By George Slaughter
The Tompkins Falcons needed two overtimes to do it, but they came away with an emotional 30-27 area playoff win against the Cy Falls Eagles Friday night at Legacy Stadium.
The win improves the Falcons to 11-1. The Eagles end their season at 10-2.
The winning touchdown, which came on a 2-yard run by junior quarterback Jalen Milroe, clinched the victory after Cy Falls had taken a 27-24 lead earlier in the overtime. The teams had an exchange of interceptions in the first overtime.
Milroe described the play as having come from preparation during the week.
“We practiced for this moment, knowing that going into the red zone, it was either three points or a touchdown,” Milroe said. “That was the key for us.”
Tompkins never trailed during the game and led for most of it, but the Eagles scored on a 2-yard run by junior running back J.P. Martin with 29 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime. Friday’s game was the first time Tompkins had an overtime game since last season, when it defeated Morton Ranch.
“We didn’t get overwhelmed or anything,” Milroe said. “We stayed composed, and we didn’t get rattled at all.”
Tompkins got its first touchdown on a 28-yard run by junior running back Marquis Shoulders with 7:32 in the first quarter. The Tompkins drive began with good field position, as the Falcons recovered a Cy Falls fumble at the Tompkins 45.
Tompkins increased its lead early in the second quarter, when Milroe scored on a 5-yard run.
Martin scored on an 11-yard run with a 1:44 remaining in the first half to cut the Tompkins lead to 14-7 going into halftime, but the Eagles added a 35-yard field goal with 4:51 left in the third quarter to cut the Tompkins lead to four.
Tompkins junior kicker Hunter Huckaby made a 30-yard field goal to put the Falcons back up by seven. But on the ensuing kickoff, Cy Falls junior kick returner Jaylan Walker scored on a dramatic 99-yard return. The extra point tied the score at 17.
The Falcons, however, had a big play up their sleeve. On a first-and-10 from the Falcon 30, Milroe turned to his right and completed a pass to senior Taurean Muhammed, who took off down the sideline and avoided Cy Falls tacklers for a 70-yard touchdown.
“Honestly, I knew the clock was winding down, and initially I was, trying to get out of bounds,” Muhammed said. “But I saw some space, and tried to tiptoe (around the defender). I ran as best as I could, as fast as I could, to the end zone.”
On the ensuing Cy Falls drive, the Eagles drove to the Falcons 2, when Martin scored the touchdown that put the game in overtime.
Tompkins senior running back R.J. Smith finished as the game’s leading rusher, finishing with 157 yards on 28 carries. It was a nice return to action after being marginalized by illness last week, when he had one carry against Fort Bend Travis.
Tompkins coach Todd McVey praised the Falcons’ resiliency after the game.
“What a game,” McVey said. “Wow. This is playoff football. Throw out the records.”
McVey thanked the Tompkins fans who attended the game and said the Falcons want to use the energy from an emotional, hard-fought contest to move forward.
“How much do you want the next round?” McVey said he and the coaches will ask the players. “It’s up to you all.”
The Falcons will face the winner of the Atascocita-Dickinson game, set for 2 p.m. Saturday at NRG Stadium.
Katy 27, Cy-Fair 14
Katy junior quarterback Bronson McClelland threw two touchdown passes, and senior cornerback Bryan Massey returned an interception for a touchdown, as the Tigers defeated Cy-Fair, 27-14, Friday night at Tully Stadium.
Katy improves to 12-0 with the win. Cy-Fair finishes its season at 11-1.
Massey’s interception return, which came with 5:45 left in the game, sealed the Tiger victory.
The Tigers will face defending state champion North Shore at 4 p.m. Friday at NRG Stadium in what has become a rivalry between the programs.
Last season, North Shore defeated Katy twice, both in the season opener and in the playoffs, en route to the state championship. Those two Katy losses were the only ones the Tigers suffered last season.
This year the Tigers defeated North Shore in the season opener, 24-21.