Pearland grinds out a victory (Oct.
1, 2005, 1:46AM)
Running game pushes Oilers past Clear Lake
By SAM KHAN JR.
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
PEARLAND - Facing a fourth-and-goal at the Clear Lake one-yard line
and clinging to a four-point lead, Pearland quarterback Michael
Speciale looked to the sideline for the call.
Speciale was met by Clear Lake defenders just short of the goal
line on the previous play. So, with just less than six minutes left
in the game, was there any doubt the Oilers would go for it?
"No way," Speciale said. "I knew we were going for it. I thought
I was in (the end zone) on third down. But as I went down, I knew
we'd get in on the next play."
He took the next snap and leaped over the pile for a one-yard
touchdown that gave Pearland a 14-3 victory over the Clear Lake
Falcons. The touchdown plunge capped off a 13-play, 63-yard drive
that ate 6:49 off the clock and sealed the Oilers' victory Friday
night at the Rig.
The Oilers didn't throw the ball once all game — and they didn't
need to. Pearland controlled the clock thanks to the running of
Speciale (97 yards on 19 carries) and junior running back Foswhitt
Whittaker, who added 186 yards and a touchdown to his area-leading
Class 5A rushing total.
"The only ones who could stop us offensively was ourselves,"
Pearland coach Tony Heath said. "Whether it was a penalty or a
fumble or any other miscue. When you've got a guy like (Speciale) at
quarterback you don't have a lot to worry about. He's a tough,
get-after-it kid."
Defense steps up
The Oilers' defense wasn't too shabby either, holding the Falcons to
261 yards and their lowest point output of the season. Falcons
running back Geno Blow, who came into the game as the area's
second-leading rusher in 5A, was held to 53 yards on 12 carries. No
Falcons back topped 60 yards rushing.
The Falcons also found little success when they got into Pearland
territory, turning only one of their four trips inside the 30 into
points.
"They came out with nothing," Heath said. "The defense bent but
didn't break. They did a tremendous job."
Picking up the pace
It was a fast-paced physical game between two strong running teams,
and if you blinked you would've missed something.
The Falcons blinked once late in the first quarter and missed
Whittaker as he sprinted for a 66-yard touchdown to give the Oilers
a 7-0 lead.
Clear Lake kicker Ken Tabata booted one through the uprights just
before halftime to give the Falcons (2-3) their first and only
points.
Still, Heath wasn't thrilled with his team's defensive effort to
that point.
"We picked it up in the second half," Heath said. "I wasn't
really happy with our aggressiveness in the first half. We felt like
we could play better and we didn't have to make any adjustments,
they just got aggressive.
"Our front seven did a good job of getting (the Falcons) into a
lot of second-and-longs and third-and-longs. If you're going to beat
an option team like that, that's what you have to get them into."
Pearland (5-0) used the game-winning drive and two second-half
interceptions (one by defensive back Ernest Buch the other by Justan
Vaughn), to shut the door and earn their first 24-5A win.
"Big players make big plays," senior linebacker Texavier Henry
said. "We executed the game plan the coaches have been giving to us
for two weeks. We dodged (the hurricane), came back and still played
strong."
Added Heath: "I'm proud of our defense to be able hold a team
with the weapons that Clear Lake has to three points. Hats off to
the defense."
sam.khan@chron.com
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