Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

A recent weekend offered two community events just hours apart for Magnolia residents to enjoy. The second annual Tailgate Party, held on The Stroll Aug. 18, had a large turnout – that is, until a major thunderstorm drowned out the festivities a bit early. Football teams, marching bands, cheerleaders and flag drill teams from both Magnolia high schools provided a celebratory spirit to get everyone in the mood for cheering.

Magnolia Community Foundation President Deborah Rose Miller initiated enhancements to this year’s event, such as rotating performances at several Stroll locations, rather than just one main location and a combined pep rally for both area high schools. The crowd enthusiastically applauded the performers and chomped on goodies from the food stands. A dunking booth, sponsored by the Magnolia Rotary Club, was a popular attraction that offered people a chance to soak the high school coaches and principals. All proceeds benefited the Magnolia ISD athletic programs.

This year’s Tailgate Party had 36 vendors and an estimated 2,000 attendees, which was approximately a 10 percent increase over last year.

“Things had just started really buzzing and then a huge thunderstorm forced us to shut down,” said Miller, “but we expect next year’s event to be even bigger and better.”

The Community Foundation wants the Tailgate Party to continue to build community spirit among residents and students.

Also that evening, the Montgomery County Search & Rescue organization held its annual fundraiser at the Montgomery County Community Building in Magnolia. The barbeque plate sales and silent auction raised more than $18,000 this year.

The organization operates solely with volunteers, but needs money for operational expenses, training and equipment repairs, according to Vice President J. Carter Miller.

Montgomery County Search & Rescue offers services to people in need of locating missing family members. For more information, or to volunteer to help the organization, visit the website at www.moscar.org.

Also on hand at the fundraiser were booths from civic and emergency response organizations such as Montgomery County CPS, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Montgomery County Sheriff Citizen’s Academy, Texas Wheels of Justice and Montgomery County Emergency Management.

The sound of whistles and the sight of pigskins flying through the air can only mean one thing. It’s football season in Texas. Big changes are in the air, as area teams have changed districts, changed classifications and one even prepares for its first varsity season. The Tribune talked to area coaches to get their takes on the upcoming season. This week we take a look at Magnolia’s two high schools, while next week we will preview Tomball, Tomball Memorial and Waller. 

Magnolia West Mustangs

Coach Shawn Bell is headed into his third season at Magnolia West, having just completed the best season in the school’s short history.  

Bell has some big shoes to fill in finding a replacement for all-everything running back Desmond Richards, but he said this group is possibly the most athletic he has ever had.  

“I feel like we have seven to nine guys who can make big plays for us,” Bell said. “When you lose an explosive back like Desmond it’s tough, but our offense will be more wide open. I feel confident that we are definitely more athletic than we have ever been.”  

With five returning offensive starters, Bell said that he has a deep group of receivers that will look to open up the passing game for new quarterback Brandon O’Neil. O’Neil switches to the offensive side of the ball after earning all-district honors at outside linebacker last season. 

“We wanted to put someone back there that gives us the best chance to win,” Bell said. “His transition has gone pretty smooth and he has a great arm.” 

O’Neil will be looking at the deepest wide receiver group in school history, according to Bell. That group will be led by Zeke Bronson and Jeremy Jordan. 

“We are going to run every formation in the book,” Bell said. “This is as multiple of an offense as we have ever been.” 

Bell said the team understands that expectations have changed after a playoff birth.  

“They understand that expectations have gone up and that they’ve got to give a championship effort all the time,” he said. 

As for Bell’s expectations?  

“It’s a tough district,” he said. “But I feel like we can be as talented if not more talented than we were last year.” 

Magnolia Bulldogs

Injuries and youth played a key part in Magnolia High School’s difficult 2-8 season last year. The Bulldogs were down to their junior varsity quarterback by week seven, as the losses piled on. 

With the injuries now healed and a year of experience under the young players belts, Magnolia head coach Andy Sexton looks to have a much improved team this season. 

“I definitely think we will be better,” he said. “Last year we had 10 sophomores starting and had some injuries. We will be a much improved team.” 

