By George Slaughter
Given the confusion—both for attending school and playing football—accompanying the coronavirus pandemic, that the Taylor Mustangs were able to play football Thursday was a victory in itself. That the Mustangs posted a 37-0 win over Cy Springs was even better.
“It’s rewarding to play a little football,” Taylor coach Chad Simmons said, adding that the players had been coming in “religiously” over the summer to prepare for the season, despite concerns that the season might not be played at all. “We’ve got some things we’ve got to clean up, like you will in any first game, typically, but overall, I thought out kids got after it and played hard. I thought Cy Springs also played hard. We were really pleased.”
The game drew fewer fans thanks to previously announced precautions taken by the Katy Independent School District. The stadium had notices posted throughout asking fans to practice social distancing and wore protective face coverings.
The Mustangs are coming off a historic year in which they reached the Class 6A Division II semifinals. They have high expectations for the 2020 season, and they played like it Thursday. The Panthers, meanwhile, are rebuilding after a tough 0-10 season.
On Thursday, Taylor dominated. After racing to a 3-0 lead on a field goal by senior kicker Renan Baeta, the Panthers were forced to punt on the ensuing possession. But senior defensive back Camron Hennon blocked the punt and set up the Mustangs for their second score, a 32-yard field goal by Baeta.
“We really had a return on, but we’re always going to send somebody to make sure the guy can’t just stand there with the ball,” Simmons said.
The Mustangs got their first touchdown when sophomore wide receiver Michael Whitaker III scored on a 9-yard run.
Sophomore running back Andrew Meza scored on a 5-yard run with 2:47 in the first half. Beta’s extra point put the Mustangs up 20-0, which they would take into halftime.
The Mustangs continued the onslaught with a nine-play, 77-yard scoring drive to begin the second half. The score came on a three-yard run by senior quarterback Michael Cummings. On the ensuing drive, the Panthers lost a fumble, which was recovered by senior defensive tackle V. J. Bronson. The Mustangs capitalized on the turnover with a five-play, 25-yard scoring drive. The touchdown came on a 13-yard pass from Cummings to Whitaker with 6:38 left in the third quarter.
Beta made a 47-yard field goal with 10:10 remaining in the game for the final score.
Taylor’s next game will be against George Ranch. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Thursday at Legacy Stadium. Cy Springs’s next game will be against Humble. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium.