No. 7 Pearland edges Dawson 17-13 in PearBowl to even series

    You know it is time for the annual PearBowl when the Bayway Chevrolet Parachute Team lands on the Pearland ISD Stadium 50-yard line with the Bayway Flag/Game Ball, Texas Flag, and the American Flag with a sold-out crowd of over 12,000 Pearlanders screaming for each team.
    And as expected — the fans of both schools were treated to a hard-fought battle that was not decided until there was :41 seconds remaining in the game when a fourth down pass by Dawson from the Oilers’ 29 came up short at the Pearland 15-yard line.
    The incompletion sent the Pearland players and fans into a frenzy while disappointment became a reality for the Dawson players and fans.
    Pearland 17 – Dawson 13 to tie the series between the cross-town cousins at six wins and six losses apiece.
    If there has been a positive for both schools during the past 12 years of competition — when the game is over — there has been respect always shown by each team — no matter who wins or loses — as we are all still Pearlanders and friends.
    But that doesn’t mean that each team doesn’t want the PearBowl Trophy to be in their possession for another year at their school.
    The Eagles got on the scoreboard first when senior kicker Noah Abela booted a 51-yard field goal with 2:27 remaining in the opening quarter giving Dawson a 3-0 lead.
    Dawson began the scoring drive at their own 17 and drove the ball to the Pearland 29 before facing a fourth-and-seven and settling for the always dependable Abela who sent the ball through the uprights to the thrill of the Dawson crowd.
    The Oilers got the ensuing kickoff at their own 25 and use five plays to get to the Dawson 16 but on second and four, QB Jake Westmoreland tossed a pass in the end zone where DB Josiah McFarland intercepted the pass for a touch back at the Eagles 20 to shut down the scoring threat with :28 seconds left in the first period.
    A key run in the drive for the Oilers was by RB Ja’Maurey who had a 34-yard run.
    Dawson was forced to punt after three plays netted a yard by the tough Pearland defense. Abela punted the ball to the Pearland 37 who had a 13-yard return to set up at the 50.
    Once again Pearland moves the ball from the 50 to the Dawson 4 but had a turnover on first-and-goal, this time a fumble on a handoff and Bryson Flynn jumped on the ball at his own 10 to thwart another Pearland scoring threat.
    “The thing that stands out the most offensively was despite the turnovers and uncharacteristic mistakes, our kids never quite and always believed they were going to find a way to win,” said head coach B.J. Gotte. “Our defense just kept battling and providing big stop after big stop. They didn’t get down or become frustrated with the offensive turnovers, they just kept going out and playing the way they know how.”
    Dawson took possession and moved the ball 74-yards in 7-plays to the Pearland 21 and settled for a 38-yard field goal by Abela to make the score 6-0 at the 3:58 mark of the second quarter.
    The key play in the drive was a 63-yard screen pass from QB Luke Brown to WR Josiah McFarland from the Dawson 10 to the Pearland 27.
    With 3:42 left in the first half, Pearland got the ensuing kickoff, and Ryan Miller returns the ball out to the Oiler 31.
    The Oilers offense used a 14-play, 64-yard drive to the Dawson 5-yard line with one second before intermission.
    Pearland junior kicker Holden Macneish booted a 22-yard field goal which hit the mark and cut the lead to 6-3 in favor of the Eagles at halftime.
    “I am extremely proud of our coaches and kids, said Dawson head coach Mike Allison. “We continue to grow stronger as a FAMILY, which is the goal every day.”
    Dawson received the second half kickoff, and it took only three plays for the Eagles to cross the goal line as QB Brown hit RB Cecil Earl on a 28-yard scoring strike with 10:12 left in the third quarter. Abela hit the PAT and Dawson increased the lead to 13-3.
    The Oilers quickly responded with a 70-yard, 8-play scoring drive capped off with a 3-yard scoring run by Champion to narrow the gap to 13-10 after the Macneish PAT with 7:02 remaining in the third quarter.
    Champion was the workhorse in the drive picking a majority of the 70 yards including runs of 16, 29, and 15 yards.
    With 3:59 remaining in the third quarter, Pearland began their next possession at the Eagles 18 after the defense of the Oilers stopped a fourth-and-one play.
    It took only two plays as Champion gained 15 yards on first down and scored on a 3-yard run making the score 17-13 which stood for the rest of the game as neither team scored in the final period.
    Dawson made a last attempt to win the game but a fourth down pass fell incomplete at the Pearland 15 with :41 seconds left in the game.
    Westmoreland was 9-of-14 passing for 60 yards with one interception while rushing for 22 yards on six carries.
    Champion was the leading ball carrier for Pearland as he had 20 carries for 233 yards and two scores. Royce Swan had 10 totes for 58 yards.
    WR Jordan (Jet) Hernandez had three catches for 24 yards and TE Michael Shawver had three grabs for 23 yards.
    Pearland had 377 total yards (317 rushing, 60 passing) while holding Dawson to 206 total yards (56 rushing, 150 passing).
    Dawson QB Luke Brown was 14-of-25 for 160 yards and one TD while rushing for eight yards on nine carries.
    Earl had 44 yards rushing on 13 carries.
    McFarland had five catches for 109 yards while Earl had two grabs for 31 yards and Calvin Wesley had five grabs for 20 yards.
    “In any long season you will need to be tested, and we were,” said Gotte. “I am proud of how our kids fought through the mistakes to win a tough fourth quarter game vs. a good opponent.
    “Up to this week in the season, I have felt we have been improving in all three phases of the game and improving each week.
     “When you get into the back half of the year, you must be careful not to let the routine of the week leading up to game impact your performance on game nights. When you are playing the best teams in the area all three phases have to be at their best.
     “We must stay keenly aware of responsibilities and the various situations a game provides and cannot lose our edge.”
    Dawson head coach Mike Allison shared his thoughts following the hard-fought contest.
    “God has blessed me beyond what I deserve with the coaches and players I get to be around every day,” said coach Allison. “I have faith that he will continue to guide us in what we need to do to improve each week.
    “Every opponent in our district brings different challenges and I am confident that we will be prepared and ready to play.”
    Dawson (4-2, 3-1) will travel to Pasadena Memorial Stadium to face the South Houston Trojans (0-5, 0-3) on Friday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m.
    Pearland (6-0, 4-0) will host the Dobie Longhorns (2-3, 1-2) at Pearland ISD Stadium on Friday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m.