Langham runs to regional final; sets up 17-6A rematch with Cy-Fair
Regional Finals Rematch
Thomas Bingham
04 December 2017
Originally appeared on Vype.com.
The run game was a big part of the Lobos’ start, as well as their continued success. It started with Chris Herron’s 40-yard scamper on the opening drive, which set up his first of two touchdown passes before the second quarter. The first connection found Devin Lawrence on a 4th-and-10 pass, and the other was a 51-yard bomb to Golden Eke.
The Lobos continued to run, and finished the first half with 182 rushing yards on 16 carries. That included two scores by Corien Azema, and one by Herron and Chris Mehn.
Another good sign for the Lobos, going into next week’s rematch with 17-6A foe Cy-Fair, is the way their defense played in the first half. The unit shutout Kingwood, had two blocked punts courtesy of Tucker, and allowed 80 yards.
Even though the game was out of hand heading to the second half, Kingwood kept fighting, like it had in the months since Hurricane Harvey. The displaced Mustangs, who’ve been attending Summer Creek since the storm, also overcame an 0-3 start to play December football for the first time in 27 years.
Their ability to not give up resulted in a second half they can hang their hats on. They gave up an early 60-yard scamper to Tucker, but scored on back-to-back drives in the third quarter. It started with Matt Slayton’s 40-yard scoring connection to Nolan Powell, and continued with Connal Fisher’s 27-yard field goal. Slayton wrapped up the afternoon with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Trey Gould in the fourth.
“The second half was another opportunity to show who we are at Kingwood,” said Mustang head coach Barry Campbell. “That’s tough, determined, hard-working kids that are going to play hard no matter what, do the best they can, and have something to be proud of when everything’s said and done.”
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After a two-game sweep of the Rockies in Mexico City, a heart-thumping, extra-inning win Tuesday night over the Guardians in Minute Maid Park, the surprising demotion of first baseman Jose Abreu to the bottom rung of the minor leagues and the call-up of fan favorite rookie slugger Joey Loperfido … suddenly the Astros season seems turned around.
Even if their record still is 10-19 and they remain dead last in the American League West.
Ah, but only six games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners. That’s just a hot streak away.
The Astros are in it … and right now aren’t you thinking to win it?
One thing is for sure. There is no doubt who is running the Astros ship and is the voice in owner Jim Crane’s ear. It’s Dana Brown, the general manager.
Since the last pitch of the Astros disappointing 2023 season when they “only” made it to Game 7 of the ALCS, Brown has made the 2024 Astros team in his mind’s image.
Gone is last year’s manager Dusty Baker with whom Brown fussed and fought with over Baker’s insistence on playing weak-hitting Martin Maldonado over rookie Yanier Diaz.
Baker resigned (thank you for saving us the trouble) and was out the door shortly after the season ended.
Gone, too, is Maldonado. The Astros never made a serious attempt to keep him in Houston.
Now Abreu is dispatched, too. After an April of historic batting futility, Abreu, a 37-year-old veteran, consented to go back to the minors to find his batting stroke. He leaves the Astros, for public consumption temporarily, hitting .099 with no home runs and 3 RBI in 71 at bats.
The Astros signed Abreu to a $58.5 million, three-year contract before last season – before Brown arrived in Houston. Crane offered the megabuck contract at the urging of then-de facto general manager Jeff Bagwell. At this time last year, it was an open question, who is the real Crane-whisperer, newly hired Brown or Astros legend Bagwell?
Next question?
If Baker had been retained and Brown held sidelined in key decisions, it’s likely that Maldonado would be in the Astros lineup and Diaz again the catcher-in-waiting. With fans still frustrated up to here.
Maldonado eventually signed with the Chicago White Sox where he is batting an even .100 and has Southside fans wringing their hands over his offensive impotence. Defensively, he has thrown out only two of 20 base stealers for a 10-percent success rate.
Meanwhile, Diaz is batting a solid .287 with three homers and 13 RBI. He is one of MLB’s elite hitting catchers. He’s also thrown out six of 23 base stealers for a 26-percent success rate.
Maldonado did have value when he played for the Astros, though. He was a leader in the clubhouse. He led team meetings when times were tough. Pitchers had confidence in him. Fans liked him, at least on a personal level.
Abreu never made that connection during his time in Houston. Despite Brown’s repeated urging to read the back of Abreu’s baseball card, and his kind and confident words announcing Abreu’s departure for West Palm Beach, do you expect to ever see him in an Astros uniform again? Abreu still will be owed $19.5 million next season, so there is that.
When Astros fans woke up Wednesday morning, they had visions of Alex Bregman and Jon Singleton smacking three-run homers, of Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena’s continued hot hitting, of rookie Loperfido driving in two go-ahead runs and reserve catcher Victor Caratini sending a big crowd home happy with a dramatic two-out, walk-off blast over the right field fence.
Hope is a good thing, and it’s back.
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