The Bulldogs will look to junior Noah McGowan to call the shots at quarterback in Magnolia’s multiple shotgun 2-back set. 

Sexton said that juniors Sheyrome Harris and Greg Soloman and sophomore Shane Mears will all be looked upon to provide leadership and numbers from the skill positions. 

‘They all have a tremendous ability to run and make guys miss,” he said. 

Returning seven starters on both sides of the ball, Sexton will look to an aggressive attacking defense with several senior linemen to provide turnovers and field position. 

Sexton said the team has worked hard the entire summer to help Magnolia return to its winning tradition. 

“The kids are ready to get the program back to winning,” he said. “Our goal is to get back into the playoffs.”

It was a difficult foray into the world of Friday nights for the Tomball Memorial Wildcats, as they were hammered 37-0 by Magnolia West, Aug. 31.

The game started off with a bang for the Mustangs as they opened the game with a touchdown on the first play. The rest of the first quarter was a struggle for both teams, however and Magnolia West held a 6-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Mustangs put 13 more points on the board in the second quarter, before coming alive in the second half. Magnolia West head coach Shawn Bell said his team showed the early season rust after the big bang opening the game.

"Overall it took us a little while to get going after that first play," Bell said. "The kids adjusted and started playing well in the second half."

Magnolia West racked up 477 yards on total offense in the contest.

Mustang quarterback Brandon O'Neil was 3-4 passing for 110 yards and a touchdown, while Brady Bynum totaled 181 rushing yards on 22 carries. Kyle Crawford added 77 yards on eight carries, while scoring twice and Chris Nicholson ran for 72 yards and a score on just two carries. Receiver Zeke Bronson led the way with 117 yards and a touchdown on three receptions.

The Mustang defense stifled the Wildcat offense all night, holding them to 53 total yards.

Junior running back Josh Williams led Tomball Memorial with 46 yards on 11 carries.

Next up Magnolia West will host Stratford Sept. 7, at 7 p.m., while Tomball Memorial will travel to Galena Park for a 7 p.m. contest.

The Waller Bulldogs (1-1) ran over and around the Tomball Memorial Wildcats Sept. 14, rushing for 290 yards in the 42-22 victory.

Waller had an extra week to prepare for the Wildcats and it showed, as Colten Frisby ran for 125 yards on just eight carries, while Joeseth McDade added 90 yards on four carries.

Elijah Morrow was a duel threat rushing and receiving as he ran for 43 yards on four carries and had two catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Tomball Memorial (0-3) continues to show their inexperience during their first year of varsity play, but have shown improvement every week. The Wildcats gained 278 yards of total offense, their best showing of the young season.

The Wildcats had a bye week, while the Bulldogs hosted Brenham Sept. 21. Results were not available at press time.

Magnolia           17

Bryan Rudder  20

Magnolia suffered another close defeat to a Brazos County opponent, falling 20-17 in a road contest at Bryan Rudder Sept. 14.

The Bulldogs watched in agony as Rudder hit a 22-yard field goal as the clock wound down to win the game.

Magnolia had raced out to a 17 point advantage by the end of the third period, thanks to some stout defense and a balanced offensive attack. Then the game fell apart in the final quarter.

Rudder kicker Colton Bayer hit a 25-yard field goal with just over seven minutes to play, cutting the Magnolia lead to 17-10. Rudder then tied it on a rushing score with a little more than three minutes to play.

The Bulldogs then tried to drive down the field, but quarterback Noah McGowan threw an interception with 27 seconds left to play, which Rudder returned 60 yards to set up the game winning field goal.

The Bulldogs (1-2) had a bye week before they host Huntsville Sept. 28 in their first district contest.

Magnolia West   7

Brenham           29

The Magnolia West Mustangs met a stifling defense in Brenham Sept. 14, falling to the state ranked Cubs 29-7.

The Mustangs could only muster 66 total yards of offense in the contest, while the defense allowed 155 yards rushing and 130 yards in the air

West’s only score came when Jeremy Jordan took a punt and weaved 68-yards for a touchdown.

