SHEPHERD — Friday night officially brought the return of Texas high school football, and San Jacinto County wasted little time giving its football fans something to talk about. The opening night produced two very different stories.
The Shepherd Pirates walked into Huffman-Hargrave and came away with a statement-making 42-27 victory, while the Coldspring Trojans traveled to Liberty and held a strong Panthers team to a one-score lead at halftime before Liberty rallied in the second half for a 39-18 victory.
While Coldspring was battling Liberty, the Shepherd Pirates were busy writing one of the night's biggest stories at Huffman-Hargrave. The Falcons entered the game with expectations on their side, but Shepherd quickly changed the conversation. From the opening kickoff, the Pirates established their identity with a powerful rushing attack that repeatedly challenged the Huffman defense.
Shepherd built an early advantage and appeared to have control of the game heading into the second half. But Huffman wasn't finished. The Falcons returned from halftime with adjustments of their own and began finding success on the ground and through the air. Huffman's passing attack produced several big plays, allowing the Falcons to steadily cut into the Shepherd lead and eventually pull within seven points. That's when the Pirates needed to answer, and they did.
Shepherd regrouped, made the necessary adjustments and closed the door on the Falcons, finishing with a 42-27 victory and sending the Pirate faithful home with plenty to celebrate. The win was especially impressive considering the expectations surrounding Huffman-Hargrave entering the contest.
The Shepherd rushing attack was the difference-maker throughout much of the night. Ben Coyle led the Pirates with 141 rushing yards on nine carries and two touchdowns, providing the explosive plays Shepherd needed to keep the Falcons defense on its heels. Cutter Hues also found the end zone, contributing a rushing touchdown and a reception. At quarterback, Kyler Syracuse completed 1-of-3 passes for 13 yards and a touchdown while also helping direct the Pirate offense through a challenging road opener.
Head Coach Miles Robison gave the defense a lot of credit for the win, saying Michael Weekes, Braydon White, Javaris Marsh and Weston Hoffart led that side of the line.
Shepherd had 466 total offense yards, 453 yards rushing.
Ben Coyle had 9 carries for 148 yards and 2 TDs.
Jackory Davis had 12 carries for 123 yards and 1 TD.
Davin Turner had 16 carries for 83 yards and 2 TDs.
Kyler Syracuse had 57 yards rushing and 1 passing TD to Cutter Hughes.
In Liberty, two former Coldspring Trojans found themselves on opposite sidelines as Coldspring Head Coach Chad Allen faced Liberty Head Coach Kedrick Harrison in a matchup that carried plenty of San Jacinto County history.
The Trojans came out ready, holding their own against the Panthers throughout the opening half and taking an 18-16 lead into halftime and giving the new Trojan coaching staff and its players an early glimpse of what the season could become. Liberty returned from halftime with adjustments, changing formations and defensive looks while finding ways to slow the Trojan attack.
The Panthers eventually pulled away to secure the 39-18 victory.
After the game, Allen and Harrison met near midfield, joined by former Coldspring Head Baseball Coach Mark Sewell. The former Trojans shared stories, memories and a little time reminiscing about their days in Coldspring. For a moment, the rivalry disappeared, and the Trojan connection took over. Once a Trojan, always a Trojan.
Allen said the team got off to a great start and competed hard throughout the game, but unfortunately, starting quarterback Cam Harrison went down with an injury on the third play. Deshawn McKinney stepped up and did a great job leading the offense, throwing two touchdown passes, one to Tyler Stuckey and one to Wendell Wills, and also added a rushing touchdown.
He said that defensively, Coldspring had an awesome first half creating turnovers. Jacoby Johnson and Tyler Stuckey added interceptions and Cayden Bennett led the team with 8 tackles.
“We’re looking forward to getting a few guys back from injuries, which will help improve our depth moving forward,” Allen said. “We’re not going to panic after one week. We’ll evaluate the film, make the necessary adjustments, continue to get better, and stay the course. There’s a lot of football left to play, and we’re excited about where this team can go.”
