The Tomball Cougars picked the ideal time to earn their first district win on the 2009 season, and they did so in dramatic fashion.

On Homecoming night, the Cougars took on the Dekaney Wildcats having lost their first four district games and buried in the 13-5A standings.

But Tomball quarterback Lance Ester and wide receivers Jordan Leslie and Matt Marfisi made sure the Cougar faithful would go home happy and enjoy the weekend’s festivities.

Trailing 28-21 with less than two minutes remaining, the Cougars drove down to the Wildcat 10-yard line. With the clock ticking down to nearly a minute left in the game, Ester connected with Leslie on a scoring strike to put the Cougars within one, 28-27.

The extra-point would have sent the game into overtime, but Tomball head coach Tommy Kaiser rolled the dice by lining up for a game-winning two-point conversation.

The gamble paid off as Ester found an open Marfisi for a successful conversion, and a one-point Cougar lead, 29-28.

The Wildcats were unable to move the ball on their final possession and the Cougars, now 1-4 in 13-5A, came away with the win.

The Cougars recovered from a sloppy first quarter that saw a pair of turnovers each turn into touchdowns for the Wildcats. The first came on a Leslie fumble early in the first quarter when Dekaney’s Jarrett Irving picked up the loose ball and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.

The second came just two minutes later on the Cougars ensuing drive when Ester threw an interception to Rodney Young, who returned it 42 yards for a score.

The Cougar offense finally settled down after Lovick ran for a late first quarter touchdown. The second half was the Ester and Leslie Show, as the two combined for three touchdowns in less than 20 minutes.

Leslie is having another impressive season. He had 13 catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns, earning Player of the Week honors by the Houston Chronicle.

For the season, Leslie has 49 catches for 710 yards and eight touchdowns.

Ester enjoyed his best day as Cougar quarterback, completing 19 of 26 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the Cougar offense wasn’t just air-based. Running back Derrick Lovick ran the ball 24 times for 125 yards and a touchdown to lead the ground attack. With two games left at press time, Lovick has an excellent shot at a 1,000-yard season after wracking up 811 through the first eight games.

He needs just 189 yards to get to the 1,000-yard mark.

Overall, the Cougar offense exploded for 500 total yards of offense, while holding the Wildcats to just 212 total yards. The Tomball defense also forced a pair of turnovers.

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