The Mustangs (1-2) hosted Willis in their first district contest of the season Sept. 21. Results were not available at press time.

Tomball                      21

Katy Mayde Creek   31

A dreadful second quarter spelled doom for the Tomball Cougars Sept. 14, as they dropped their third straight game, this time to Katy Mayde Creek.

The Cougars fell behind 24-7 at halftime, allowing Katy Mayde Creek to score all 24 of their points in the second quarter. Mayde Creek added another touchdown early in the third quarter to go up 31-7.

Tomball’s defense tightened up after that, keeping Mayde Creek from the end zone and the Cougar offense came to light, scoring twice to make the game interesting.

The Cougar’s final score, a 48-yard strike from Drew Reynolds to Xavier Powell, cut the Mayde Creek lead to 10 points, with just more than nine minutes to play.

Tomball’s defense immediately forced a three-and-out from Mayde Creek, giving the ball back to their offense with 7:15 to play.

The Cougars then spent seven plays traveling into Mayde Creek territory, before penalties and an interception killed their hopes of clawing back into the game.

Tomball (0-3) had a bye week before they traveled to Ft. Bend Marshall for their first district contest Sept. 28.

Several local teams put up valiant fights against favored opponents during their Friday night battles Sept. 28, but all of them came up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

Magnolia West    14

Montgomery       16

Magnolia West went into its battle with Montgomery looking to win its second straight contest against its Montgomery County neighbor.

The Bears broke through for a late touchdown to take the lead 16-14 and held on by halting a final Mustangs drive with an interception to seal the win.

The game was a defensive struggle the entire night, as Magnolia West was able to hold Montgomery to less than 100 yards of offense, while taking a 7-0 halftime lead.

Montgomery broke through with a quick 72-yard drive to open up the second half, tying the score at 7-7.

The Bears then took a 10-7 lead on their next possession, before the Mustangs were able to answer.

With the Bears driving to ice the game, Magnolia West’s defense forced a fumble and recovered it, giving the Mustangs hope.

Quarterback Troy Logan found receiver Zeke Bronson in the back corner of the end zone, giving Magnolia West a 14-10 lead with just more than three minutes to play.

The Bears clawed it out in the end, however, scoring the go ahead touchdown with a little more than one minute in the game.

The loss dropped the Mustangs to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in district play.

Waller   41

Willis     42

Heartbreak.

That is the one word to describe Waller’s recent 42-41 loss to Willis, Sept. 28, as a last second field goal was declared no good because time had expired.

After the Wildkats first score, the Bulldogs raced downfield in their quest to answer, as  Colten Frisby had a catch and run of 74-yards to set up a scoring play from quarterback Rhett Loewe to Elijah Morrow from five yards out. Denny Garcia made the extra point to tie the game.

On the following kick off, the Wildkats returned it 100 yards for the score, promptly taking the lead again at 14-7. The Bulldogs responded by marching the ball down the field to score with 36 seconds left in the first quarter, as Rhett Loewe connected with Elijah Morrow on a 16-yard pass.

The defense held on the next possession and the offense quickly got to work. With only 9:47 left in the second quarter, Rhett Loewe hit Jacob Thompson on a beautiful pass in the corner of the end zone to go up 21-14.

Willis proceeded to score on their next two possessions and took the lead 28-21.

The Bulldogs came back with 2:02 left in the quarter and Colten Frisby scored on a 17-yard run up the middle to even the score at 28.

The second half fireworks started quickly as Willis kicked an on-side kick and recovered it. Willis went on to score and the next two Waller possessions were stopped by interceptions. The Wildkats were able to covert one of those turnovers into scores and took a 42-28 lead.

The Bulldog defense shut down any more offensive threats for the remainder of the game.

Waller began its comeback attempt with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Loewe to Morrow, cutting the lead to 42-35.

The fourth quarter was played hard by both defenses, but with a minute-and-a-half remaining to play, the Bulldog offense punched one through, as Loewe connected with Desmin Merrell on a nine yard fade route for the touchdown. Waller went for two, but came up short.

Then the craziness began.

