Friendswood Mustangs vs. Fort Bend Kempner Cougars - November 9, 2024

    On Saturday, November 9, 2024, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Mercer Stadium in Sugar Land to end the regular season against the Fort Bend Kempner Cougars. While this was the final district game of the season, everyone knew that there were no playoff spots on the line. The 4 playoff spots for District 11-5A-D1 had already been decided. For the home team, this was their last football game of the season. For the visitors, it was their last chance to try out anything that they are preparing for the playoffs as well as to give the non-starters a chance to prove that they are ready to take on a bigger role for the team. Despite the scoreboard, the Mustangs did not look playoff ready. This was not what you want to see the week before you take on the role of David in the story of Goliath.

    But before we start talking about next week, let's talk about the game between the Mustangs and the Cougars. I hate to say that the Mustangs did not look as good as the scoreboard would indicate. Friendswood was able to capitalize on multiple mistakes by Kempner, but didn't look like the finely tuned football team that is ready to take on a team lauded by Dave Campbell's Texas Football, MaxPreps, and Texas HS Football as one of the top 5A teams in Texas.

    Let's start with the bad. Too many passes were overthrown or off target. Too many mistakes were made when players were in the wrong place at the right time. There were too many turnovers and too many earned penalties against Friendswood. (I specify earned because we all know that referees aren't always fair). The offense has become too predictable with the attempts to draw the defense offsides. (I'm sure the o-line hates that call). The defense let too many ball carriers get by them. The offense wasn't prepared when they were picked off or fumbled and they let the Cougar defense get to the QB too many times. The kickoff team let too many ball carriers get by (they had plenty of practice during the game) leaving the kicker to defend the goal line. All around, this just wasn't a team that looked ready for the playoffs.

    Now with the good. The players who were injured early in the season are looking better and better in their recoveries.  Some of the players who needed to rest were able to spend this game on the sidelines, giving their bodies another week to prepare for what is to come. Some of the backup players proved that they are ready for starting roles. The defense was watching for turnover, interception and pick 6 opportunities and capitalized multiple times (even if one was called back due to penalties). Some players displayed their determination to be playmakers, one even took a charge like a basketball player.     

    With those good things comes some attaboys. There were some JV players on the field during the game who deserve a pat on the back, too. These are in the order that I made my notes and the order does not indicate who deserved more or fewer attaboys. Those earring attaboys from Saturday evenings game are: Lee, Crites, Muecke, Sindelar, Bateman, Gerami, Butler, Umanzor, Allen, Ruffeno, Ausbie, Cain, Wilson, Slaughter, Bob, Abebe, Condon, Molina, Mills, Boyer, Bucholz, Yawn, Hernandez, Collins, Prince, Black, Rudd, & #40 (?). 

BOX SCORE
	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	FINAL
Friendswood Mustangs	29	14	6	6	55
FB Kempner Cougars	7	0	7	13	27

    And now on to next week. Friendswood is not the only District 11-5A-D1 team headed to College Station for a playoff game on Friday night. The Crosby Cougars will be playing against the College Station Cougars at the same time that the Friendswood Mustangs will be taking on the Tigers of A&M Consolidated High School, also in College Station. I'm not sure what this will mean for people who want to get there early to enjoy dinner before the game, or those who plan to stay in College Station and attend the A&M game against New Mexico State at Kyle Field on Saturday. I'm hoping that the Mustang alumni attending FHS 2.0 (aka Texas A&M University) will make the drive over to Tigerland Stadium to support their alma mater and cheer for the Mustangs.

    For those who are interested, below is the 5A-D1 playoff bracket from Dave Campbells's Texas Football.

This bracket can be found at https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2024/11/06/2024-txhsfb-playoff-bracket-5a-division-i?ref=article_preview_img During this coming week, Dave Campbell's Texas Football will publish their bracketology and their picks for the week. They usually spend some time talking about teams that they think are the top of the class and/or their favorites.

    I am sincerely hopeful that this will be the week that revives the tradition for Friendswood of traveling for away games, especially playoff games. My family and I moved to Friendswood in 2007 (although for my husband, he was moving back to Friendswood). Our first Mustang playoff game was that year at Kyle Field. I was so impressed with the number of people sitting on the Friendswood side. As time went on, we've played playoff games at Kyle Field, Galena Park ISD Stadium, Woodforest National Bank Stadium, TDECU Stadium (before and after renovations), Rice University Stadium, and NRG Stadium. No matter where we played or who we played against, there was always a sea of blue in the stands. A few years ago, that sea of blue at the away games, and even at home games, got smaller and smaller. This week, there's reason to believe that it will be even worse when it comes to the number of Mustang fans in the stands. As luck would have it, the week of our first play off game in a while is not only a long drive for a Friday night, it's also the weekend that the Mighty Mustang Band is competing in Indianapolis at the BOA Grand National Championships (Grand Nats). This means that there will be no live fight song, stand music, or any of the other musical sounds that the Mustangs are used to hearing from the stands. I have it on good authority that the Wranglerettes are planning to use their speaker in the stands and hope that the players will be able to hear their music. It won't be the same as having a live band, but it will be better than nothing.  Last I heard, despite, the marching band not being there, the Wranglerettes are planning to perform using prerecorded music.

    For everyone willing and able to make the drive, the first playoff game of the season is Friday, November 15, 2024 at Tigerland Stadium in College Station, Texas. Kickoff is at 7pm. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pay attention as, like I said above, there are 2 high school playoff games in College Station on Friday that both kick off at 7pm. Under the current UIL rules, for the first round of the playoffs, the higher seeded team can choose to play at home. Most do, and I don't blame them. After Round 1, all future playoff games are played in neutral stadiums, but not necessarily in unfamiliar stadiums. That being said, Friendswood CAN NOT afford to get ahead of themselves. They MUST fix the problems from Saturday before heading to College Station. They need to PAY ATTENTION when watching film and be prepared to capitalize on any mistakes, no matter how minor, that the Tigers make on Friday night. Because the Tigers are ranked so much higher than the Mustangs, (MaxPreps #4, vs. #46), and they are coming in undefeated, there is a chance that the Tigers will get complacent, overlook the Mustangs, or come in with a chip on their shoulders. Friendswood needs to be prepared to capitalize on that mistake. 

    I realize that at that time of day on a Friday, it's 124 miles and a 2 hour and 45 minute drive from FHS to Tigerland Stadium, but please, make your plans now to be there, be loud, be proud, and support your Mustangs!

Be there or be 🟦

GO MUSTANGS!

Disclaimer: My football education is from attending high school football games for 45+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I continue to learn more about the game and strategies every week. My vocabulary may be lacking, but I know what I see and describe it as best I can.