Angleton Wildcats vs. Friendswood Mustangs - October 11, 2024

    On Friday, October 11, 2024, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Angleton Wildcats at Henry Winston Stadium. Many people believed that they knew what the outcome of the game would be before the game started. Unfortunately, it seemed like many of those people were on the home sidelines. There were enough people on the Friendswood sidelines who believed that they could win to keep the score closer than others expected.

    Friendswood had multiple opportunities to increase the number on their side of the scoreboard, but just couldn't finish the plays. Once again, I was surprised to see that the coaches chose to leave Butler in for the entire game. He is still sporting a wrap that looks like a compression sleeve on his leg and is moving with a limp. That being said, he can still throw and scan scramble for short distances.

    In order to make the playoffs this year, Friendswood needs to win out for the regular season. Looking at the schedule, it looks very possible. There is only one team left on the schedule that I am not familiar with, but if what I've heard about that team is correct,  Friendswood has made it through the most difficult part of their regular season schedule. Even if that is all true, the O-line has got to get better at protecting the QB. Whether the QB is Butler, Randall, Brister, or someone else, they have to find a way to give the receivers time to get into position for the QB to make the throw. If not, we will continue to see Friendswood with low score totals. The Mustangs also need to continue to work on the speed of the defensive backs. We have 2 this year who have some speed, but they don't have enough and 2 is not enough. We may be able to get through the rest of the season with our current speed, but that won't be enough to be successful in the playoffs. I would also hope that the defense is playing catch with the QBs just like the receivers. They should be doing everything that can to increase their versatility on defense. 

BOX SCORE
	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	FINAL
Angleton Wildcats	24	0	7	0	31
Friendswood Mustangs	7	0	0	0	7

    Despite the final score, and the needs of the team, there are some Mustangs who deserve attaboys for their efforts against Angleton. This week's attaboys go to Winters, Butler, Muecke, Ruffeno, Lee, Wilson, Sindelar, Ausbie, Cain, Molina, Allen, McElwain, Crow, Condon, Bateman, Vu, Petreyko, & Morris.

    Next up for the Mustangs is the Pasadena Eagles. This will be the last Thursday game of the year for the Mustangs. Kickoff will be at 7pm at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Pasadena on Thursday, October 17. 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.

Friendswood Mustangs vs. Crosby Cougars - October 4, 2024

     On Friday, October 4, 2024, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Crosby to take on the Cougars in the second week of district play. Sadly, this was not the bounce back that the Mustangs were hoping for after their loss to La Porte the previous week. 

    It is unusual for the Mustangs to be the least physical team on the field, but that is what happened on Friday night. Friendswood tried to stop the Cougar offense, but just didn't have the size nor speed. That doesn't mean that the Mustangs gave up. Far from it. They gave it everything they had. But their all just wasn't enough. 

    This was the first time that the Mustang's QB Butler started a game since Marshall. He was wearing a brace that looked like a tall compression sock. He was also sporting a bit of a limp. Butler was sacked multiple times, threw multiple interceptions, and wasn't able to run well. Honestly, I was a bit surprised not to see any of the other quarterbacks all night long. 

    The Mustang defense also gave it their all, but their all just wasn't good enough. Friendswood's defense needs to work on their speed. Sindelar is the only guy in the backfield who has the ability to run down all but the fastest receivers, but he can't be every where all at once. Petreyko also has some speed and knows how to use it. But like Sindelar, he can't play the entire field either, Major props to all of the guys for never giving up on a play. 

    Despite the loss, they guys played their hearts out. This week's attaboys go to Sindelar, Bob, Petreyko, Brezina, Daly, Collins, Bateman, Lee, Muecke, and Gerami.

	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	FINAL
Crosby Cougars	7	7	7	7	28
Friendswood Mustangs	7	0	0	7	14

    Next up for the Mustangs will be the Angleton Wildcats. The two teams will play at Henry Winston Stadium on Friday, October 11, 2024. The FHS Choir will be hosting Pastapalooza in the FHS cafeteria before the game. Be there or be ▢.  

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.

Friendswood Mustangs vs Galveston Ball Golden Tornadoes - September 13, 2024

    On Friday, September 13, 2024, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Galveston Ball Tornadoes at Henry Winston Stadium. This was the last pre-distract game of the season. 

    It is said that this year's Tors include 7 players who are already committed to play at D1 universities and every other senior on the team has committed to play at smaller universities next year. It is also said that there are summer football camps on the island led by current and former NFL players. What I saw on Friday night after not having seen the Tors in a few years leads me to believe that all of those statements are true.

