GAMES
RANKINGS
2023-24 Fort Bend Marshall Boys Track & Field
THE BIG TICKET: Headlines entering the UIL Regional Track Meet
JELANI WATKINS, Atascocita
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Atascocita’s Jelani Watkins is “that” guy. Watkins has made the Eagles a State favorite after transferring from Klein Forest last summer. He led KF to a State title a year ago and is the two-time defending champion in the 200-meters. He will lead the all-time national record holder for the 4 x100 relay team as well as the 4x200. The LSU football signee could almost win a track meet himself with a shot in the 100-meters also in his grasp. Remember Matthew Boling? Well, all eyes will be on Watkins as he continues to build on his resume.
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KEVIN BELLO, Cinco Ranch
Who is this guy? The senior won a the 100 and 400-meters at the Area Meet and finished second in the 200-meters. He also anchors the 4x400 relay. He will be a force to be reckoned with in the Class Region III Meet.
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BATTLE OF THE STICKS
2023-24 Klein Forest Girls Track & FieldJamey Wright (VYPE)
Klein Forest, Paetow, Randle and Summer Creek girls are showing out in the Class 6A and 5A relays. The Klein Forest Golden Eagles are the current queens coming out of Houston, but the competition is heating up. They will be in Region II, and Paetow and Summer Creek will battle it out in Region III. The new school – Randle – is going to be dangerous on the girls and boys side. Are they the new FB Marshall?
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LONDON CALLING
Katy’s London Jackson-Bray in the next big thing in girls track. She has won the 100 and 200 in the Area Meet and is no stranger to elite track and field. Don’t sleep on Celeste Robinson of Cypress Ranch in the sprints along with Avia Jones of Klein Forest.
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H(Hurdle)-TOWN
Ridge Point's Mason DossettJamey Wright (VYPE)
The city of Houston is loaded with tremendous hurdlers. Ridge Point’s Mason Dossett (Baylor football) is a beast in the 100-hurdles and Tompkins’ Jayden Keys carry the flag in the 300 hurdles. Cy Park’s Calvion Fuller (100 meters) and Andrew Jones of Klein Collins (300 meters) are also contenders. On the girls side, Lillian Harden of Bridgeland is a favorite to get to State. Kelly Frederick of Summer Creek and Mackenzie Collins of Shadow Creek are also hurdle specialists along with Aaliyah Booker of The Woodlands.
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SPEED MERCHANTS
Iliya Dryaba of The WoodlandsBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Other names who will emerge this week include Tompkins’ Jhase McMillan (Montana State football), Klein Cain’s Darius Rogers, Tomball Memorial’s Braylin Byrd, Klein Forest’s Lawson Jacobs, FB Bush's Amariya Hardeman, Dekaney’s Tanook Hines and Iliya Dryaba of The Woodlands are legit blurs on the track. Watch out for freshmen Landen Williams-Callis of Randle and Jordan Riggs of FB Marshall, who are looking special and will have big-time careers.
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THE LONG RUN
Klein's Katie KoontsJamey Wright (VYPE)
Pearland’s Maddie Peters is “that” girl. She has dominated the Houston long-distance landscape for a few seasons now. Staucie Lees of Grand Oaks and Katie Koonts (Tulsa-signee) of Klein are also contenders from H-Town. Cool story… Tompkins siblings Griffen and Rowan Saacke are tremendous long-distance talents on the boys and girls side, respectively. They push each other, which makes them solid candidates to reach the podium.
Ridge Point is 2-0 in District 20-6A after a clutch comeback win over rival Hightower on Saturday at Mercer Stadium.
Special teams key Ridge Point’s comeback win over Hightower
Dossett’s return got it going and senior defensive back Ryan Ramey’s block of a 27-yard field goal attempt led to a Taylor Davis go-ahead 75-yard touchdown return that finished it. Ridge Point outscored Hightower 25-0 down the stretch in rallying for a 25-17 win at Mercer Stadium in a game that will likely have considerable District 20-6A championship implications.
It’s the second straight win for Ridge Point, which started 0-2 against Austin Westlake and Dickinson. Hightower fell to 2-2 overall, 1-1 in district. Ridge Point is 4-1 all-time against Hightower in “The Battle of the Fort Bend Tollway.”
“Anytime you win is good, and anytime you beat your rival is extra good,” Ridge Point coach Rick LaFavers said. “I’m proud of them.”
Hightower had its way most of the game.
The Hurricanes led 17-0 on sophomore running back Austin Bowen’s 34-yard run with 3:38 left in the third quarter. Until then, Ridge Point’s offense was intercepted, turned it over on downs and punted twice. Hightower methodically chewed up clock and yardage with Bowen (28 carries, 153 yards, TD) and opportunistic explosive plays by junior receiver Zion Kearney (four catches, 71 yards, TD), all while star junior running back Jeremy Payne still awaits his season debut as he remains sidelined due to injury.
But …
"There was still time on the clock, you know?” Ramey said.
The Panthers never wavered.
Thirteen seconds after Bowen’s score, Dossett was trotting into the end zone after splicing up the middle and bursting to the right side.
The Panthers felt it coming. Early in the first half, Dossett missed a hole that could have led to a big-time return.
“Started by trying to find a hole at first, and I was struggling,” Dossett said. “But on that play, it was all the great blocking, seeing the hole and just hitting it. Great job by the blockers. Awesome play. We were bound for one. Each game, we kept getting closer and closer, and this game it finally happened.”
On the ensuing Ridge Point kickoff, a Hurricane muffed the return and it was recovered by Panthers senior receiver Antoine Thomas in Hightower territory. On the next play from scrimmage, senior back Ezell Jolly (16 carries, 104 yards, TD) sprinted around right end and scored on a 33-yard spree to cut Ridge Point’s deficit to 17-12.
Hightower chewed off almost seven minutes of clock to set up a 27-yard field goal attempt by Hudson Dumphy, who had drilled a 32-yard attempt in the first quarter. But Ramey came around the edge, blocked the kick and it bounced into the hands of Davis, who sprinted 75 yards to the end zone and Ridge Point’s first lead of the game with 8:36 left in the fourth quarter.
“Special teams is a big factor. It’s a big part of the game,” Ramey said. “We work a lot in practice on special teams and blocking field goals, and that’s all it was. Our coaches always tell us to keep pushing through. Even when you’re tired, even when it hurts. We pushed through.”
Ridge Point senior defensive back Ryan Ramey.VYPE Media
Hightower punted on its next drive. The Panthers added breathing room on an 18-yard keeper by sophomore backup quarterback Austin Carlisle, brought into the game for his running ability on the final drive.
“All night, first half, we just couldn’t get a break, whether it was a penalty, or a fumble on the ground we didn’t get, or a third-and-six and they get seven,” LaFavers said. “We couldn’t get there, and needed something, and that kick return really gave us something.”
Ridge Point had 220 total yards to Hightower’s 320. The Panthers had 10 penalties for 105 yards. Hightower had five penalties for 48 yards.
“Don’t flinch. Just keep playing,” LaFavers said. “That’s what ‘TPW’ is about—tough people win. Thank God, it played out. We build our program on keep fighting and good things will happen, and that’s a good example.”
It’s a different Ridge Point team that started 0-2. Players and coaches attest that it starts from within.
“It’s really the chemistry,” Dossett said. “The first two games, we were just trying to gel as a team. Now we’ve got that chemistry, and that’s huge for our team.”