Organization news and notes

Determination, depth keep Oilers unbeaten
Pearland fans were getting nervous in the third quarter after Madison quarterback Christian Comeaux ripped off a 52-yard scoring dash on the first play of the second half to give the Marlins a 27-14 lead with 11:33 remaining in the third quarter.

After the Oilers jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead in the first period when quarterback Sam Proctor scored on runs of 1 and 3 yards, it appeared that Pearland would take early command of the game.

But the Marlins had other ideas as running back Cory Taylor made the first of several long-range scoring runs with a 52-yarder with 3:38 left in the opening period.

After Pearland was forced to punt early in the second quarter, Chimle Okole got behind the Pearland defensive secondary and gathered in a pass from Comeaux for a 63-yard score. The extra point missed the mark leaving the Oilers clinging to a 14-13 lead.

The Oilers' offense sputtered again and Madison didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard as Taylor added a 51-yard scoring jaunt to his offensive resume. The two-point conversion came up short leaving Madison ahead 19-14 at intermission.

The Oilers suffered a jolt early in the third quarter when running back Fozzy Whittaker, who had 107 yards in the first half, suffered a slight ankle sprain.
"It hurts when I put my weight on it," Whittaker said after the game. "But I will be ready when we play Memorial."

That's when Pearland fans found out that there is another running back waiting in the wing in sophomore Kasey Carrier. The youngster didn't waste any time in making his presence known as he scored on a 22-yard run. Carrier and Proctor shared the load in the nine-play, 65-yard scoring march. The extra point was wide to the left leaving the Oilers trailing 27-20.

That's when the Pearland defense raised their level of intensity as Lance Hayes picked off Comeaux for a crucial turnover setting up the Oilers back on offense at the Madison 33.

Four plays later, Proctor scored on an eight-yard run with 4:38 left in the third quarter while getting a great block from Carrier that paved the way to the end zone. Robbie Hersh hit the extra point to knot up the game 27-27.
Once again, the defense came up with another big play as Madison fumbled and Pearland recovered at the 50-yard marker. It took only five plays for the Oilers to take the lead for good as Proctor backed into the end zone on a one-yard sneak. Hersh hit the extra point giving the Oilers a 34-27 lead with 1:00 remaining in the third quarter.

The momentum of the game totally shifted as Pearland's defense forced the Marlins to punt after three plays netted minus-one yard.

The Oilers took over at their own 16 and the Marlins got a double dose of Proctor and Carrier that ended up with a six-yard scoring run by Carrier with 8:01 remaining in the game. The key play on the drive was a 65-yard keeper by Proctor that took the ball from the Pearland 15 to the Madison 20. Hersh hit the extra point and the Oilers had some breathing room at 41-27.

Proctor added one final score with 4:45 remaining in the game making the score 48-27. Madison scored a meaningless touchdown with 1:32 left in the game on a 30-yard run by Brandon Tranhan making the final score 48-33.
Pearland had 382 yards on the ground and 55 yards through the air for 437 total yards. Proctor had 25 carries for 184 yards and five TDs; was 5-of-7 passing for 43 yards; and caught one pass for 12 yards. Carrier picked up 78 yards on 14 totes with two scores. Whittaker finished with 107 yards on 14 carries. Kevin Miller caught three passes for 28 yards. Hersh hit 6-of-7 extra point attempts.

Taylor led Madison with 132 yards on 12 carries and two TDs. Comeaux was 3-of-5 passing for 79 yards and one score. Chimle Okole had two grabs for 75 yards and one TD.

Head coach Tony Heath was pleased with the play of Proctor and Carrier.
"Sam knows his role and he got in there and took care of business," Heath said. "Kacey knows playing behind Fozzy will limit his touches, but he showed us that we won't skip a beat when he is in the game."

A lot of credit has to be given to the offensive line for opening up huge holes for all three ball carriers.

"We can't move the ball on offense without the guys battling in the trenches," Heath pointed out. "They are the key to the offensive machine."
The offensive line includes Steven Kenney, Ian Musslewhite, Ross Phillips, Cory Baumann, Getaneh Mekonen, Kevin Davis, and Kyle Harvey.

Defensively, the Oilers raised their intensity to create key turnovers that allowed the Pearland offense to take control of the game.

Pearland travels to face Spring Branch Memorial at Tully Stadium on Friday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m.