Friendswood enhances playoff hopes with 34-20 win over K-Park
November 4, 2025
With four district games remaining and a mandate to win their final league games to secure their reservation in the 2025 Class 5A Region III Div. I playoffs head coach Jordan Johnson challenged his gridiron warriors to win the final four games for a 6-4 overall mark.
So far so good as the Mustangs defeated Pasadena (77-0), New Caney Porter (27-14), and Kingwood Park (34-20) to post a current 5-4 mark.
Fort Bend Kempner is the last team that stands in their path, and the Cougars are currently 0-5 in district and Friendswood should be able to take care of business and see their goal met to continue the 2025 football season in the post-season.
Friendswood got on the scoreboard on their first possession of the game when they drove 48 yards in 9-plays to score on a 3-yard run by junior RB Tripp Bateman. The PAT was good giving the Mustangs an early 7-0 lead with 9:36 left in the opening quarter.
The Mustangs scored on their last possession of the first half when they began at their own 16 with 1:54 left in the second quarter.
Friendswood quickly moved down the field when WR Jensen Hackney picked up 36 yards on a jet sweep; Bateman ran for 13 yards; and a pass interference call against K-Park placed the ball at the Panthers 23 with just seconds left in the first half.
QB Josh Brister dropped back and found WR Gianni Gerami in the end zone for a 23-yard scoring strike. The PAT was good and the 'Stangs led 14-6 at intermission.
“I thought the score was really timely. The guy we went to, Gianni Germani, he’s been doing things right forever," said Jordan Johnson, Friendwood’s head coach. “And after he caught the second one, I pulled him aside and told him you’ve been doing things right for a long time.
“There wasn’t a better guy to spark both sides of the ball than Gianni.’’
Leading 14-6 entering the second half, Friendswood allowed a game-tying TD on a 9-yard scramble run by Panther quarterback Jon Pavlatos and a two-point conversion left it 14-14.
Then Friendswood locked in.
Brister ran for a TD and hit Germani and AJ Parker on scoring passes as the offense hit the end zone on three straight possessions for 34-14 edge early in the fourth quarter.
“It’s great to see guys rally around each other, play complimentary football and live on some momentum,’’ Johnson said. “I thought we moved on to the next play very well tonight.
“And you can’t let them score fast. I thought our defense did a fantastic job in that sense.’’
Defensively, Friendswood later stepped up in the secondary as Austin Cain picked off two passes to end Kingwood Park threats while William Petreyko’s interception on the first snap of the fourth quarter set up the Brister-to-Parker 27-yard TD connection.
With Tripp Bateman and Charlie Moore combining for 17 second-half rushing attempts, the Mustangs kept the ball away from the Panthers, now 2-4 in district action. Bateman finished with 121 yards, while Parker (seven receptions) and Germani (five catches) kept the passing game active.
“It’s a monster step for us,’’ Johnson said of Friendswood’s postseason chances as the team improved to 5-4 overall.
