GAMES
RANKINGS
Prolific offense spurring all-around dominance for 2-0 Fulshear
KATY—If it’s still way too early for any sort of statements in Texas high school football, Fulshear’s offense is at least putting everybody on notice.
After compiling 74 points on 749 total yards in last week’s win over Strake Jesuit, the Chargers upped it up a notch Thursday. Fulshear blitzed Clements for 435 total yards and eight touchdowns in a 77-18 win at Rhodes Stadium.
Fulshear, a Class 5A-Division I program, entered this season with just one win over a Class 6A team. It is 2-for-2 this year. The 749 yards against Strake Jesuit are a program best, as well as the 77 points against Clements.
\u201cAn elated @fulshear_fball team. 2-0, averaging 75.5 points per game. Not a typo. #txhsfb @lcisdathletics @KPRC2RandyMc @ChargerSchools @WeAreFu1shear\u201d— VYPE Houston (@VYPE Houston) 1662087521
“It’s good for these kids, as far as knowing they can compete on any level,” coach Nick Codutti said. “We’re about to go into a gauntlet of a district that plays some great football. These two games, I hope, got us ready for that. Our kids are excited about being Fulshear, and not being the old Fulshear, and stepping up. I am so proud of these kids, so proud of these coaches. They’re all working their tails off.”
The offense picked up where it left off against Strake Jesuit.
Senior quarterback Parker Williams completed 12 of 17 passes for 171 yards and five touchdowns. Senior fullback Seth Smith made the most of his four touches with three touchdowns, two rushing. Junior receiver Tate Struble had two catches for two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Patrick Broadway II had two touchdowns. Senior receiver Jax Medica, sophomore fullback Zane Smith and senior running back Calvion Hunter each found the end zone once; Hunter on a 92-yard kickoff return.
“Having all these returners from last year, we have so many weapons,” Williams said. “We have three running backs that can start at other schools. There is so much depth at receiver. Everything just clicks.”
But it was defense and special teams that were game-changers in the first half.
Within a 74 second span late in the first quarter, Fulshear:
>> Scored on a Medica 12-yard reception and converted the two-point try for the game’s first points.
>> Recovered an onside kick.
>> Scored on a Struble 31-yard reception and converted the two-point try.
>> Recovered an onside kick.
>> Scored on a Seth Smith four-yard pass and converted the two-point try.
\u201cAnd a TD. @Park9rWilliams to @oneandonly_seth. Four-yard reception. 24-0 @fulshear_fball, 2:28, 1Q. Smith has 12 points ( TD plus 3 2-point conversions). #txhsfb @lcisdathletics @ChargerSchools\u201d— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1662078636
“Coach Nick Jones is our special teams coordinator and he’s just unbelievable when he comes to the onside kicks,” Codutti said. “He comes up with stuff every week and it’s awesome that our kids buy in to that. They get upset when we don’t onside kick. It’s really been a difference.”
Added senior defensive back Jacob Hoffart, who later had two interceptions in Clements territory in the first half that led to easy Fulshear scores: “When our offense keeps the ball 12 minutes every half, it keeps us fresh. We’re always ready to go. It’s a huge boost for us.”
The defense was a considerable boost as well. In all, Fulshear had three takeaways and held Clements to 234 total yards, 4.2 yards per play.
\u201c.@fulshear_fball 2023 DB @jacobhoffart22 talks about tonight\u2019s 77\u201318 win over Clements. The Chargers held Clements to 236 total yards and 4.2 yards per play. Hoffart had two of Fulshear\u2019s three takeaways via interceptions. #txhsfb @lcisdathletics @ChargerSchools\u201d— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1662089900
“It’s our relationship. I think we’re a very tight defense,” Hoffart said. “Everybody’s family. We got lined up and knew pre-play what we were going to do. We out-athleticized this team. We knew we were going to do that. We just had to line up right.”
Fulshear is a team that plays to momentum. It goes for the onside kick the vast majority of the time. Codutti almost always goes for the two-point conversion (Seth Smith converted all seven of his two-point tries on direct snaps).
In two games, Codutti said the Chargers have stolen five possessions by recovering onside kicks.
“It gives us that advantage,” Williams said. “It’s hard to come back from that. You can see it deflate the other team, and that’s our goal. We want to tire out their defense and keep our defense off the field.”
\u201cA little razzle dazzle. @Park9rWilliams 33-yard strike to @BBroadwayy. @fulshear_fball is unstoppable. Chargers up 56-12, 6:37, 3Q. #txhsfb @ChargerSchools @lcisdathletics\u201d— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1662084149
Fulshear is not without its warts. It had 14 penalties for 145 yards.