    Galveston has a very well rounded football team and plays effectively on offense, defense, and special teams. Their receivers are fast and once they got behind the Mustangs, there was no catching them (not that the Mustangs didn't put forth a valiant effort).

    Like the 2 games before, Friendswood showed moments of greatness throughout this game. There were some brilliantly caught passes where the receiver was under at least double coverage. There were some running plays that looked like they would go no where and yet gained yardage. There were some defensive plays that showed that Friendswood might be able to shut down Galveston's running game. And then there was the rest of the game. 

    Friendswood had more than one opportunity to put more points on the board. Mistakes, whether it was bad play calling or poorly executed plays, meant that those opportunities never came to fruition. It appears that the Mustangs went into the game expecting to lose. I don't know if they could have won or not, but they could have kept the game closer than they did. Poor expectations often become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

    If Friendswood hopes to make a playoff run, they will have to start playing better when they face their first district foe. The Mustangs will have to figure out how to play tighter defense, especially against the passing game. You cannot play that far off of the receivers. When you do, even if you tackle the player as soon as he catches the ball, the line of scrimmage and the chains continue marching downfield until the ball is in the end zone.On the offensive side of the ball, the Mustangs need to continue their improvement in protecting the quarterback and the ball carriers. They need to practice their blocking and they need to open up holes that go all the way through.

    Regardless of the outcome, many attaboys were earned in the game. Those attaboys go to Abebe, Winters, Bateman, Randall, Aussie, Molina, Allen, Germi, Muecke, Singular, Ruffeno, Brezina, Slaughter, Lee, & Condon.

	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	FINAL
Galveston Ball Tors	10	10	6	7	33
Friendswood Mustangs	7	0	0	0	7

    This week the Mustangs have a bye week. This is good timing as it will allow the injured players more time to heal and get ready to return to the field. The next game for the Mustangs will be on Friday, September 27, 2024, when they will host the La Porte Bulldogs. Kick off will be at 7pm in Henry Winston Stadium. Before the game, there will be a pregame dinner in the FHS cafeteria hosted by the Freshman Class. 

    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.

Fort Bend Willowridge Eagles vs. Friendswood Mustangs - September 6, 2024

    On Friday, September 6, 2024, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the FB Willowridge Eagles at Henry Winston Stadium. After a very rainy week, everyone was hoping for a beautiful evening. We got our wish, with the exception of about 20 minutes in the 2nd quarter. 

    The Eagles were coming in off of a short week after a big win against Lamar Consolidated, on Saturday while the Mustangs suffered a close loss against FB Marshall on Thursday of the previous week. All of the Mustang fans were watching to see if the short game offense had improved over last week. This was a weak spot for the Mustangs last week and probably made the difference between a win and a loss. One thing the fans immediately saw, this week the Mustangs would be playing without 2 of last week's starters. Cottrell was not in pads and sporting a brace on one arm. Butler also was not in pads. He was on the sidelines with the offensive coaches throughout the game. I hear that Cottrell will be out for several weeks, while it is hoped that Butler will be back on the field when the team takes on Galveston Ball.

    This week, the Mustangs had some honorary captains with them at mid-field for the coin toss. I didn't catch who they were, but they appeared to be elementary age boys. I was happy to see that as the players from both sides were shaking hands before the coin toss, the boys were included. I'm sure that made their night.    

    Throughout the game, I was impressed that the players seemed to be listening to the officials' whistles. I only noticed one instance where a player didn't want to let go of something that happened during the previous play, and one of his teammates handled it before anyone else needed to step in. I don't know how many people noticed it, but I did and was impressed.

    While the Mustangs did get the win, I am sad to say that the offense still needs some work. They seem to struggle when they are within 5 yards of the end zone and the closer they get to the end zone, the less the o-line is protecting the QB. On the bright side, there were some amazing catches made by our offense again this week. 

    Defense did a good job holding the Eagles all night long. The Eagles' offense did not score all night. They team scored twice, but neither were the work of their offensive unit. Hopefully, the Mustang defense really is that good. The next team on the schedule has been racking up points and steam rolling over their opponents. The Mustangs will have home field advantage and that could prove very important.  

    This weeks' attaboys go to (in no particular order): Winters, Allen, Wilson, Abebe, Daly, Randall, Muecke, Slaughter, Rudolph, Bateman, Ruffeno, Hornberg, Black, and the QB who did not have a name on his jersey, but wore #0 (I'm sorry I didn't catch his name).

	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	FINAL
Willowridge Eagles	0	0	6	7	13
Friendswood Mustangs	6	28	2	0	36

    As I stated earlier, the Eagles did score, but not with their offense. Their first score of the night was a result of a pick 6. Believe it or not, the Mustang who got the closest to preventing the touchdown was the QB, Randall. Their second touch down of the night came when they blocked a badly snapped punt and fell on the ball in the end zone.