The following on-side kick was executed to perfection, as Race Mellman was able to keep the ball from going out of bounds and Josh Cunningham recovered the ball.

With under a minute to play and no time-outs, the Bulldogs were able to advance the ball inside the 20-yard line. The field goal unit raced to get on the field and Denny Garcia drilled the ball down the middle of the posts. Unfortunately, the ball was not snapped before the time had run off the clock.

Waller hosted Montgomery in district play Oct. 5. Results were not available as of press time.

Tomball                      20

Ft. Bend Marshall    58

The Tomball Cougars are still searching for their first victory of the season and it looked promising, until a horrible second quarter sealed the deal for Ft. Bend Marshall.

The Cougars raced to a 14-0 lead in the games first five minutes, as Xavier Powell ran 55 yards for a touchdown, while three minutes later quarterback Drew Reynolds found Mitch Carlile for a 34-yard strike.

Then the nightmare began as Marshall rolled off 44 straight points, before Reynolds was able to connect with Dmitri Scott for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in the half.

The scoring wasn’t over as Marshall was able to drive 64 yards with those precious few seconds remaining to take a 51-20 lead into the locker room.

Marshall would score one more time in the game, providing the final 58-20 score.

Powell led all Tomball rushers with 78 yards on 13 carries, while Reynolds was 7-12 passing, with the two touchdown tosses.

In a season of heartbreaking finishes and close losses, it just figured that the fifth annual Magnolia Bowl would be decided by the slimmest of margins.

Despite an amazing fourth quarter comeback by the Magnolia Bulldogs, the Magnolia West Mustangs (4-3, 3-2 in District 18-4A) held on for a 21-20 win Oct. 12.  The cross-town rivals were locked in a 7-7 tie until midway through the final stanza, when the fireworks began for the large crowd at MHS Stadium.

"What do you expect from a rivalry game," said West Coach Shawn Bell.  "Both sides did a great job." 

The Mustangs triumph was their fourth straight in the short history of the series.  Magnolia (1-5, 0-4) won the first meeting in 2008.

West struck on their first possession of the game after Solomon fumbled on the Bulldogs first play of the game.  The Mustangs moved 30 yards in seven plays, scoring on a 7-yard run by junior tailback Brady Bynum at the 8:27 mark.  Senior Andrew Struthers' PAT made it 7-0.

Magnolia was forced to punt on their second possession, then West drove 31 yards to the 50-yard-line before an illegal substitution penalty on fourth-and-inches forced their own punt.  The 'Dogs then rolled 60 yards in eight plays, capping the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Harris at the 9:24 mark of the second quarter.  That drive was aided by a 19-yard completion from Edwards to Turnbow on second-and-long from the West 24 just before Harris's score.

West began another march from their own 31 and moved 37 yards into Magnolia territory.  Two 15-yard pitch-and-catch plays from Logan to junior receiver Justin Smith loomed large, but on first-and-10 from the 'Dogs 32, Logan was intercepted near the endzone by junior Devane Mitchell.

After one more possession by each squad, the 'Dogs concluded the first half by moving to the Mustangs' 22 in two plays, with Turnbow gaining 35 yards on a reverse with 30 seconds left in the half.  After a false start and three incomplete passes, Edwards was intercepted on fourth-and-15 by West's Jeremy Jordan near the goal line.

West completed a 17-play, 97-yard drive with 6:45 left in the game, when junior quarterback Troy Logan found Tyler Ray on a third-and-goal at the Bulldog 8-yard-line.  Logan zipped a pass to Ray at the 1-yard line and the burly sophomore fullback crossed into the left side of the endzone for the Mustangs' first lead since early in the contest.

After the ensuing kickoff, Magnolia junior tailback Greg Solomon lost his second fumble of the night, this one recovered by Ray at the 'Dogs 11.  Two plays later, Ray rumbled to paydirt from eight yards out, and West was up 21-7 with 5:53 left.

