SPECIAL EDITION
DREAM SEASON!
‘Not the same Tomball’
The Varsity football team has the chance to make history here at Tomball High School. The last time the football team made it this far into the playoffs was 1984 and 1985, when they played in the state title game in back-to-back years but came up short both times. The quarterback at the time, Lance Pavlas, is in the Texas High School Sports Hall of Fame. Photo by Jaime Rowe
Cougars face Bridgeland at home in regional final by lucas botello
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he Varsity football team has the chance to make history here at Tomball High School. The last time the football team made it this far into the playoffs was 1984 and 1985, when they played in the state title game in back-to-back years. After 36 years, the Cougars are back in the regional finals, deep into the playoffs. The team - an afterthought in high school football playoffs for more than a decade - has defied expectations, beating schools that were district champs or even nationally ranked. As the team has proclaimed since the season began: We’re not the same Tomball. The Cougars have pushed themselves to their limit in every game, defying what many people thought possible
as they push deeper into the playoffs, and showing all season that this is a team other will need to watch. “A lot of people doubt us because we haven’t made it this far for a long time but it feels amazing to be in the spot we are and we know we’ve earned it,” said senior WR Derrick Taloy. The Cougars started the year strong, opening with a five-game win streak but ran into some trouble against the Klein ISD schools. However, they beat Klein High School in the last district game to secure the final playoff spot. Since then, they have beaten Cy-Park, Willis and Rockwall Heath in the playoffs. Cy-Park and Heath were both considered state title contenders. “Winning playoff matches is an believable experience but it’s only possible because we all trust the process and believe in each other,” said senior DE Luke Roaten.
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OMBALL
Key Cougars to Watch
Season Results
Week 1 Tomball 40, Willis 27 Week 2 Tomball 52, Nimitz 0 Week 3 Tomball 42, PNG 25 Week 4 Tomball 38, Oak Ridge 13 Week 5 Tomball 48, TMHS 35 Week 6 Tomball 49, Klein Forest 21
RB Christian Womack
QB Cale Hellums
WR Derrick Taylor
When struggling in the air or facing against a weaker defensive line, running back Christian Womack is the go-to guy. A junior in only his second year on varsity, Womack has put up video game type numbers as he has 1,126 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns. Womack is able to put up seven yards per carry based off of his natural athleticism along with being quick off the snap. An underrated aspect of his game is strength, on display as he fights for extra yards as well as when he is one-on-one with a defender and is able to run him over.
The Army West Point commit has 3,400 total yards accumulated this year. Hellums has added 20 throwing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns. The commander of this high-scoring Cougar offense has taken the state by storm as the Coogs have overcome two top-ranked teams in Cy-Park 52-29 in Round 1, and Rockwall Heath 35-21 in Round 3. Hellums, a dual threat quarterback, thrives off of quarterback keeps and play-action sets, giving him the best of both worlds.
At 5’11 and 170 pounds, Derrick Taylor has been given the perfect build of having the height and weight advantage over smaller defenders but also staying quick on his feet when running routes and continuing his run after the catch. Taylor has 830 receiving yards with nine touchdowns, averaging 70 yards a game. Taylor’s ability to create space in one-on-one situations as well as finding the perfect gap to run through off of screen passes has made him one of the hardest players to contain in the district.
WR Jayden Grey
DE Luke Roaten
Kicker Carlos Alvarado
Standing at a towering 6’3, wide receiver Jayden Grey has the upper hand in almost every situation he faces on the field. Grey’s ability to utilize his height in one-on-one situations has been apparent in multiple games this season as he has leaped up over two, sometimes even three players to get the ball. Putting up 517 receiving yards as well as seven receiving touchdowns has made him key to this deep Cougar playoff run.
At 6’6 and 270 pounds, the Tulsa commit brings an immense amount of brute strength and size but also quickness to the defensive line. Roaten has been a terror to play against as he is able to rush the quarterback effectively, causing havoc amongst the offensive line leading to his own success in numbers, but also opening holes for his teammates as he is double teamed often.
When thinking of key players, many align it with scoring touchdowns and interceptions or sacks, typically not kickers. One of the nation’s top kickers, Carlos Alvarado has changed the narrative as he has been a huge part of the success. Alvarado is 61-for-64 on point-after attempts and 8-for-10 on field goals with his longest being a 45-yard field goal against the wind. Alvarado not only contributes to scoring but comes up big with multiple onside kick recoveries to shift momentum in games.