    The next game for the Mustangs will be Friday, September 13, 2024 at Henry Winston Stadium when the Mustangs will host Galveston Ball. There will be a pregame dinner at 5pm in the FHS cafeteria before the game hosted by the Wranglerettes. The menu is from Outback Steakhouse and tickets can be purchased at https://31736.smallvenueticketing.com/r/events/  Doors will open at 4:30pm. Kick off will be at 7pm. Game tickets can be purchased at https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/11738/henry-winston-stadium-friendswood-isd  Helpful information concerning parking, shuttle buses and other information can be found at https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1725475872/myfisdcom/nspnlabedxeteqji0t5j/Community-AthleticDepartmentInfoSheet.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0MUYu39leD51n5oHCjS0unqdgvszymqPu4vafHQGfQuZ-Nemx_sfcuUvI_aem_YryxoYUl-hctlbuib3wsnQ

Hope to see you there and 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.

Friendswood Mustangs vs Fort Bend Marshall Buffaloes - August 29, 2024

 Texas High School Football is BACK!!

    On Thursday, August 29, 2024, the Fort Bend Marshall Buffaloes hosted the Friendswood Mustangs at Mercer Stadium in Sugar Land. This was a non-district game and the season opener for both teams. It was great to see all the students back on the field and all the fans and student organizations in the stands on a humid Thursday evening. 

    First, as I said, this was the first game of the season and that was evident on all sides of the ball regardless of which uniform you were looking at, including the zebras. There were multiple false starts, missed catches, missed assignments, and uncertainty by the officials. Even with all the first game jitters, there were some moments of greatness on the field and I'm glad that the Mustangs won't have to face the Buffs again this season. 

    Conditioning seemed to be an issue. I saw a quote from Coach Johnson (yes, I broke my rule and read one article before writing my blog), commenting that he thought his team was better conditioned for 4 full quarters of football. While I did see some of this, I felt like the Mustangs were better prepared, physically, than the Buffs. I have to wonder if the new rules for conditioning in hot, humid weather played a factor in the number of cramps we saw as well as the struggle to maintain focus and intensity for the entire game. Another possible factor could be the way the calendar worked out this year. By the time football teams started their practices, teachers were already back at work. This means that the traditional two-a-day schedules were impossible. Perhaps the UIL and school districts (not specifically these two schools, but all schools) need to reevaluate their calendars to allow for more summer practices. There were multiple minor injuries and cramps during the game on both sides. One Buffs player did leave the stadium in an ambulance. He was able to stand, assisted, before being loaded onto the cart to be driven to the ambulance. We all wish him a speedy recovery with no lasting effects. 

    To start the game, Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive. This game had been billed as one where Friendswood would be overpowered on both sides of the ball and. I was expecting to see that as soon as the ball was kicked. Turns out, Friendswood was underrated by those making predictions. Friendswood was able to drive toward the end zone better than expected. Their first big problem, which was a problem all night, was when the Mustangs got within 5 yards of the goal line. Friendswood seemed to struggle all night getting those last few yards needed to put points on the board. 

    Friendswood ended up settling for a field goal and the defense took the field after the kick. The Mustang defense was also underrated. They showed everyone that they know how to stop the run. They also showed everyone that they will allow yardage on every pass, playing several yards off of the receiver until the ball is in the air or caught. I can only recall one pass by Marshall that was not caught because of a Mustang defender. This is something that has plagued the Mustangs for years and continues to be an issue. Hopefully that will improve before we play against Galveston Ball (yes, I saw what they did on Thursday night. Yikes) in 2 weeks.  Special teams is another group that showed that it was the first game. I'm not sure if they were in the wrong places or if they just don't have the speed that Marshall has. Marshall had no trouble returning kicks and while the kicker appears to be kicking exactly where he was told to kick, whoever told him to do that didn't have accurate scouting reports. 

    Overall, the Mustangs showed a potential to be a great team this year. Time will tell if they live up to their potential. The next game will be at Henry Winston Stadium on Friday, September 6, 2024 against Fort Bend Willowridge. Kickoff will be at 7pm. There will be no pre-game dinner this week. Gates will open at 6pm.

    Attaboys for this week go to: Winters, Bateman, Muecke, & Cain. Next week, I will do a better job of taking notes during the game will give more details and more attaboys.

GO MUSTANGS

	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	FINAL
Friendswood Mustangs	9	7	7	0	23
FB Marshall Buffs	0	7	13	7	27

    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.