But starting from their own 26, the Bulldogs picked up 18 yards on three carries by junior all-purpose back Shyerome Harris.  Then senior quarterback Damian Edwards, making his first career start in place of the injured Noah McGowan, hit senior wide receiver Jordan Turnbow in stride down the middle of the field for 56 yards and a touchdown.  Junior placekicker Woodman Nigh's PAT made it 21-14 West with 4:05 remaining.

West then moved to the Bulldogs' 45, before quick-kicking on fourth-and-7 to the 'Dogs 15.  Edwards, in rapid succession, found Turnbow for 35 yards, then junior receiver Marquis Robinson for 27 yards to the Mustangs'  23.  The second pass was tipped and almost intercepted by West defensive back Zeke Bronson.

It was an improbable comeback after a light night for the Bulldogs offensively. 

"I just kept playing," Edwards said.

On the next play, Harris took a handoff over right tackle, cut back to the left and dashed 23 yards for the TD.  A high snap made Nigh's PAT no good, but an offsides penalty on West gave the 'Dogs a second try.  This time, Magnolia Coach Andy Sexton elected to try a two-point conversion, but Harris was stopped near the goal line.  It remained 21-20 West, which ran out the clock after the 'Dogs attempted recovery of an onsides kick.

"Our holder lost his helmet (on the first PAT) and by rule had to leave the field", Sexton said. "So we almost we had to go for two."

"I'm just glad our guys found a way to win," Bell said following the game. "It's a win, and that's all that counts."

Two of West's three losses this season have been by a combined total of 12 points (versus Stratford and Montgomery), while four of the Bulldogs' five losses have been by a combined 19 points. 

Total offense for the two squads was nearly as close as the score, with the Bulldogs compiling 303 yards to the Mustangs' 297.  West had 20 first downs to 14 for Magnolia.  Edwards was 8 of 16 (with the one interception) for 176 yards through the air, four of those going to Turnbow for 51 yards, while Logan finished 11 of 21 (with one interception) for 133 yards, five caught by senior Trevor Buckley for 71 yards.  The Mustangs ran for 164 yards, and the Bulldogs 127, with Harris gaining 85 yards on 15 carries, including his two touchdowns.

The Mustangs hosted Huntsville Oct. 19, while Magnolia travels to Waller.

Two touchdowns off turnovers in the first quarter staked Magnolia West to an early lead and the Mustangs went on to rout the Waller Bulldogs, 41-17 on Nov. 9, advancing to the UIL playoffs from District 18-4A.

West (6-4, 5-3) played undefeated and state-ranked Georgetown in Brenham on Nov. 16.  Results were unavailable as of press time.  The Mustangs finished fourth behind Brenham (9-1, 8-0), Montgomery (7-3, 7-1), and Huntsville (7-3, 6-2).  Waller completed the season 4-6 and 3-5 for fifth place in 18-4A.

Junior quarterback Mark Logan ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more, while two Mustang tailbacks rushed for more than 100 yards and one touchdown each in wearing down the 'Dogs.

Waller came to West Stadium hoping to capture a playoff berth themselves, but the early blunders and a bruising Mustang ground game were just too much for the visitors.

"They're a good football team," said West coach Shawn Bell following the game. "We had a couple breaks, they had a couple turnovers that really hurt 'em, and the biggest thing is we capitalized on them."  Bell has defeated Coach Brad Wright's Bulldogs in each of the three years he's faced them, and has led West to three consecutive playoff appearances.

Sophomore Chris Nicholson ran for 135 yards on 24 carries, and junior Austin Carroll added 118 yards on 16 totes, almost all of which came in the second half.

"Chris was a little bit banged up tonight, so Austin had to carry some of the load," Bell said.  "They did a good job of taking care of the ball and running hard.  It's a real credit to the offensive line when two guys are able to do that."

Meanwhile, the Mustangs' defense, led by senior Zeke Bronson and juniors Luke Knowles and Xavier Jones, had a big night of their own, holding Waller to 243 yards of total offense, including only 116 on the ground.

"That was the challenge-to limit the penalties, no turnovers, and stop 'em in the passing game," Bell said. "For the most part, we accomplished our three goals."  West, indeed, never turned the ball over, had seven penalties for 61 yards, and held the Bulldogs to less than 130 yards passing.

