Jul 30, 2010
Friendswood pulls out another thriller
November 10, 2009
FRIENDSWOOD — For the first time in 18 seasons that Steve Van Meter has been at the helm of the Friendswood football program -- the Mustangs have knocked off the La Marque Cougars for the second straight year. But if the Mustangs continue to play these heart-wrenching games - Van Meter may lose the rest of the sparse few twigs of hair that remain on top of his head.
While the Mustangs already had a lock on their place in the post-season -- the Cougars were hanging on to a thread of hope on the final game of the season. But this current band of Friendswood warriors are not going to go down easy and they wanted to be the first team to hang a second-straight loss on the Cougars who have been reeling over the past two years with a 7-13 record while missing the playoffs again. Until last year - La Marque had advanced to the playoffs 18 straight seasons.
Friendswood got on the scoreboard first with a 20-yard scoring pass from quarterback Peter Maetzold to running back Jonathan Johnson with 8:12 left in the opening period. Zach Hardy added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Then the two teams began scoring tradeouts as La Marque scored in the second quarter with 9:02 left to even the game at 7-7.
The Mustangs answered with a 2-yard pass from Maetzold to Chris O'Brian. Hardy booted the extra point for a 14-7 lead.
The Cougars evened up the score with 28 seconds left before intermission at 14-14.
Friendswood has proven throughout the season that as long as there are seconds on the board, then there is time to score.
Friendswood got the ball at its own 40 with 28 seconds left in the first half. After a completion to Keith Canada - Maetzold dropped back and tossed a bomb to Matt Kennemer for a touchdown with only four seconds showing on the first half clock. Hardy missed the extra point leaving the 'Stangs with a 20-14 lead at intermission.
La Marque took their first possession of the second half and completed it with a 13-yard run by Tim Wright. The extra point missed the mark leaving the game tied at 20-20 with 9:06 left in the third quarter.
The Cougars took the lead with 1:55 left in the third as Emanuell Williams scored on a 1-yard run. This time - Sam Giamfortone got a hand on the extra point to keep the Cougars’ lead to six. It would come back to haunt La Marque.
La Marque had an opportunity to put the game away when they drove to the Friendswood five-yard line. Facing fourth down - La Marque head coach Darrell Jordan, whose team already had missed two extra points, decided to go for it and not put the game in the hands of his kicker.
That proved to be the wrong decision as Williams’ backward pass turned into a fumble and set up the game-winning drive for the Mustangs and Maetzold.
Maetzold was faced with having to take the Mustangs 73 yards with less than five minutes left in the game. He started with a completion to Johnson followed by a tough four-yard run for a first down. Maetzold then hit Kennemer on a perfect 26-yard fly route and then fired a pass to O’Bryan for 16 more yards.
With 2:57 left in the game and Friendswood on the La Marque one-yard line facing fourth-and-one -- Maetzold followed the guys in the trenches and scored the game-tying field goal.
Not wanting to be the goat of the game - Hardy took a deep breath and booted the extra point through the upright to give the Mustangs a 27-26 lead.
That would prove to be the game-winner as the Mustangs defense came up with an interception to take away any chance that La Marque had of getting a last minute victory.
Maetzold finished 16-of-21 for 256 yards. He threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers.
The Mustangs now turn their attention to the Lamar Consolidated Mustangs (4-5) - a team they have met twice in the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. Lamar no longer has the Rodgers' brothers - who are both standouts for Oregon State.
Friendswood took out Lamar last year on their way to the Class 4A Region III title and the state semifinals.
Now the season begin anew and for the first time - Friendswood will host the bi-district contest on Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Henry Winston Stadium.
All Friendswood fans need to be at the game to help the Mustangs make another deep run in the post-season.