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Hightower sophomore running back Jeremy Payne had 235 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Hurricanes' 31-21 regional semifinal win over Manvel on Friday at Hall Stadium.
Hightower overcomes Manvel, in regional final for 1st time since '11
MISSOURI CITY—Hightower coach Cornelius Anthony has a difficult time finding a way to explain his team's success.
How is it that a team under a first-year head coach—a team that did not have spring ball or an offseason to work through because of the late hire of Anthony and his staff—and starts eight sophomores, after graduating 39 seniors, not only wins a share of the championship in one of the toughest districts in the state, but makes it to the regional final and stands two wins away from the state championship game?
Anthony has no clue. No earthly idea. And after watching his team conquer District 10-5A rival Manvel, 31-21, in their Class 5A-Division I regional semifinal Friday at Hall Stadium, Anthony's only answer revolves around a higher power, a higher being.
"The only explanation I can give you is it's God," Anthony said. "I thought this would be a rebuilding year. The only explanation is all glory to God. He is using a team like this to demonstrate His power and might."
The Hurricanes' 11 wins are tied for second-most in program history. It's their first season with 10 or more wins since 2015. They are in the regional final for the first time since 2011, when they lost to Southlake Carroll in the state championship game.
"It feels great," said senior receiver Caleb Douglas, who hauled in four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. "To still be playing football into December? I ain't ever done that before."
More importantly, Hightower (11-2) exacted revenge against Manvel (10-3), which won last year's regional semifinal meeting, 31-7.
"We didn't eat big on Thanksgiving," sophomore defensive tackle Dailon Ellis said. "We wanted tonight. This is our Thanksgiving right here. This was our dessert. People say we can't face adversity, and, hey, look what happened."
Adversity was certainly in attendance Friday night.
First, the Hurricanes had to find a way to play through the shock of seeing senior defensive back Jeremy Strawder suffer a horrible injury less than two minutes into the game.
Anthony said Strawder seemed to jam his neck while making a tackle. Strawder remained motionless on the field for a lengthy amount of time before being placed on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance.
"That's our bro," Ellis said. "We fought for him. We all wanted this for him."
The game was stopped for 25 minutes as medical and administrative personnel attended to Strawder. After the game, Anthony told his players Strawder was awake and moving at a local hospital.
"That kid is the heartbeat of our defense," Anthony said. "If anything, it inspired our kids to go out there and win it for him. Our kids knew we needed to win, so we can have the opportunity to play again when he's healthy. That sparked a fire in our guys."
Hightower next had to overcome sloppy, undisciplined, and just outright bad football. In a first quarter that was scoreless and lasted 57 minutes, the teams combined for 12 penalties and 115 yards.
At halftime, it was 20 combined penalties for 188 yards. Hightower had 10 penalties for 88 yards.
But Anthony, again, saw some good out of bad, and told his team as much at halftime, with the game tied at 14.
"The main thing I tell my guys is the only team that can beat us is us," Anthony said. "I honestly believe that. So, for us to have that many penalties and play as badly as we did and still be tied … that's scary. So, let's play our brand of ball, eliminate or minimize mistakes, and then see what happens. That's what happened. We shaved penalties and were able to pull away."
The teams exchanged quick scores early in the third quarter.
Senior Ty Harris, the Mavs' primary running back after star senior De'Monte Seymore left the game because of injury after compiling 14 yards on six carries early in the first half, scored on an 18-yard run. Hightower answered when Douglas used all his 6-foot-4 frame to leap over a helpless defensive back, turned, and sprinted into the end zone for a 30-yard score.
"Good defense, but a better catch," Douglas said, grinning.
The game remained 21-21 until senior Armando Ventura drilled a 28-yard field goal with 9.2 seconds left in the third quarter to put Hightower ahead to stay.
Junior tight end Alijah Jones' nine-yard scoring catch from sophomore quarterback Kendron Penson Jr. put Hightower up 31-21 with 6:34 left.
The Hurricanes essentially sealed the win when Ellis sacked Manvel quarterback Kaeden Smith for a six-yard loss on 4th-and-2 on the ensuing drive.
"I've been watching film this whole week," Ellis said. "I knew my time was going to come. I've been waiting patiently. I just tried to make a play. I got my one-on-one, which I love, and knew it was time to work."
But none of that could have happened for the Hurricanes without the third consecutive 200-yard rushing game from sophomore running back Jeremy Payne.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder was spectacular with 235 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
"Cutbacks," Payne said. "I knew No. 6 (Manvel senior linebacker Justin Medlock) would be coming down; good player. I knew he'd be looking for me the whole time. I just had to read the blocks and cut it back. It's a great feeling, not just for me but the whole team. I'm playing for my seniors."
Payne was the most electrifying athlete on the field in a game that was full of electrifying athletes. He showed off an unbelievable mix of power, speed, balance, and vision.
Payne accounted for 55 percent of the Hurricanes' total offensive production.
"He's a man-child," Anthony said. "The kid's been playing football all his life, and you can tell. He's our workhorse. For him to be a sophomore, it's scary how good this kid will be in the next year or two."
Hightower totaled 430 yards to Manvel's 324. But the Hurricanes' defense tightened considerably in the second half, limiting the Mavericks to one touchdown on 90 total yards.
