Rangers lose, win long-awaited playoff berth

[KFDM COOP]

Rangers lose, win long-awaited playoff berth

By Nick Cioci

The Baytown Sun

Published November 2, 2008

BEAUMONT—The Sterling Ranger football team might not have been able to gain a win on the football field against the West Brook Bruins Saturday.

West Brook won 41-23.

But the Rangers did gain a win the night before, qualifying for the Class 5A football playoffs for the first time since 1985 by virtue of Port Arthur’s win over Channelview.

“It means everything,†wide receiver Chance Nelson said. “It’s something we haven’t done in 23 years.â€

Nelson had eight catches for 112 yards in Saturday’s game for the Rangers.

Senior quarterback Keagan Kogut, who was 21 of 43 passing for 298 yards, agreed.

“It means a lot. It was our vision for the year,†he said. “But after a loss like this, you can’t be excited about it.â€

Ranger head coach Herb Minyard said making the playoffs is a credit to what his players did the first part of district.

“It’s a testament to their perseverance and to what we asked out of them all the way back in August,†Minyard said. “To be able to achieve that is great for the kids, the program, the school and the whole community.â€

Saturday, the Bruins jumped out to an early 7-0 lead when Donte Lopez returned Kogut’s first punt of the game for a 46-yard touchdown.

The Rangers came back from that touchdown, though, and took a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The two Ranger touchdowns came from the hands of Kogut, one a three-yard run and the other a 12-yard pass to Nelson.

After that score, though, the Bruins answered with two scores of their own, both coming from running back Christine Michael.

The first one was a 25-yard run to make it 14-12 West Brook at the half. The next came in the third quarter on a one-yard run to make it 20-12.

The Rangers added three more points on an Israel Rodriguez 22-yard field goal to make it 20-15 after three quarters.

Once again, though, the Bruins were unfazed. They added two more scores to extend their lead to 34-15 midway through the fourth quarter.

Michael another one-yard run, his third touchdown of the game, and Bruin quarterback Christian Louis hit Ryan Grant on a 15-yard pass for the two scores.

The Rangers wouldn’t quit fighting.

They made the score 34-21 when Kogut hit Nelson for a 38-yard hookup and their second touchdown connection of the day.

The Rangers went for two and converted with Kogut passing to Andre Corley.

“I feel we didn’t play well,†Minyard said. “But we never gave up and kept on fighting.â€

The Bruins added another score late in the fourth quarter when Louis hit Grant for a 14-yard touchdown, his second of the game.

The Rangers wrap up the regular season Friday, hosting winless Channelview. West Brook goes on the road to play North Shore for the 21-5A title.

[BearWolf]

;D

[sahen]

FINALLY!!!  ;D

[82 5A State Champs]

Congrats to the Rangers and good luck in the playoffs!

[BMTSoulja1]

Proud of Sterling.

[sahen]

Congrats to the Rangers and good luck in the playoffs!

Pearland is gonna kill us in the first round...but gotta crawl before you walk, hopefully this year is the first of building back the sterling program...