In every special season for every team in every sport, there are moments and games when the impossible becomes possible, when fading hope turns to unbridled exultation. That moment for the Tomball Cougars came Oct. 15 against the Dekaney Wildcats.

With both teams enjoying breakout seasons and each going into the game with identical 5-1 records, the contest was expected to be a nail-biter.

With Dekaney leading by just one, 14-13, going into the fourth quarter, the Wildcats took control when Jarrett Irving punched it in from a yard out to put Dekaney up 21-13.

On the ensuing drive, the Cougars answered when Brian Angelle scored on a 32-yard touchdown run. The Dillon Duarte kick cut the gap to 21-20, but the Wildcats answered again with what would appear to be the nail in the coffin for the Cougars when Trey Williams scored on a 21-yard touchdown run.

The score came with just 1:40 left in the game, but the crucial extra point failed, leaving Tomball trailing by two. That’s when things got crazy.

In a furious rally, the Cougars drove the length of the field and with just 11 seconds left, Cougar quarterback Justin Dvorak connected with Hunter Thompson on a 25-yard touchdown pass to pull the Cougars within two, 27-25.

Needing a two-point conversion to force a tie and overtime, Cougar coach Tommy Kaiser called a pass play, which fell incomplete in the end zone.

The last resort for the Cougars was an on-side kick.

The Cougars executed the kick to perfection and recovered the ball on Dekaney’s 33-yard line. With just a second to go, Duarte, who has proven to be one of the stars of the Cougars’ season, drilled home a 40-yard game-winning field goal as time expired, sending the crowd and team into a frenzy.

The stunning victory improved Tomball’s overall record to 6-1, with a 3-1 record in 13-5A. At press time last week, the Cougars were tied with Klein for second place in the district. Barring an unforeseen collapse, the Cougars will almost assuredly finish in the top four of the district and earn their first playoff berth in six years.

Last week, the Cougars took on a 4-3 Klein Oak team. Results of that game were unavailable at press time.

Magnolia West 56, Magnolia 44

Meanwhile, as the Cougars were staging a furious rally to earn their district win, in Magnolia the two city rivals were battling in a point-a-minute shootout.

In the annual Magnolia Bowl, the Magnolia West Mustangs and the Magnolia Bulldogs combined for 100 points and 974 yards of total offense, as the Mustangs outlasted Magnolia 56-44.

Trailing by 10 in the third quarter, the Mustangs scored 21 unanswered points to go up 42-31, a lead they would not relinquish.

The offensive star of the game was once again Desmond Richards, who ran for 312 yards on 30 carries, including a staggering five touchdowns. For the season, Richards has run for 1,142 yards, among the best in the Houston area.

Both teams sat at 2-2 in 17-4A and in a battle with the Waller Bulldogs for one of the final two spots in the district.

Magnolia took on Waller Oct. 22 in a crucial battle, while the Mustangs traveled to take on Stratford. Results of both games were unavailable at press time.

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