But what it does have in the second year of Codutti’s regime is confidence. Trust. Belief.
And what it undoubtedly thrives on is culture.
“When we first got to Fulshear, it was a build,” Codutti said. “It was our job to create momentum. I really feel this is the first year these guys have walked into every game knowing they can win. To me, that’s half the battle. We have a bunch of kids who believe in each other, love each other and celebrate each other.”
Codutti, Fulshear find optimism in loss to Montgomery
ROSENBERG—When Fulshear's first-year head coach Nick Codutti watched film from last year of his new team during the spring, he saw a team that would often wilt under pressure or adversity. He saw a team that lacked fight.
So, while the Chargers fell 52-32 to Montgomery on Thursday evening at Traylor Stadium, Codutti was still optimistic. Mad, yes. Frustrated, sure. But encouraged.
"It was lack of execution," Codutti said. "We got down (21-3) early and we lose the game by 20 points. That's what it boils down to. Once you get past that, I thought our kids played really well. Our kids need to understand that we need to execute and do our jobs. We can't take a quarter to get going.
"That's a good football team, a well-coached football team. They're more athletic than a lot of people thought. I was proud of how the kids fought. They played their tails off."
Codutti then doubled down with a tweet he sent not long after the game.
"Tonight did not go our way, but let me tell you something.
I love these kids, we have fighters, we have kids who love each other.
We have coaches who love these kids-
I'm proud to be a CHARGER.
#WeAreFu1shear"
Tonight did not go our way, but let me tell you something. I love these kids, we have fighters, we have kids who l… https://t.co/Px3yseKxjs— Coach Codutti (@Coach Codutti) 1633058332.0
Fulshear (4-2, 1-1 District 10-5A, Division II) trailed Montgomery (5-0, 1-0) 21-3 not even four minutes into the second quarter. But the Chargers never hung their heads. They kept pushing and pushing, and some of that effort was rewarded.
Fulshear, which trailed by just nine points with 7:47 left in the third quarter, outgained Montgomery 433-411 in total yards and won the turnover battle, 2-1.
"It shows that even though we were down, we just never gave up," said junior quarterback Parker Williams, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns to Gavin Waits and rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. "It gives us that confidence in that we can play with a team like that and score against a team like that."
.@Park9rWilliams making something out of nothing for an 18-yard gain. #txhsfb @fulshear_fball https://t.co/Gbyt0uCBGN— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1633049542.0
A typically stout and physical Fulshear defense struggled, as the Chargers had absolutely no answer for Montgomery senior running back Jalen Washington, who ran rampant for 294 yards and five touchdowns on 25 carries.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Washington scored on runs of 66, 3, 13, 70 and 59 yards, respectively.
"The kid had a great game," Codutti said. "The offensive line blocked well for him. He runs really hard. (Montgomery coach) Coach (John) Bolfing told me he had the game of his life. The kid's breaking tackles, running his feet for 20 yards. It is what it is."
Codutti praised the Bears' coaching. Montgomery got Fulshear out of proper defensive alignment early and often for big plays, and the Bears forced the Chargers to tackle in space.
"It didn't end well for us," Codutti said.
Fulshear players and coaches kept reverting to the lackluster first quarter that ultimately doomed any hopes of a win. As they head into a bye week, it is a point of emphasis.
"We have to start off better," Williams said. "It's happened multiple games, and this time it finally hurt us. It's trusting the game-plan. I started second-guessing myself the first drive, and I just need to do a better job sticking to the game-plan. That's going to be my focus."
EXTRA POINTS
>> JAMES IMPRESSES: Senior receiver Natrell James, a transfer from New Orleans who left because of Hurricane Ida, made his debut for Fulshear. The 6-foot, 170-pounder caught six passes for 30 yards and was dynamic in the return game. "I thought he had a great game," Codutti said. "When he got the ball in his hands, he did a really good job." James has only been on campus for 18 days. "He's an athlete," Codutti said. "We need to do a better job getting him in space. We had some plays designed to get him the ball pretty quick. Between (junior) Gavin (Waits) and (junior) Jax (Medica), those are two great outside receivers. He's going to complement them well."
>> WAITS EXCELS: Speaking of Waits, Codutti could not laud the play of his 6-foot-4, 210-pound pass-catcher enough. Waits had four catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns. They were Waits' first touchdown catches of the season. "Gavin had a fantastic game," Codutti said. "He looked like a man-child out there."
>> CHARGED UP FOR TAKEAWAYS: Fulshear had two more takeaways Thursday, with an interception by senior Ashton Bates and a fumble recovery by senior Cade Carter. The Chargers are now an impressive plus-13 in turnover differential, with 18 takeaways to five giveaways.