If you look up the word ‘intangible’, you’ll see that it says “not represented by a physical object or a value not precisely measurable” in the definition. Under that definition, this quantifies attributes or traits such as adversity and momentum as an intangible. This year’s Highlander football team has shown that those are two of the most important factors there is in the game of football. Obviously, the Highlanders have had momentum all season, as they’ve gone undefeated through 15 games and dealt losses to two defending state champions (Katy and George Ranch) in what many would consider blowouts in both contests. Besides being 15-0, The Woodlands have outscored their opponents on average by 31 points this season and have allowed just under 273 total yards per game.
Translation: this team is the real deal. Many teams have made the mistake of underestimating and misjudging the near-perfect technique and discipline of this team and suffered the consequences. However, those who understood the high-caliber play of The Woodlands were not throttled as bad but still managed to leave the field thinking, “Thank God that’s over,”
Needless to say, this is quite possibly the best team in the state this year and decisively so.
Also, if being great wasn’t enough motivation for the Highlanders, the injury to Grant Milton (LB #21) sure provided the fire needed to beat teams like Allen and Round Rock deep in the playoffs. During their regional semi-final playoff game versus Austin Bowie, Milton began to seizure on the sidelines and was immediately taken to the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Waco, where the game was located, and rushed into the operating room soon thereafter.
Milton had suffered a severe brain injury, one bad enough that it would require a two-hour long operation on his brain to stop the bleeding. Reports have shown that Grant is making great progress, while still in a coma, and the doctors hope to see more progress in the coming weeks. Thousands of people have donated money to his medical fund, including a notable $10,000 donation from some guy named J.J. Watt, and several fundraisers have been held in his honor, raising tens of thousands of dollars to support him and his family through this trying time.
Losses usually show a team their true colors. The Cowboys realized that against the Giants last Sunday night. But, for this team, the courage and fight of their fellow teammate has shown them who they really are.
Grant’s recovery will be long and hard, as is every brain injury, but his fight will be one to remember. At the end of the day, this game requires you as a football player to fight for everything, whether that be fighting for an extra yard, fighting to maintain a block, or even fighting through a nasty double team— it’s all war, all day, every down.
With one game left till football eternity, The Highlanders look too keep fighting until the very end. The Woodlands will compete against Lake Travis this Saturday for the 6A Division I state championship. To help raise money for the Milton family, please click here and visit the GoFundMe page to donate.
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