Springs JV football team blanks Creek

By Joshua Buckley
The Daily News
Published October 16, 2009

LEAGUE CITY — The Clear Springs junior varsity football team recorded its second straight shutout, defeating Creek 37-0.

BB Webb led the offense with a touchdown pass to Demetris Black. Also scoring rushing touchdowns for Springs (5-1, 2-1) were Trey Terry, Andreus Parker and Marcus Johnson.

Defensively, Tyler Stephens had 12 tackles (Hell yeah, go me), and Andreus Ray had an interception returned for a touchdown.

The Springs JV Light also won 16-12 over Creek. Quarterback Taylor Harding threw a pair of touchdown passes, the final one to Ruben Silguero coming on fourth-and-goal with 30 seconds remaining. Kyle Briggs also caught a touchdown pass.

The defense was led by Marcus Anders with two interceptions.

Springs clinches outright district title with win

By Joshua Buckley
The Daily News
Published November 6, 2009

DICKINSON — As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Sam Vitanza Stadium on Thursday, a sea of Clear Springs students descended upon the football team in celebration. Everyone wanted to be a part of school history.

Springs overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Dickinson 33-21. The win clinched the outright District 24-5A title for the Chargers, making them the first varsity sports program to do so in the school’s three-year existence.

“I told our seniors all week they had a chance to write history,” Springs coach Clint Hartman said.

“No one else that ever passes through the doors at Clear Springs High School will be able to say they were a part of the first district championship in any sport. That is something to be proud of.”

To accomplish the feat though, Springs (8-2 overall, 6-1 district) had to fight off a feisty Gators squad.

Dickinson (6-4, 4-3) scored on consecutive drives in the third quarter to turn a 13-7 deficit into a 21-13 advantage.

Quarterback Clay Honeycutt scored on a 47-yard run, while Corey Thomas added a 4-yard touchdown for the Gators.

Springs cut that lead to two points, when quarterback Phillip Miller hit Dmitri Donald for a 20-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter.

But the Chargers still found themselves trailing 21-19 in the fourth quarter when Dickinson pinned them down at the 4-yard line on a punt.

That’s when Hartman huddled his team up and delivered an inspirational speech.

“He told us this is where champions are made — with a 96-yard touchdown drive to win the game,” Miller said.

“He told us that would break their hearts.”

It took 17 plays and five first downs, but Trevon Randle capped off the impressive drive with a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal.

Miller hit Randle on the two-point conversion to put Springs up 27-21. It turned out to be the game-winner.

“Early on in the second half when we feel behind, we said let’s keep it in 9’s (Miller’s) hands,” Hartman said.

“Then when it was the fourth quarter, we said let’s put it 9 or 4’s (Randle’s) hands. We knew we could get the win if we put our trust in those kids.”

Dickinson fumbled the ensuing pooch kickoff, giving Springs an opportunity to run some time off the clock. The Chargers did just that, and then Miller threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Deche Milburn to ice the game with 2:34 remaining.

Miller finished the night with 231 yards passing and 48 yards rushing on 25 carries. He was visibly exhausted after the contest.

“Those guys were hitting me hard tonight,” Miller said.

“They came to play. The feeling of winning makes up for how tired I am, though.”

Randle turned out to be the biggest star of the game. He finished with double-digit tackles, two fumble recoveries, two rushing touchdowns and a blocked punt.

The blocked punt led to a Donnie Baggs touchdown in the first quarter.

“(Winning district) has been a goal of ours since May,” Randle said.

“We all came ready to play, because we wanted to make history.”

Dickinson trailed 13-0 in the second quarter, but got on the board before halftime on a 2-yard touchdown run by Thomas.

He finished with 83 yards and two scores. Honeycutt finished with 126 yards passing and 96 rushing.

“I’m real proud of the way our (team) fought hard tonight,” said Dickinson coach Warren Trahan.

“Nobody gave us much of a chance in this game. We gave ourselves a chance in the second half. But they made the big plays late and we didn’t.”

Dickinson must now wait for results tonight to see if it will be going to the playoffs for the third straight season.

The Gators need Ball High to lose at Brazoswood or Clear Creek to lose to Clear Lake.

As for Springs, it will play the winner of tonight’s game between Fort Bend Kempner and Fort Bend Elkins.

It is also on the other side of the bracket of Katy, meaning it wouldn’t have to face the two-time defending state champs until the regional finals.

But the Chargers are thinking bigger than region titles. They want a state championship to go along with their district title.

“We still have some work to do, but I think we can win it,” Miller said.

“With the way our defense is playing, if we can be consistent on offense like we were in the second half tonight, I like our chances.”

Congrats mate.

Just out of curiosity, did any of the people interviewed read the article and say "I didn't say that..." I always find it funny when the media change the words of the players. The same thing happened when my brother's team won the Champions of Champions (National Soccer/Football) competion.