Magnolia Bulldogs vs. Manvel Mavericks - October 20, 2023

     On Friday, October 20, 2023, the Manvel Mavericks hosted the Magnolia Bulldogs at Freedom Field. Entering this game, the Magnolia Bulldogs had a 5-1 record while the Manvel Mavericks held a record of 3-2. 

    I think I can honestly say that this is the first time I have ever seen a flea flicker on the first snap on the game. Manvel's flea flicker was successful and got the Mavericks to Magnolia's half of the field. My apologies to the Maverick who threw the second pass in that play. You deserve a big attaboy for that one. The Mavericks scored on their first drive and immediately gave their fans hope. After the touchdown, the Maverick defense took the field and continued their dominating ways. However, once the Maverick offense returned to the field, the Maverick offense that we've seen since game 3 showed up and our hopes began to sink.

    Throughout the game, the Maverick defense played smart, strong football. Despite this, the Magnoia offense has some very strong ball carriers. More than once, I saw their ball carriers drag multiple defenders who were trying to make a tackle. 

    During the second half, the Mavericks made a big change and brought in a new quarterback. I don't know where this kid has been all season, but I would love to know why he's just now playing QB. With what we saw Friday night, this young man should have been QB1 since week 3.  I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in the QB position. On Friday night, this young man was wearing #4. If the roster on MaxPreps is correct, he is Senior WR Stephen Lewis. If anyone can confirm his identity, please let me know.

    Several Manvel Mavericks earned attaboys on Friday night. This week's attaboys go to Haynes (Welcome back), Corner, Robinson, Cooks, Charles, Edmonson, Wilder, Jones, Morgan, Carter, Thompson, Boone, Blanton, White, Demery, Holmes, Lewis, Caton, Wilder, and Fleming.

Boxscore                    1st    2nd    3rd    4th    Total
Magnolia Bulldogs     0       17      7        3        27
Manvel Mavericks     7        0        7       7        21

    Moving forward - I'm not sure what the players wear during practice but I would practice with all players wearing the same helmets and offense wearing a different color jersey than defense. Interceptions seem to be a bigger issue when the teams are wearing the same color helmets. I think it would help the quarterbacks to practice with the same color helmets. 

    There are 2 weeks left in the regular season for 2023. Below are the current district standings, thanks to Chris Walter, whose X (formerly twitter) handle is @walterca1107.

    Manvel still has Fulshear to play as well as Terry. The Maverick's next game will be at Fulshear on Friday, October 27, 2023, before closing out the regular season at Freedom Field against Terry on Thursday, November 2, 2023. In District 10-5AD1, only the top 4 teams will continue on into the playoffs. In a tie situation, Angleton would beat Manvel and Manvel would beat Friendswood because of the outcome of their regular season matchups.

Good luck to Manvel as they take on the Fulshear Chargers.

Hoka Hey!

Disclaimer: My football education is from attending high school football games for 40+ 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.

Fulshear Chargers vs. Friendswood Mustangs - October 6, 2023

      On Friday, October 6, 2023, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Fulshear Chargers at Henry Winston Stadium for Homecoming 2023. It’s always sad to see a home team lose on homecoming, but the Mustangs can honestly say that the final score did not reflect the way they played the game. Fulshear is #1 is district right now and the reason was on full display.

     Friendswood put forth their best effort on Friday night and several players will be receiving attaboys later in this post. The was my first game in Friendswood this year & it felt so good to be in Henry Winston Stadium. While it was my first game in Friendswood, it wasn’t my first time seeing the Mustangs. Coach Johnson has put together a well disciplined team with good fundamentals.  That being said, Fulshear’s ball carriers are fast and their defense has the ability to be exactly where they need to be. Even when Friendswood was able to catch the Charger offense, the tackle was from behind and inside the 10 yard line (often inside the 5). To beat Fulshear, it will take a defense with an impressive front, a very fast secondary, and an offense that can throw, run, and keep the Charger defense guessing. 

     Multiple Mustangs deserve attaboys this week. The entire team played well. This week’s attaboys go to: Foster, Sindelar, Stamper, Buffington, Winters, Rouse, Postma, Skeele, Riasseto, Abebe, #27 (sorry, I didn’t catch your name), Slaughter, Allen, Ruffeno, Brister, & Rudolph. 

Box Score             1st         2nd         3rd         4th         Final

Fulshear                 22          17            8            14           61

Friendswood          7             7            7             8            29

     Next week the Friendswood Mustangs will travel to Waller ISD stadium to take on the BF Terry Rangers in more District 10-5A action.

Go Mustangs!