After struggling in non-district play with an 0-3 record, the Magnolia Bulldogs had reason for concern as district play opened late last month.

But at least through the first two games of 18-4A play, any concerns the Bulldog faithful had has quickly been erased with a 2-0 start in district. The latest win came Oct. 2 when the Bulldogs easily handled a winless Spring Woods Tigers team, 35-14.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead after Chase Gragert scored on a pair of first quarter touchdown runs, one from 8 yards out, and the second from 60. The story was the same in the second quarter, when Gragert pounded it in from a yard out, followed by a Jordan Schuertz-to-Dominic Leabo 6-yard touchdown pass.

By halftime, the Bulldogs led 28-0 and the game was all but over.

Late in the third quarter, Magnolia put the nail into the Tigers’ coffin when Schuertz threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this one to Corey Roeder from 45 yards out to put the Bulldogs up 35-0.

From there, the Bulldog offense put on the brakes and the starters took to the bench. The Tigers finally got on the scoreboard late in the third with a Roman Rodriguez 1-yard touchdown run. Spring Woods tacked on their second and final score of the night in the waning minutes of the game when Garrett Ocie scored on a 16-yard touchdown run.

But while the Magnolia Bulldogs are off to a resounding start to the district season, their cross-town counterparts are headed in the opposite direction.

Unlike the Bulldogs, the Magnolia West Mustangs found themselves off to a breakthrough start to the season, going 2-1 in non-district play. Since then, the Mustangs have hit the skids, going 0-2 to start the district season.

The second loss came Oct. 1 at the hands of the Montgomery Bears, 38-7.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bear offense kicked into high gear, scoring 28 unanswered points, highlighted by three Tevin House touchdown runs, the longest coming from 44 yards out.

The Mustang offense never got going, managing only a 27-yard Wes McCord touchdown pass to Nick Parsco in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Tomball 34, Spring 7

The local high school football story of the year continued to gain steam Oct. 2 when the Tomball Cougars, fresh off a heart-stopping win over Westfield the week prior, kept their undefeated season in tact by knocking off the Spring Lions, 34-7 in Spring.

It was a nip-and-tuck first half for both teams, after Tomball went up 10-0 in the first quarter thanks to a Dillon Duarte 33-yard field goal and a Brandon Greene one yard touchdown run.

The Lions closed the gap in the second quarter when Greg Livingston scored on a 59-yard touchdown run.

As both teams headed into the locker room at halftime, it looked as though the game would be a battle to the end. But the Cougars quickly ensured that wouldn’t be the case, scoring 24 unanswered second half points to win in a rout.

Three Cougars ran for touchdowns on the night, including Greene, Robert Vines and two by Justin Dvorak. Dvorak led Tomball in carries with 20 and yards with 94.

He also threw for 146 yards on 12-of-18 passing.

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