Good luck! Tell us how it goes :)

Photo by Michael Durisseau

Clear Springs’ Brandon Mickens, left, celebrates his sack of Elkins’ quarterback in the first quarter Saturday during a bidistrict game in League City. The Chargers won, 28-26.

Springs survives, wins 1st playoff game

By Joshua Buckley
The Daily News

Published November 15, 2009
LEAGUE CITY — As the clock ticked down to less than 20 seconds and Fort Bend Elkins ran its kicking unit onto the field, the goal for the Clear Springs Chargers was simple — block the field goal attempt to extend their season another game.

It turns out Springs didn’t even need a block, though Cameron Liem got a piece of it just in case, to win the first playoff game in the program’s history. Dustin Dubec’s 20-yard field goal attempt sailed low, helping Springs preserve a 28-26 win over Elkins in its Region III-5A bidistrict playoff game on Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Springs (9-2 record) advances to face Pasadena Memorial in an area playoff game at 6 p.m. Saturday at The Rig in Pearland.

“This game was a war,” Liem said. “It came down to who wants it more. On every play, both teams were pushing for something extra. It was so exciting, but unbelievable tough.”

Springs nearly blew a two-touchdown advantage in the fourth quarter, partly because of turnovers and partly because of Elkins superstar Jordan Jolly. He played quarterback and receiver and proved to be the toughest foe any of the Chargers players ever had faced.

“He was the fastest player I’ve ever seen,” Springs cornerback Sam Richardson said. “He was like a machine. You’d think you had an angle on him, and it was like he turned a knob and went even faster.”

Jolly already had scored twice in the first half — a 78-yard run and a 13-yard pass from Paije Buchannon. Jolly completed a rare trifecta early in the fourth quarter, throwing a 39-yard touchdown to Chance Allen. That strike cut the Springs lead to 28-20.

On the next Chargers possession, quarterback Phillip Miller hit Deche Milburn on a big pass play. But at the end of the 31-yard dash, Milburn had the ball stripped and Elkins recovered.

“I only saw the safety and I was getting ready to put a stiff arm on him so I could score,” Milburn said. “I didn’t know anyone was coming up behind me. That was real tough. If we hadn’t have won this game, I would have felt bad for the rest of life.”

Jolly and Buchannon marched Elkins 82 yards down the field in eight plays. Buchannon capped it off with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Allen.

However, Buchannon couldn’t convert the two-point conversion on the run attempt, preserving a two-point lead for Springs.

The Springs offense managed to take a little more than two minutes off the clock on its next possession, but had to punt the ball back with a little more than three minutes left in the game.

“It was kind of frustrating,” Miller said. “Our defense was playing great, but we were a little lackadaisical in the second half. We can’t make stupid mistakes like that or it’s going to cost us.”

Elkins started the drive at its own 33-yard line, but had driven all the way to the Springs 10-yard line after two big Jolly passes. The Chargers defense tightened up though, and bottled up, Jolly for no gain on a run from the 4-yard line.

With no time remaining and down to fourth-and-goal, Elkins sent in Dubec, who had made two extra points earlier in the game.

Star linebacker Trevon Randle admitted those final seconds were nerve-racking.

“It was scary,” Randle said. “But I had faith that we were going to block it or they would miss it. There was no way in my mind that kick was going in.”

Randle was right and the celebration began as soon as Liem got a piece of it and it fell harmlessly to the turf.

“To be dead tired and still find a way to block that kick, shows how much it meant to these kids,” Springs coach Clint Hartman said. “I would have been heartbroken if they would have made that field goal. I felt like both teams deserved to win, but one had to lose.”

Springs had started out the game hot, jumping out to a 14-point lead in the second quarter. Miller threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to James Cunningham on the team’s first drive, and then a 45-yard score to Milburn midway through the second quarter.

However, Jolly’s 78-yard touchdown run, in which he outran Springs’ fastest players, cut Springs’ lead to 14-6 at halftime.

Jolly’s 13-yard scoring reception, followed by a three-and-out by the Springs offense seemed to swing momentum Elkins’ way. But Randle came up with perhaps the play of the game, snagging an interception from Buchannon and running 22 yards for a touchdown.

Randle added a 12-yard touchdown run on the next drive to put Springs up 28-13.

Miller finished the night 20-for-32 passing for 235 yards and two interceptions. Milburn was his top target with 109 yards on six receptions, while Dmitri Donald (60 yards) and Cunningham (48 yards) were other top targets. Randle had a team-high 44 yards rushing.

Jolly finished the night with 113 yards passing, 115 rushing and 72 receiving.

“If he’s not the best I’ve ever coached against, he’s definitely one of the top three,” Hartman said. “The University of Houston got a steal with him.”

After the game, all of the Springs players agreed Saturday’s close call against Elkins was a definite learning experience.

“This will definitely make us better,” Liem said. “We’d never made the playoffs before, so I don’t think we really knew what to expect. Now we see if a team is in the playoffs, it can play. But I’m not sure if they can play like we can.”

Sounds like your team is rather good.

