Game 1: Pasadena Memorial

Varsity

Friday, Sept 5: The Clements Rangers lost a tough opening game 35-21.

Pasadena Memorial took an early 7-0 lead, but by halftime the Rangers had tied it 7-7on a 1-yard pass from Steven Hamner to Austin Ergenbright.  Pasadena scored once in the 3rd quarter, and took a 14-7 lead into the 4th quarter.  They scored again early in the 4th quarter, making it 21-7. 

The Rangers struck back quickly, making it 21-14 with 8:25 remaining in the game, on a 24-yard pass from Hamner to Chandler Coffey.  Pasadena scored again, bringing the score to 28-14 with 6:30 remaining. 

Refusing to give up, the Rangers scored again, this time on a 3-yard pass from Hamner to Hashem Galyon, and with 2:15 remaining the Rangers trailed 28-21.  Pasadena recovered the ensuing onsides kick, and quickly scored, making it 35-21 with only 45 seconds left in the game. 

The Rangers, still refusing to concede,  drove down the field and just missed scoring on an attempted Hamner-to-Brian Coffman pass into the corner of the endzone.

Time ran out on the Rangers in this game.  But this Rangers team has a lot of talent and grit and determination and plenty of potential to do well in district play.

• Houston Chronicle team stats
• Houston Chronicle boxscore

Photographs:

• Pep Rally (116 images) [Brueggerhoff]
• Sendoff (34 images) [Tolle]
• 1st half (65 images) [Brueggerhoff]
• 1st half (63 images) [Tolle]
• Halftime (26 images) [Tolle]
• 2nd half (291 images) [Brueggerhoff]
• 2nd half (155 images) [Tolle]

JV Blue and White

Thursday, Sept 4:

• The JV White team won 14-8 ! After giving up a score on the 1st drive of the game, the Rangers defense held Pasadena Memorial scoreless, including a stand inside our own ten yard line as time expired, to give Clements a 14-8 victory.  Charlie Carroll and Mike Seitz each had a rushing touchdown.

• The JV Blue team tied 20-20.

• Photos: JV Blue vs Pasadena Memorial (161 images) [Roncancio]

Freshman

Thursday, Sept 4: The Freshman team won 6-0 !

By Coach Jacob Cooper

SUGAR LAND, TX --- The Clements Rangers Freshmen started the 2008 campaign with a solid 6-0 victory over highly touted Memorial HS out of Pasadena. It was apparent after the Rangers’ two uninspiring performances in their preseason scrimmages that this team would have some work to do leading up to the match-up against Memorial. Several Rangers stepped up to the challenge this week and led the young squad to their first victory of their young high school careers.

If the first two scrimmages of the year were uninspiring, the Rangers must have found their inspiration for the Memorial game from the very field they were playing on at historic Kempner Stadium. The Rangers were wide-eyed and awe-inspired after hearing tales of the great Kenneth Hall rushing for more yards than any other high school football player in the country on the very field upon which they were warming up.

The game opened up inauspiciously as both offenses struggled to find a rhythm. The Memorial Mavericks were fed a steady diet of runs from Lorenzo Minor and Michael Burr, and on each rush the Mavs were able to find a way to subdue the duo. The Rangers even moved inside the Mavericks’ 5-yard line but failed to convert on 4^th and goal. At the half the game was in a 0-0 deadlock with both defenses outplaying the offenses.

In the 2^nd half, with Clements backed up against their own endzone, the Rangers were able to find even more inspiration to put them over the top. Quarterback Blake Bastin threw an interception which was returned by the Mavs inside the red zone. However, Bastin was hit late by one of the Mav defenders and knocked out cold. The resulting personal foul penalty pushed the Mavs out of field goal range. Seeing their quarterback and leader taken out of the game, the Rangers defense put together an inspiring defensive stand, forcing the Mavs into a precarious 4^th down. Memorial elected to try a long field goal which went begging, giving the Rangers new life.

On the ensuing drive, the Rangers went back to their workhorses Minor and Burr, and even tried to get fullback Davison going but to no avail. Nothing seemed to be working until Coach De Los Santos dialed up Burr one more time on a toss. With Alahajie Dumbuya blocking on the edge and driving the defender downfield, Burr broke free for the Rangers’ first touchdown of the year.

Following the touchdown, the fate of the game rested in the hands of the Rangers’ defense, and they were up to the task of defending the fragile six point lead. The Rangers’ defense eventually forced the Mavs into a long 4^th down and stopped them one last time to secure the victory.

Next week kicks off 23-5A district play for the Rangers with a match-up against an athletic squad from Bush HS. The Rangers’ offense looks to get the running game going more consistently against the Broncos, and the defense hopes to post another shutout. Without a doubt, the 6-0 victory over the Pasadena Memorial Mavericks represents a great start for the Rangers which they hope to build upon as the season progresses.

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