Regional final Saturday got kicked off at NRG Stadium with a battle of two teams playing with a lot of juice right now, as the Angleton Wildcats took on the La Porte Bulldogs. Both of these teams were on magical runs, as all of Angleton’s games the last six weeks have been within single digits, with their lone loss in that span coming to this La Porte team. On the other hand, after starting off 0-3, the Bulldogs have rattled off 10 straight wins, including a 35-28 win over Angleton. Their first matchup was a thriller and this one would live up to the billing.
Game Recap
Both defenses came out strong, as the game opened with three three-and-outs, but Angleton would start scoring on their second drive. Ivan Rodriguez capped off The six-play drive with a 35-yard field goal, putting the Wildcats up 3-0 with 3:32 left in the first quarter.
La Porte would immediately respond. A 40-yard completion from Aiden Saenz to Ricky Sandolph got the Bulldogs deep into Wildcat territory and three plays later, freshman Sean Simon plunged in the one-yard touchdown. The score would stand at 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Following the teams’ trading punts, Angleton took the lead back. A big defensive holding call on third and 29 kept the Wildcat drive alive, and two plays later, Jamarcus Shockley stormed away from the defense for a 34-yard touchdown, but the Angleton lead did not last very long. On the next possession, the Bulldogs used an 11-play drive to march down the field, ending with a six-yard touchdown run by Tyresse Barnes, making it 14-10 La Porte, where it stood at halftime.
Angleton received the ball coming out of the half and would immediately get on the board. Rodriguez capped A seven-play drive with a 22-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to one. A solid return on the ensuing kickoff set up La Porte in Wildcat territory and two plays later, Sandolph broke away for a 40-yard touchdown, extending the Bulldog lead to 21-13 with 7:54 remaining in the third quarter.
Following an Angleton punt on their next drive, La Porte drove all the way down to the Angleton one-yard line, but a big fourth down stand by the Wildcat defense kept it a one-possession game, and they would take advantage. Angleton used a 12-play drive to march deep into La Porte territory, and Bryce Duron found Wesley Jackson in the corner of the endzone for a 17-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was successful, as Duron found Anthony Thomas in the back of the endzone, knotting up the game at 21 with 10:19 remaining.
The Angleton defense came up big again, forcing a three-and-out on the following drive. The Wildcats would then use a six-play drive to take the lead back, as Rodriguez hit his third field goal of the day, this time from 38-yards out. The score stood at 24-21 Angleton with 6:26 remaining.
La Porte’s offense had a couple more chances to tie or take the lead, but an interception by Angleton’s Maurice Hightower and a turnover-on-downs on their next two possessions would put this one away.
The Cardiac ‘Cats return from behind and advance with a 24-21 win. Angleton will play in the state semifinals for the fourth time in school history, as they face off with Smithson Valley.
