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 surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