Week 7 Klein Collins 31, Tomball 8 Week 8 Klein Oak 31, Tomball 1 Week 9 Klein Cain 49, Tomball 35 Week 10 Tomball 35, Klein 14 Playoffs Round 1 Tomball 52, Cy Park 29 Playoffs Round 2 Tomball 37, Willis 7 Playoffs Round 3 Tomball 35, Rockwall-Heath 21 Playoffs Round 4 Tomball vs. Bridgeland Saturday, Dec. 4th 2 p.m. Tomball ISD Stadium Next up: State Semifinals
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BRIDGELAN Key Bears to Watch
Season Results
Week 1 Bridgeland 54, Klein Cain 14 WR Andrew Maleski
DE Nathan Earle
QB Conner Weigman
Heart over height is the story for Bridgelands wide receiver Andrew Maleski, often known as Weigman’s go-to target. Despite being what some scouts consider to be undersized, Maleski has put together a successful career at Bridgeland with this year being his best at 974 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns. What makes Maleski a threat to many secondary’s are his glue-like hands. Maleski also has a great ability to catch in traffic and continue his run after the catch.
Considered to be undersized at 6-foot flat, Nathan Earle makes up for it with his strength at 280 pounds. Earle, a third-year varsity player, is considered to be one of the best on the defensive line for Bridgeland. With the experience Earle has, the skill and utter will and desire to succeed he thrives in rushing opposing quarterbacks as well as stopping plays at the line of scrimmage as he is often double teamed by offensive lines.
For the last three years quarterback Conner Weigman has been on a reign of terror, putting up record breaking numbers for Bridgeland. The five star, dual-threat quarterback is verbally committed to Texas A&M as he will play both baseball and football. This year, Weigman has played 11 games and has put up a total of 3,415 total yards, 2,587 of them being passing yards with 29 throwing touchdowns as well as 828 rushing yards with nine rushing touchdowns. Weigman’s status is unknown as he left early in the first quarter against Cedar Hill, where Bridgeland won 32-18 under backup quarterback, Josh Stephans.
Week 2 Bridgeland 24, Shadow Creek 14 Week 3 Bridgeland 39, Woodlands 35 Week 4 Bridgeland 48, Langham Creek 16 Week 5 Bridgeland 41, Cy Woods 14 Week 6 Cy Ranch 38, Bridgeland 28 Week 7 Cy Parks 35, Bridgeland 13 Week 8 Bridgeland 55, CSHS 6 Week 9 Bridgeland 42, Cy Lakes 0 Week 10 Bridgeland 38, Cy Falls 10 Playoffs Round 1 Bridgeland 34, Klein Collins 33
CB Graham Gillespie
DE Charles McKnight
WR Jonathan Nelson
Despite having one of the best offenses in the state, Bridgeland’s defensive roster is deep. Cornerback Graham Gillespie has been considered one of the best corners in the state in his class. Gillespie has nine picks this year, one a pick-six. He has the quickness of a wide receiver but the strength of a linebacker giving him the upper hand in most one on one scenarios. He also has the hands of a wide receiver allowing him to pick off quarterbacks and swipe balls out of the hands of receivers.
Alongside Nathan Earle is another veteran on the line, defensive end Charles McKnight. He is a two-year varsity player who has led the defensive line in tackles and second in sacks. Being that this is his second year, he has been able to unleash the monster on opposing teams’ offenses. What makes this duo of Earle and McKnight so special is that offensive lines have to choose who to double team between the two of them and the other is able to go one-on-one. This also opens up gaps for teammates.
Utility player, Jonathan Nelson is known as the Swiss-Army knife of the team. With a total of 1,396 yards under his belt, Nelson is constantly seen in multiple positions for the Bears as 806 of them are at wide receiver, 429 of them rushing in a wildcat set and 161 of them at quarterback. This allows Bears Head Coach David Raffiled to confuse defenses and keep them on their toes not knowing what to expect.
Playoffs Round 2 Bridgeland 35, College Park 28 Playoffs Round 3 Bridgeland 32, Cedar Hill 18 Playoffs Round 4 Tomball vs. Bridgeland Saturday, Dec. 4th 2 p.m. Game Coverage by ashton lux
The team celebrates with another title - this time as Regional Semifinal Champions - after beating Rockwall Heath last Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo by Jaime Rowe
ABOUT THIS ISSUE Travis Bates and Matthew Taylor, celebrating after a successful play, are enjoying a magical season in their senior year as the Cougars have reached the regional finals for the first time since 1985. Photo by Jamie Rowe
What is the Cougar Claw? The Cougar Claw is the student newspaper at Tomball High School. We also post stories on our website at THSCougarClaw.com and social media. Follow us on Twitter @CougarClawNews or on Instagram @cougarclawmedia, or at Facebook.com/ tomballhighstudentmedia for regular updates. In addition to posting stories online, the newspaper staff also works to produce print editions that are distributed throughout the school. The newspaper is entirely self-funded, and relies on ad sales to offset the cost. If you’re interested in supporting our program or buying a business ad, please contact adviser Jerry Fordyce via email at jerryfordyce@tomballisd.net. In addition, the Cougar yearbook staff will be covering this game. It is just one of the memories covered by the yearbook staff this year. To order your yearbook, go online to Balfour.com. Prices go up after the holidays. We hope you enjoy this special edition, and, as always, Go Coogs!