| Get BrazosSports by Email | Contact Us | Archive
With Cy-Fair threatening to score a clinching touchdown, Round Rock Stony Point's John Howell was sent in to play linebacker.
"I was nervous because it was the first time I had been in on defense," Howell said. "The coach told me to go in and do what I could do."
He literally ran away with the game.
Howell reached back to intercept a pass from Cy-Fair quarterback Blake Reese then outran Reese to the left sideline on a 45-yard touchdown return. That gave the Stony Point Tigers a 33-31 victory in the Fox Sports Southwest 7-on-7 Championship game Saturday at Kyle Field.
"When they hiked it, I went to the right," Howell said. "Then I saw him come to the left, and he threw it. I reached out with my left hand and tipped it, looked back and caught it, and then I just ran. I was thinking, 'I hope he won't get me.'"
Reese had little chance.
"One big play can change everything," Howell said.
Reese had been nearly pinpoint perfect until that throw. He had thrown an interception on a Hail Mary pass late in the first half that was picked off by Kevin White, but it did no harm. The second pickoff was devastating, however, and it left a combined look of disappointment and disgust on the face of a quarterback whose five touchdown passes ultimately weren't enough.
"I just tried to force something that I shouldn't have," Reese said. "We played our best but screwed it up in the end."
Stony Point had taken a 26-25 lead on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Aaryn Sharp to Stephen Williams, who raced behind the Cy-Fair defense. Williams, who was named the tournament's MVP, caught two second-half touchdowns.
"I've been throwing to Stephen since middle school, and we have that connection," said Sharp, who also played tight end. "I know his speed and knew if I got it out there, that he would be able to go get it, and sure enough, he sped up real fast and got it."
Sharp was one of two quarterbacks employed by the Tigers, sharing time with Gus Barrera. Both threw first-half touchdowns to John Garofoli.
After Sharp's 45-yarder to Williams, Cy-Fair regained a 31-26 lead when Jacob Koch caught a touchdown pass from Reese.
Cy-Fair then held on defense and got the ball back, but in a play the Stony Point Tigers could hardly believe, Howell snatched a chance for victory and carried it to the state title.
"When he first intercepted it, we were like, 'Is this really happening?'" Sharp said of Howell's game-winning play. "As he started running, we were thinking, 'Don't cramp up, don't cramp up.' Luckily, he didn't and when he touched that end zone, we knew we had this game."
The Bobcats established the largest lead of the tight contest when Reese found Anthony Kruger on a crossing pattern for a 13-6 Cy-Fair lead. J.J. Jacob caught the last touchdown of the first half, a short flip forward to give Cy-Fair a 19-13 halftime lead. Jacob's second-half TD catch later gave Cy-Fair a 25-19 advantage.
In the consolation final, senior quarterback Mark Benninger threw five touchdown passes to his twin brother Brett, and Houston Stratford went on to a 52-27 win over Pearland. Stratford wrapped up the win with an interception return for a touchdown by A.J. Justice.
After losing their first two pool games, the Spartans won six straight on their run to the consolation final victory.
Pearland's Myles Kanipes caught his second touchdown pass form Trey Anderson to narrow the score to 32-27 in the second half. Stratford responded quickly, with a deep scoring pass from Mark Benninger to Mario Gomez.
District 12-5A rivals Temple and Copperas Cove played in the second round of the consolation bracket and Cove won 42-27 to eliminate the Wildcats
It was the first game of the day for the Bulldawgs. They had no first-round opponent when Garland Lakeview Centennial withdrew from the competition. Cove advanced to the semifinals before losing to Stratford 34-20.
