The Knights Roll On
Elkins' second half explosion clinches a playoff spot
Roger Smith
Nov 15, 2018, 5:00 am
Elkins will face Katy Tompkins in next week’s bi-district round of the Class 6A Div. II playoffs. Vype
Originally appeared on Vype
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SUGAR LAND – The Elkins Knights exploded for 28 unanswered points in the second half Saturday afternoon at Mercer Stadium, prevailing 35-21 to earn the last available playoff spot in District 20-6A. Quarterback Cameron George threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others, with the last one covering 58 yards and slamming the door with 42 seconds remaining.
Elkins’ dominant second half performance was stunning because the Bulldogs had their way in the first two quarters. After Knights’ kicker Ethan Henry missed a 28-yard field goal wide left with 3:40 left in the first, Austin QB Trey Larsen lofted a 46-yard rainbow TD bomb to Troy Omeire. The ‘Dawgs led 7-0 with 1:44 remaining.
The ‘Dawgs domination and the Knights’ frustration continued. George lifted an even longer and more beautiful pass to Kolby White for an apparent 70-yard score, but offensive holding nullified it. After the Knights punted it away and the second quarter began, Austin’s Moise Tezzo scored the first of his two TDs with 7:31 left in the half and the Bulldogs were on top 14-0.
The only memorable moment the Knights’ offense had in the first half was George’s 20-yard strike to Mike Granson that narrowed the gap to 14-7. On their next possession, with an opportunity to drive for a tying touchdown, George threw late over the middle where Omeire intercepted and returned the ball to the ‘Dawgs’ 29.
With less than two minutes left before intermission, Tezzo broke at least three tackles and outran the Knights’ secondary for a 72-yard TD, his ninth and longest of the season. When the first half dust settled, Austin was on top 21-7.
Omeire’s second interception of the game stopped the Knights’ first drive of the third quarter, but the Elkins defense forced a three-and-out.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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