you that Manor (4-2,1-2) and Round Rock (6-0,3-0) combined for four total punts during their game on Friday Night, your first reaction may be to think that both teams scored 30+ points. Not the case. Both Defenses combined for four Interceptions, a Fumble Recovery, six Turnover on Downs, each team having points come off the scoreboard due to penalties and a massive momentum swing in the 2nd Quarter that kept fans in the stands heads on a swivel all night long.
First Half
Just like last week, on the Mustangs opening drive they reeled off a 40+ yard run, but this time it was QB Quintaelyn Joyner with the 47-yard run on the games third play to set Manor up at the Round Rock 20-yard line. After getting the ball down to the Dragon fifteen, the Mustangs went for it on fourth down and QB Joyner’s pass was intercepted at the Goal Line by Round Rock DB Jalon Gilbert to stave off the early score.
Round Rock responded by driving the ball to the Manor 39-yard line, also electing to go for it on fourth down rather than punt. However, QB Mason Cochran was unable to find an open receiver and was taken down after a short gain in what looked like to be giving the Mustangs great field position, but a 15-yard Personal Foul for Unsportsmanlike Conduct after the play pushed Manor back to their own 22-yard line. Manor, unable to move the ball and flagged for another Personal Foul penalty, found themselves punting from their own 4-yard line. A high snap led to a rushed punt that provided Round Rock with a short field at the Manor 26. Five plays later, Cochran looked to be wrapped up in the backfield, but escaped and took the ball across from twelve yards out to put the Dragons up 7-0.
Defense looked to take over at that point, with a Quentin Joyner Fumble recovered by Round Rock, followed by Ike Esonwune slipping between a pair of Dragon receivers for an interception of a Cochran pass in the flat to give the Mustangs the ball right back. After Round Rock came up with another fourth down stop at their own 28-yard line, Manors Defense held on the next three plays to force a punt and looked to get a short field of their own.
On the Round Rock punt, the high snap went over the punters head and out of the back of the Dragon End Zone for a safety that would have made it 7-2 with Manor getting the ball after a Free Kick. However, Manor was flagged for a 15-yard Personal Foul penalty, allowing Round Rock to maintain possession and a first down at their 42-yard line. On the very next play Cochran found a streaking Aidan Sterling behind the Mustang secondary, hitting him in stride for a 58-yard touchdown pass. With the extra point the Dragons extended their lead to 14-0.
Manor then quickly moved the ball downfield behind a 15-yard QB Joyner to Torry Johnson pass play and a pounding 26-yard Quentin Joyner run. A 15-yard Personal Foul penalty against the Round Rock Defense moved the ball to the Round Rock 12-yard line. On Fourth Down from the Dragons five-yard line QB Joyner found Sean Harris open in the End Zone, hitting him with the short pass to pull within 14-7.
On their final drive of the half, Round Rock was able to move the ball just beyond midfield with multiple short pass plays that also helped drain the clock. Manor LB Sam Shaw just missed hauling in a Cochran pass for another interception near midfield, then on the next snap Manor Safety David Jefferey hauled in an Ike Esonwune tipped Hail Mary pass from Cochran for an interception on the final play.
Second Half
Both teams exchanged punts on their opening drives of the 2nd Half. Round Rock then put together their longest drive of the night going 63 yards in 13 plays to get to the Manor 10-yard line. Cochran looked to run in in for a touchdown on Third and Goal, but a holding call on the Dragons nullified the score and pushed them back to the Mustang twelve. Two plays later Round Rock settled for a 29-yard Kai Haruki Field Goal to make the score 17-7.
The Dragon Defense forced a Manor punt on their next possession at the end of the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th Quarter, Round Rock held Manor to a Turnover on Downs, another Turnover on Downs and an Interception by SR DB Leonard Moore on their final three possessions to seal the win.
Behind the Numbers:
SR RB Vincent Mighetto had his biggest game of the season, running 18 times for 81 yards, after coming into the game with just 20 carries for 62 yards in their first 5 games. JR QB Mason Cochran was 8 for 19, 83 yds passing with 1TD and 2INT, also had his lowest rushing total of the season with 79 yards on 20 carries (came into the game averaging 138 yds/game on the ground). Round Rock Defense holding District opponents to just 171 total yds/game (75.3 yds Passing, 95.7 yds Rushing).
Manor SR RB Quentin Joyner went over 100 yards rushing for the 5th straight game, now with 942 yards on the season. After averaging 217.8 passing yds/game in their first four games of the season, Mustangs have now been held to just 63 yards (Vandegrift) and 33 yards (Round Rock) in their past two games, along with 3 of their 5 interceptions on the season. Manor Defense held Round Rock Offense to their lowest point total (17) and under 300 total yards (254) for only the third time this season (201 against Weiss and 246 against Westwood), collecting 2 of the 4 interceptions the Dragons have thrown this year.
Week 8
Manor heads into their third consecutive matchup against a 2021 District 25-6A Playoff team when they host the Cedar Ridge Raiders (3-3,2-1). In a game that could decide which of these teams’ heads to the 2022 Playoffs, the Mustangs look to regroup after their second loss in a row, while the Raiders try to continue their momentum after two consecutive District wins over Westwood and Stony Point.
Round Rock goes on the road to Monroe Stadium to take on the Vandegrift Vipers (5-1,3-0) in what has become the de facto District Championship game the past two years. The all-time series between these two District Powerhouses is tied at 2 Wins each. This year it will also be a matchup of two Top 25 ranked teams in 6A, Round Rock at 16 and Vandegrift one spot behind them at 17 in our current poll.
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