The Hurricanes adjusted to keep Smith, who had both of Manvel's touchdowns in the first half, from getting to the outside and bluffing on blitzes.
"Being Thanksgiving week, we knew there would be distractions," said senior defensive back Julian Payne, the leader of that stingy defense. "But we saw it as opportunity. Everybody else is home and we worked. But we can't get too high or too low. It's a confidence boost, but we've got to stay even-keel."
The win was Hightower's second over Manvel this season. The Hurricanes nipped the Mavs in the initial meeting Sept. 23, 16-12.
'The first time, we were prepared," Ellis said. "But we were prepared even more tonight, plus we already knew what they wanted to do. The running, the play-action go routes … we knew it."
And the reward is a trip to Rice Stadium on Dec. 3 to play 11-2 Paetow, another district rival, with a state semifinal appearance at stake.
"I'm speechless," Anthony said. "That's a great, athletic, physical team with a great coaching staff. For us to come away with the victory, I'm extremely proud. We're teaching everything we do on the fly. So, when you see the penalties and lack of discipline, it's because we haven't had the opportunity to mold them to be disciplined like you would during an offseason or spring. I don't know.
"I'm a God-fearing man, and I can only tell you this is because of Him."
Hightower is 5-1 this season and on a four-game win streak under first-year head coach Cornelius Anthony.
Hightower continues to storm, topples Foster for 4th straight win
ROSENBERG—Yes and no, Hightower coach Cornelius Anthony said.
Yes, the first-year head coach is somewhat surprised at his team's 5-1 record more than halfway through the season, including 4-0 in a highly-competitive 10-5A, Division district, following Friday's 34-7 rout of Richmond Foster at Traylor Stadium.
And, then again, no. Anthony is not surprised.
"Yes, with us graduating 38 seniors last year and then having a talented group of sophomores, I honestly thought this would be a rebuilding year for us," Anthony said. "But I hold myself and my staff to extremely high standards, so, then again, this is not surprising, because these kids are buying into the culture.
"One of the things we're trying to fix and get them to do is pay attention to detail. They're doing that."
Anthony told his players Friday's win was a "great statement" over a talented, well-coached Foster (4-3, 3-2) team that had won three games in a row.
And what was that statement?
"I felt like our guys said if we just execute, play sound football, eliminate mistakes and definitely eliminate self-inflicted penalties, then we are a pretty tough team to beat," Anthony said. "I was overall pleased with our performance."
The Hurricanes rode sophomore running back Jeremy Payne to a fourth consecutive win, and he responded with a breakthrough game. The 5-foot-10, 165-pounder had 189 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
"He's a super sophomore," Anthony said. "That's what I like to call him, like Dick Vitale (says). He's only 15 years old. He's proven the more comfortable he gets, the slower the game comes to him.
"He's seeing he can play on this level. The future is very bright for Jeremy Payne."
The number of yards and carries were season-bests for Payne, who came in averaging almost 10 carries and 75 yards per game.
"Always follow my blocks," Payne said of his recipe for success. "Stay patient in the backfield and let the blocks execute. I used to always run past my blocks and get tackled. Now it's find the hole, follow the blocks, get through it. They can't stop us up the middle."
Indeed, Hightower rushed for a season-high 342 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. When Payne wasn't running around or through the Falcons, sophomore quarterback Kendron Penson Jr. was making plays of his own, completing nine of 17 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns, one apiece to Caleb Douglas and Kaleb Johnson.
Payne and Penson are two of eight sophomores who start for Hightower. That the Hurricanes are winning while building has not necessarily been expected.
"The more experience they get, the slower the game comes," Anthony said. "And the better they get, the better execution the team gets from their performance. Game by game is crucial for their development, and I couldn't be happier."
Defensively, the Hurricanes had two takeaways. Senior defensive back Jaylin Mendez and linebacker Braylen Kizzee, another sophomore, had interceptions.
Hightower is plus-six in turnover differential this season, with 11 takeaways to five giveaways.
"The defense, man, we were on fire tonight," Mendez said. "We had communication. We all worked as one. When we play together, you see what happens. If our D-line doesn't edge rush, if our linebackers don't come through, then I wouldn't be able to make the pick. It's a team effort."
The defense was another example of players finally heeding instructions of coaches.
"It's one of the things we've been preaching all year long—when they run the ball and the guard or tackle pulls to kick guys out, our guys knife underneath," Anthony said. "They finally did what we asked them to do. When these kids do what they're coached to do, they shine like superstars."
The Hurricanes limited the Falcons to 89 yards on 20 carries, and just 151 yards of total offense.
EXTRA POINTS:
>> STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION: Anthony, the former Terry head coach, Texas A&M standout and a product of Fort Bend ISD's Elkins High School, has quickly implemented a standard his players are embracing. "He came in ready to work," Mendez said. "He's big on class and character, and that's what we're going to live by and stand by."
>> ENGLAND STANDS OUT: Junior running back Eli England was a bright spot for Foster. He ran for 64 yards on 13 carries as the most productive player for the Falcons' offense.
>> TROUBLESOME TRIO: Foster is in midst of a tough three-game stretch that coach Shaun McDowell believes will essentially determine its postseason prospects. Foster had Hightower at home this week, and then plays at Manvel and at Angleton. Manvel (3-1 10-5A, DI) beat Angleton (3-2), 49-10, on Friday.