On the second play of the game, Waller senior quarterback Rhett Loewe was intercepted by Bronson on a long pass down the left sideline, and West set up shop near midfield.  Eight plays later, Logan snuck across the goal line with 8:00 left in the first quarter.  The PAT snap sailed over the head of senior kicker Andrew Struthers and the score remained 6-0.

But on the Bulldogs' next possession, and again on their second play,    senior running back Joseth McDade fumbled and Jones recovered for the Mustangs at the Waller 39.  A bubble screen from Logan to Bronson on second-and-20 gained 17 yards.  Four plays later, another one-yard keeper by Logan capped the 9-play drive, and Struthers PAT made it 13-0 at the 4:05 mark.

The Bulldogs responded with a 13-play, 95-yard drive to cut the margin to 13-7 when Loewe found junior Elijah Morrow for an 8-yard touchdown and junior kicker Denny Garcia's PAT sailed through the uprights with 21 seconds left in the quarter.  A pass interference call on the Mustangs aided the drive on a third-and-8 at the 'Dogs' 44, and a long scramble by Loewe on second-and-25 set up Waller's eventual score.

Waller failed to muster much offense in the second quarter, but West made it 20-7 on a 13-play, 78-yard march and a 27-yard touchdown toss from Logan to senior Trevor Buckley with 1:58 remaining in the half.  Nicholson ran nine times for 52 yards in that drive.

The Mustangs forced the 'Dogs to punt on their next possession, and with 1 minute remaining in the half, West moved 57 yards in three plays, missing a pass in the end zone before Struthers was short on a 41-yard field goal attempt on the last play.

Waller cut the deficit to 20-10 with 7:27 left in the third quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Garcia, and the two teams traded touchdown drives to make it 27-17 at the end of the quarter.  West scored on 4-play, 51-yard drive (all on runs by Carroll) and Waller replied with a quick, 4-play drive of their own, assisted by another interference call on the Mustangs and a personal foul during a 10-yard sack of Loewe, who then used a swing pass left to Morrow on the next play for a 19-yard touchdown.

West scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the final margin of victory, one on a 22-yard pass from Logan to Bronson, and the other, after another interception off Loewe by sophomore Tyler Ray, on a 25-yard dash by Nicholson with 1:44 left in the game.

The Mustangs finished with 455 yards of total offense, including 300 yards rushing and 155 yards through the air on 10 of 18 passing by Logan.  West had 24 first downs to only 12 for Waller.  Loewe was 10 of 26 passing for 127 yards, but also had the two picks.  He ran for 101 yards on six carries.

"I'm really proud of these kids, they deserve it," Bell said.



 

The 2012 Magnolia West football Mustangs finished the season with their third playoff appearance in a row, finishing 6-5, after fighting through a season filled with injuries to several key players.
The Mustangs season motto was "Rise Up."  Little did they know that the young men would learn what that motto really meant early in the season. By the second game, they had already lost three starters to season ending knee injuries.  At this point, the team found a way to push through adversity to have a winning season. 
Magnolia West lost two close district ball games to Montgomery and Huntsville. These two losses made it all come down to the final regular season game against Waller.  Once again, the Mustangs did what it took to make the playoffs and beat the Waller Bulldogs 41-17.
 The following players were named to the 18-4A all-district team:
18-4A Defensive Most Valuable Player: Xavier Jones
First Team: Junior defensive end Tyler Massey; senior cornerback Zeke Bronson; junior safety Brady Bynum; senior offensive lineman Cody Skrivanek and sophomore fullback Tyler Ray.
Second Team: senior defensive tackle Cody Skrivanek; junior inside linebacker Luke Knowles; junior outside linebacker Austin Carroll, senior tight end Trevor Buckley and senior center Austin Ray.
Honorable Mention: junior defensive tackle Jacob Bennett; junior cornerback Deontre Allen; senior offensive lineman Todd Slater; junior offensive lineman Seth Blendermann and junior wide receiver Justin Smith.