By Terry Carter
COLLEGE STATION — Did you hear the thunderclap last weekend? The Cinco Ranch Cougars may have upgraded their play for good.
Imagination became reality for the Cougars on Saturday at the 7-on-7 State Tournament as quarterback Gavin Rutherford and his receiving corp stepped up several notches to finish in the Consolation Bracket finals and unofficially claiming fourth place among the passing league elite.
After taking a shot in the gut losing all three pool games on Friday after a 17-1 regular season, Cinco came out Saturday morning with nothing to lose.
“The guys left everything on the field. The effort they gave for all eight games was 100 percent,” Cinco Ranch 7-on-7 coach Matt Hudson said. “After Friday, they could have hung their heads and gone home — or they could bounce back and play hard. In the morning, they said anything less than five games was not enough. Let’s show people why we are here.”
Rutherford unleashed his hunger to win and gained momentum as the day heated up. The senior, who earned District 19-6A Most Outstanding Offensive Player Of The Year in 2021, threw 30 precision touchdown passes on Saturday in five epic games. The Cougars demonstrated a sensational team effort to watch on Saturday — a stark turnaround from Friday’s 0-3 start against Harker Heights, Hebron and Wichita Falls Rider.
“On Friday, we had not played bad, but we lost three games,” Hudson explained. “We knew we were close and just needed to focus on little things. Everyone decided to make a big play. They were all flying to the ball, and it made a difference.”
Against San Benito in an 8 a.m. elimination game, Cinco Ranch scored late on a Noah Abboud touchdown catch to register a 25-22 win. Hudson commended San Benito for battling hard in that contest, which inspired the Cougars to increase their commitment to win even more.
Game two brought out a talented North Crowley team. Rutherford, his receivers and a strong Cougar defensive effort delivered most of the highlight play to give Cinco Ranch a comfortable 25-8 win. Linebacker Braden Williams and Jet Perez-Gilbes made the defense shine in this contest.
As predicted, game three on Saturday brought Plano onto the turf against Cinco Ranch, which was riding a sizable momentum wave in the 10:15 a.m. matchup. Rutherford again flashed signs of brilliance, connecting for five TDs and a 35-13 Cougar victory over the Plano Wildcats. Receivers like Abboud, Seth Salverino, Fischer Reed, Dylan Kripki, Eric Eckstrom and Colten Michalec pulled down nearly every pass as the offense clicked into high gear. Taytum Johnson also had an interception in the dominant win.
“The Plano game was a team win. The offense was clicking, and those guys were making the tough catches. The defense was solid all around,” Hudson explained. “Gavin can make any throw you need. We started working underneath and then went over the top. They were a fine-tuned machine.”
The Consolation Bracket semifinals pitted Cinco Ranch with a competitive Coppell squad. The aerial battle played out as you would imagine a state championship game: The foes battled evenly back and forth with the Cougars holding a 28-20 lead in the final minutes. Then Coppell scored and went for a 2-point conversion, and the Cougars stopped the conversion attempt to preserve a 28-26 victory.
In the finale, Wakeland edged the Cougars, 26-20, another exciting battle under summer sun with temperatures above 100 degrees. But Cinco Ranch’s run the finals, the execution of plays, the go-for-broke effort and catches generated a rumble in the sky.
Perhaps that rumble will continue into the fall when the pads are on, and the full teams are battling for a bigger 6A football trophy.
CUTLINES
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Cinco Ranch quarterback Gavin Rutherford (12) led his Cougars to four victories with 30 touchdown passes on Saturday. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
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Cougar cornerback Taytum Johnson (1) breaks up a pass. On Saturday the Cinco Ranch defense played a key role in shutting down opponents and halting late drives to give the Cougars more wins. (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
