Angleton punches ticket to state final four
Angleton Advances
Josh Koch
12 December 2017
Originally appeared on Vype.com.
HOUSTON—Angleton didn’t need BJ Foster to beat the Foster Falcons a month ago.
Inside NRG Stadium on Friday night, the Wildcats leaned on No. 25 and the senior running back put the team on his back.
Foster rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns and caught another six passes for 89 yards and Angleton defeated Foster 41-10 in the Region IV-5A Final.
“If it’s not emotional you need to check in your gear and do something else,” Angleton coach Ryan Roark said about moving on. “I’m incredibly proud of our kids and our staff. Our fans showed up in droves tonight. We had a heck of a crowd. I’m proud of everything we stand for right now.”
Angleton (13-0) will play Manvel next week with a Class 5A Division I State Championship game berth on the line. Kickoff for that game is slated for 7:30 p.m. at NRG Stadium.
Foster finishes the season at 9-4 after winning three-straight games to get to the regional finals for a second-straight year.
“We’ll sit back and reflect, this loss hurts but you know we weren’t expected to be here anyway,” Foster coach Shaun McDowell said. “Nobody picked us to win this game, nobody expected us to be here. So I felt like we achieved something people said we couldn’t do anyway. So for me it’s a successful season. I know a lot of people wishing they were 9-4. I’ll take that any year.”
Heading into the fourth quarter, Angleton led Foster 13-10 thanks to a pair of 36-yard field goals from Eduardo Rosales.
The game was close and the final 12 minutes could decide the outcome and Angleton dominated.
The wheels got turning with the Wildcats defense.
Angleton’s Evrin Hawkins stepped in front of the only pass by Foster backup quarterback Grant Guzzetta and picked it off in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. Hawkins finished with a pair of interceptions, leading to 10 points for the Wildcats.
“Big time playmaker,” Roark said about Hawkins. “Evrin’s been making those plays all year long. He scored a touchdown in more ways than you can possibly fathom on either side of the ball. Interception returns and fumble recoveries. You name them he’s scored them. He’s a heck of a football player.”
Following the interception, Foster got loose for a pair of rushes, including a three-yard touchdown, making it 20-10 with 8:33 to go.
The next two plays completely shifted the momentum to Angleton.
A fumble by Foster’s Guzzetta on the snap, which was recovered by Angleton’s Jesse Herron, put the ball at the 13. On the Wildcats’ first play, Foster took it and dove for the pylon for his third rushing score of the night. Foster had a 67-yard rushing score in the first quarter.
Foster gave Angleton a 14-point swing in its favor in a matter of 22 seconds for the Wildcats to lead 27-10 with 8:11 left. Foster finished with 12 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns.
“It’s a good feeling for our team and the community,” Foster said about getting to the state semifinals. “We worked real hard to get past here. That’s how hard work pays off.”
The defense continued to bow up for Angleton from this point on.
The Wildcats ended up allowing just 100 yards of total offense to Foster and no offensive touchdowns scored. The lone touchdown came off a 61-yard scoop and score by Stephon West in the second quarter.
“Our defense you just have to tip your cap to Coach (Jake) Brittain and our defensive staff,” Roark said. “They put together an unbelievable game plan week in and week out and we’ve got a bunch of kids that rally to the ball and have fun playing defense.”
Angleton tacked on two more scores by night’s end as Seth Cosme rushed in from 15 yards and then Tamerik Williams—who finished with 119 yards on 13 carries—busted off a 63-yard score, making it 41-10, which would be the final.
Next up for undefeated Angleton is undefeated Manvel.
“I know very little about them,” Roark said. “We put our heart and soul and all of our effort and concentration into Foster. We’ll worry about Manvel tomorrow morning.”
SCORING SUMMARY
Foster: RJ Hunt kicks a 26-yard field goal 3-0 (1:27- 1st quarter)
Angelton: BJ Foster 67-yard touchdown run 3-7 (1:10 – 1st quarter)
Foster: Stephon West returns a fumble 61 yards 10-7 (8:58- 2nd quarter)
Angleton: Eduardo Rosales kicks a 36-yard field goal 10-10 (4:40 –2nd quarter)
Angleton: Eduardo Rosales kicks a 36-yard field goal 10-13 (2:36 –3rd quarter)
Angelton: BJ Foster 3-yard touchdown run 10-20 (8:33 – 4th quarter)
Angelton: BJ Foster 13-yard touchdown run 10-27 (8:11 – 4th quarter)
Angelton: Seth Cosme 15-yard touchdown run 10-34 (4:01 – 4th quarter)
Angelton: Tamerik Williams 63-yard touchdown run 10-41 (2:12 – 4th quarter)
How Astros just put league on notice with dominant pitching, clutch hitting
Jun 26, 2025, 7:08 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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