Angleton 24, La Porte 21

December 7, 2024

NRG Stadium

Houston, TX

In a rematch of an 11-5A Division I regular season thriller, Angleton and La Porte delivered once again in a 5A-Division I Region III championship game that was an old school, knock-down drag out street fight.

This time Angleton, who lost the regular season meeting 35-28, came out on the winning end to punch its ticket to a state semifinal. The key this time was Angleton was able to contain La Porte freshman RB Sean Simon, who ran for an incredible 351 yards in the first meeting.

Both teams failed to do much of anything on their opening two drives of the game, but that changed on Angleton’s third series of the game after a shanked La Porte punt set AHS up at the Bulldogs 38-yard line. Angleton would take a 3-0 lead on a 35-yard Ivan Rodriguez field goal with 3:36 left in the first quarter.

La Porte would answer with a nice drive of their own taking a 7-3 lead on a one-yard touchdown run from Sean Simon right as the first quarter ended. The key play was a 40-yard pass completion for La Porte on 3rd and 16 from QB Aiden Seanz to ATH Ricky Sandolph.

After an exchange of punts, Angleton would take a 10-7 lead on a 34-yard touchdown run from RB Jamarcus Shockley, the key play in the drive was facing a 3rd and 29 Angleton was bailed out by a defensive penalty on La Porte that gave the Wildcats an automatic first down and kept the drive alive.

La Porte would have an answer right before halftime as the Bulldogs would take a 14-10 lead with under a minute left in the half on a six-yard touchdown run from Tyrese Barnes. The drive was spurred on by a pair of facemask penalties on Angleton that gave La Porte a free thirty yards.

Angleton would open the second half with good field position as Kaden Edwards would return the kickoff to the Wildcats 40-yard line. That good field position would set the Wildcats up to cut the lead to 14-13 as Rodriguez would make a 22-yard field goal with 8:41 left in the third quarter.

La Porte would extend the lead less than a minute later as Sandolph would score on a 40-yard  touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a 21-13 lead with 7:54 left in the third quarter.

Momentum appeared to be on La Porte’s side after the score as the Bulldogs forced a three and out and would take over at the Angleton 29-yard line. The Bulldogs would march to the Angleton one-yard line, but the game would flip on its head as Angleton’s defense would make a massive stand on 4th and goal to give the Wildcats momentum.

AHS would march 96-yards to tie the game at 21-21 with 10:26 left in the game, QB Bryce Duron would connect with sophomore WR Wesley Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown pass, Duron would hook up with Juel Patterson for the two-point PAT. Duron and Jackson earlier in the drive connected on a 3rd and 12 that kept the drive going.

Angleton with momentum would force a La Porte three and out and after the punt would take over near midfield with a chance to retake the lead for the first time since the first quarter. The Wildcats would take a 24-21 lead with 6:24 left in the game as Rodriguez would connect on his third field goal of the day from 38-yards out. A La Porte penalty to give Angleton a first down on third and long proved to be a key play.

From this point in the game Angleton’s defense would take over, after a surprise onside kick failed and gave La Porte good field position, Angleton DB Maurice Hightower would get an interception to give AHS the ball back with a three-point lead and 4:52 left in the game.

Angleton would get stopped on downs after choosing to go for it on 4th and 5 from the La Porte 33, but again the Wildcats defense was up to the task stopping a La Porte hook and lateral attempt on 4th and 14. The Wildcats would take over with 2:11 left and would pick up a first down and to run out the clock and walk away from NRG Stadium with a hard-fought 24-21 victory.