Bulldogs piled up 606 yards of total offense as they snuff out Wildcats last effort
Humble – From 3-7 a year ago, to sharing the district title this season, Summer Creek, the latest edition in the Humble School district, tripled their win out-put this year.
Quarterback Aaron Sharp pass for 410 yards and threw three touchdowns to help hold off the late charging Humble Wildcats 42-35 on Friday night at Turner Stadium.
The victory was significant in a few different ways, sharing the district title, earning a playoff berth and suffering only one loss on the season. All three marked first timers in the school’s short two-year history. While sharing the title with Kingwood Park and Willis, the Bulldogs’ lone loss was a 28-13 setback to Willis in week six.
Summer Creek (9-1, 5-1) will travel to Shenandoah to face Magnolia West in the Class 4-A Division II Bi-District round of the playoffs on Saturday evening at Woodforest Stadium.
With just over three minutes left, the Bulldogs covered an onside kick at the 50-yard line and used a ball-controlled possession to run out the clock. After a couple of first downs, Aaron Sharp took a knee as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
“He’s special (QB Aaron Sharp) he’s has that natural composure”, said Summer Creek’s Coach Brian Ford. He had as a freshman. Winning a district title feels good and it exceeds my expectation for the season.”
Playing like a seasoned senior, sophomore QB Sharp never showed any signs nerves.
I just stay calm, I don’t get riled up by the crowd but that’s what most kids do. I just keep my composure, stay calm, read my progression, and make sure I do what I need to do to make a good play.”
Down 42-21, Humble scored 14 unanswered points to draw within seven points. Starting from its 38, the Wildcats marched 62 yards in 7-plays, with Kyle Tucker tossing a 23-yard TD pass to Carl Elkins, Jr., cutting the deficit 42-28 after Oscar Zamudio’s PAT. Right after, Humble recovered an onside kick at the 46 of Summer Creek and moved inside the 14. From there, Tucker finished the drive with a 13-yard scoring scamper to trim the lead to seven, 42-35 with 3:11 left. However, they would come no closer.
Summer Creek’s QB Aaron Sharp said, “We just work hard. Last year they had a picture of us, saying 99-0. They blew us out; they were talking trash, so we came out executed and we were ready to win.
Despite a losing effort, Tucker accounted for 426 yards and 4-TDs, 159 yards on the ground and 267 through the air. RB Jer’Kaylin Holiday made the best of three carries for 89 yards and score. WR Jeremiah Allison grabbed seven receptions for 86 while fellow wide out Carl Elkins caught seven for 84 yards.
The Bulldogs scored early in the first quarter after using its passing attack to lead a 7-play, 71-yard drive as RB Jordan Braden took a handoff and strutted in from the 3-yards out and led 7-0 after Abel Lopez kick.
Humble (4-6, 3-4) responded with on a one-play 80-yard TD run as fans watched RB Jer’Kalyn Holiday carried the ball up the middle of the defense, cut back to the left, cross the field and out-ran Summer Creek’s defense to the end zone.
The Bulldogs would then move the ball 77 yards for its next TD. Using a balanced attack, Sharp rolled to his left and found WR Torrey Johnson 36-yards out, who torched the Wildcats defense for 180 receiving yards on seven receptions and one touchdown while assisting in regaining a seven-point deficit, 14-7.
“I just came off a knee injury last year”, Torrey Johnson, Summer Creek’s WR said. I came out here running, lifting weights and I plan on doing better in the playoffs. I was able to get open because I know most of them (Humble’s secondary) when they saw me break off, I just got back on my route to avoid them, to get open.”
By halftime, Summer Creek amazed 312 yards against the Wildcat’s 154.
It was the second half when Humble came alive. On the second series of the third quarter from its 47, Tucker went up top finding Jeremiah Allison for a 49-yard touchdown connection, knotting the score at 14 after Zamudio’s PAT. The Wildcats were equally impressive, clawing out 529 yards of total offense.
Wildcat’s DB Nick Baldwin intercepted Sharp at the 35 of Humble but soon after the Bulldogs returned the favor, striping Holiday of the ball at the 35. On the same play, a personal foul followed to give Summer Creek possession at the Wildcats 20. A play later, Sharp spotted sure handed TE Blake Bootz at the 3-yard line as defenders wrestled him to no demise. Bootz powered his way into the end zone to give the Bulldogs a 21-14 lead, and before the quarter ended, tacked on another score. With 55.8 seconds to go in the third quarter, junior RB KeeVon Aldridge split the middle, on his way to a 50-yard score sprint.
“I give the credit to my line; they held the defensive line enough time for me to get the ball off. The receivers were making great catches. Not all of my balls were perfect,” said Sharp.
In the fourth quarter with the game far from over, but leading 28-14, Summer Creek scored two more touchdowns to outlast the Wildcats who managed to string together three touchdowns in the quarter(42-35). Nevertheless, for Humble the season comes to a disappointing end.
“The kids played hard, I was proud of them. We could have giving up, coming into the game having nothing to play for, out the playoffs or didn’t have a chance to win or lose”, said Walt Beasley Humble’s Coach.
Keevon Aldridge led the Bulldogs in rushing with 103 on 14 carries and a TD. WR DaQuann Ruffin had five catches for 73 yards and Blake Bootz finished with three receptions for 66 yards and a TD.
