KFDM COOP Posted August 28, 2008 Report Posted August 28, 2008 Pasadena spoils Patriots’ debut By Dave Rogers Published August 29, 2008 - Updated 23 minutes ago The storybook ending wasn’t in the cards for Goose Creek Memorial in the first football game for the week-old Baytown high school. After fighting back to take a 20-19 lead only to lose it, the Patriots marched 65 yards in two minutes and had a first-and-goal at the 7-yard line. But Pasadena High linebacker Jerry Reyes picked that moment to come up with the only sack of the season-opening game. He jarred the ball loose from Memorial quarterback Cody Larson, and the Eagles held on for a 27-20 win. “We had a chance. We put ourselves in position. We just couldn’t get it done,†Patriot head coach Bret Boyd said. “At the beginning of the game, I didn’t think we’d be that close at the end, but we hung in there. I’m real proud of the way they fought back.†As the 3,000 or so fans who came out to Stallworth Stadium on a school night were settling into their seats, Pasadena manhandled the senior-less Patriots for a 12-0 early lead. At halftime, the Eagles had a 13-1 edge in first downs and 240 yards in total yards. But because of two big plays by Memorial juniors, Pasadena’s lead was only 19-14 at the break. Larson faked a handoff to tailback DeMartie Allen and outran the Eagle secondary for 80 yards to score the first touchdown in school history. It was also the Pats’ only first down in the first half. In fact, they finished the half with just 72 rushing yards, eight less than the quarterback’s big run. They really finished the half with a bang as defensive back Keithen Collins intercepted a pass and returned it 80 yards to score on the final play of the second quarter. “We gave up too many big plays,†lamented Pasadena first-year head coach Jeff Ganske, a Baytown native. “I would’ve liked to win it easier, but I’ll take it.†The Patriots turned back Pasadena’s first drive of the half, as linebacker Arjaye Holloway led a crew of Memorial defenders that stopped the Eagles’ quarterback Damon Ojeda shy of a first down on fourth-and-two at the Memorial 13-yard line. Late in the third quarter, the Patriots took a 20-19 lead when Allen capped a 12-play, 59-yard drive with a 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal. It was the second fourth down the young guns from Memorial converted on a drive that began with a fumble recovery by Josh Stuart. A 43-yard run by Ojeda was the big play in an 80-yard Eagle drive to retake the lead at 27-20 with 3:03 remaining. Five-foot-six Pasadena running back Juan Merino, who finished the game with 196 yards on 35 carries rushing, scored what turned out to be the game-winner on a 9-yard run. Ojeda added a two-point run for insurance. Larson was Memorial’s big producer on the stat sheets. He completed 12 of 26 passes for 107 yards and rushed seven times for 97 yards. The Patriot quarterback had at least six passes dropped and had to run for his life a few times after receiving high shotgun snaps. But he was masterful on the final drive. Until the end. He passed to Patrick Wood for gains of eight, seven and nine yards and completed a pair of eight-yarders to Brandon Rhoden. Wood led all receivers with six catches for 38 yards. Tight end Ricky White joined Rhoden as a two-pass receiver, his catches good for 29 yards. “At first we looked like I feared,†Boyd said. “We showed up wide-eyed and couldn’t remember what we did in practice for the first three or four series. “I’m happy in a lot of areas. I’m disappointed in the mistakes, because it cost us the game. The Eagles took the opening kickoff and quickly gave the Pats an idea of what they were in for. They marched 66 yards in 11 plays for a 6-0 lead on Merino’s 4-yard run with 6:05 left in the first. “They took advantage of their size advantage,†Boyd said. “They just ran it down our throat. The kids stepped up in the second half, but at the end, they just wore out.†The Patriots’ first offensive series in school history consisted of three incomplete passes, one of them a drop and another a desperation heave by Larson after a high shotgun snap. A Patriot miscue helped Pasadena got its second score and a 12-0 lead. A punt ricocheted off the stadium’s artificial turf and hit Allen, who was doing his best to avoid the ball. That left Pasadena only 38 yards from the Memorial goal and the Eagles capitalized when Ojeda sneaked in from the 1-yard line. After Larson’s big run, Pasadena responded with a nine-play, 61-yard march to go up 19-7 on an eight-yard run by Merino.
BHFAN Posted August 29, 2008 Report Posted August 29, 2008 I don't care how bad Pasedena may be that is still impressive for a freshman through Junior first year program! 19-4A is going to become very competitive in the next couple of years
Classof72 Posted August 29, 2008 Report Posted August 29, 2008 Maybe- Only problem is that three of the schools in the district may go 5A after next season (Goose Creek, North Forest & Kingwood)
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