Any team you feel you might not do so well against/ not looking forward to?

Good luck for the the rest of your games!

Well done Mcharger and team, I will be wooooting for ur team next Saturday :D

Photo by Kevin M. Cox
Clear Springs' Brandon Mickens stops Jarmaine Pettwayin the back field for a 7-yard loss in the second quarter Saturday against Pasadena Memorial at The Rig in Pearland. The Chargers defeated the Mavericks, 26-14.



Springs dominates 2nd half, advances in playoffs

By Joshua Buckley
The Daily News
Published November 22, 2009

PEARLAND — With Clear Springs trailing by a touchdown at halftime on Saturday’s Region III-5A area playoff game, each member of the Chargers defense made a vow to his teammates and coaches — Pasadena Memorial would not score again.

The defense lived up to its word.

Behind a dominant second half performance, Springs rolled passed Memorial, 26-14, at The Rig in Pearland, clinching a berth in the regional semifinals next week.

Springs (10-2 record) will face Houston Memorial at 6 p.m. Saturday at Galena Park ISD Stadium.

The Chargers’ defense allowed just 74 total yards and five first downs in the second half to lead the team to victory.

“All we did was challenge the kids at halftime,” Springs coach Clint Hartman said. “I’m not sure who started it, but one of the defensive guys said they weren’t going to let them score again. Once one said it, they all stood up and said it. They came through on the promise.”

Memorial (9-3) scored both of its touchdowns in the second quarter. The first came when dealing with a short field after a Springs turnover. The second came on a 79-yard pass on a busted play from Brian Shultz to Nathan Mourik

Junior linebacker Donnie Baggs said it was just a matter of staying focused to be dominant defensively in the second half.

“We knew the task at hand,” Baggs said. “It was all about effort. We woke up and knew that if we played Clear Springs Chargers football, we would win the game. So everyone played with a lot of effort on every play.”

With the defense shutting down the tricky Mavericks offense, it was up to quarterback Phillip Miller and his squad to put points on the board for Springs. They were up for the challenge.

After a 71-yard kickoff return by James Cunningham on the opening drive of the second half, Springs punched it into the end zone three plays later on a 2-yard run by Trevon Randle. That touchdown run, Randle’s second of the game, tied the score at 14.

The score stayed that way until the second play of the fourth quarter. After a 19-yard loss on a failed reverse play, the Chargers were facing a third-and-23 from their own 31-yard line. Miller called a quick pass play and had his sights set on receiver Deche Milburn on the right side.

“I looked that way initially and Deche was covered,” Miller said. “So I kind of shuffled a little to my left to buy some time. That’s when I saw Deche get open.”

Milburn had been beating himself up all week after a second half fumble nearly cost Springs the game last week against Elkins. This time, he wasn’t going to let the team down.

“I knew I had to make up for that fumble from last week,” Milburn said. “As soon as I got open, I saw Phillip throw the ball, and I just kept thinking, I’m not going to drop it.”

The ball hit Milburn’s fingers and for about a second, bobbled around in the air. The Springs sidelines held its breath and Milburn pulled in the pass and raced 69 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

“I’m not going to lie. My heart stopped when he was bobbling it,” Hartman said. “But he got the job done. That’s a play he will never forget for the rest of his life.”

After another stop by the defense, he marched down the field again and put the game away on a 2-yard touchdown by Miller.

The Chargers finished with 370 total yards and 21 first downs. Miller said it was all about playing consistent.

“In the first half we were just beating ourselves,” Miller said. “We knew if we could sustain a few drives and not make mistakes, that we were going to score some points in the second half.”

Miller finished the night 23-for-40 passing for 270 yards. Milburn had 98 of those yards, while Dimitri Donald had an impressive 10 catches for 90 yards.

Randle led the way on the ground with 75 yards rushing, while Byron Williams helped ice the game late with 37 yards on the ground.

Hartman was quick to point out to the players after the game that an area championship is not the Chargers’ ultimate goal. Baggs said if the team plays like it did in the second half, they will be able to reach their lofty goals.

“We sent a message tonight that we can be dominant,” Baggs said. “Especially if we play to our fullest and with a lot of effort, we can be unstoppable.”

So can we expect a Tyler Stephens NCAA and NFL career?

Your school's only 3 years old and is doing this well! That's awesome. Congrats! It sounds like you'll have a good team for next year, too.

Its pretty sweet man, so no college football at all? What if u are offered a scholarship?

Clear Springs’ Keishe Wilcox celebrates after sacking Houston Memorial quarterback Wayne Taylor for a 10-yard loss in the third quarter Saturday at the Galena Park ISD Stadium in Houston. The Chargers defeated the Mustangs, 41-35.

Richardson saves day for Springs

By Evan Mohl
The Daily News
Published November 29, 2009

HOUSTON — James Cunningham searched for teammate Sam Richardson after Saturday’s Division II Region III-5A Semifinals. Cunningham wanted to give Richardson a kiss.

The receiver had good reason to. The cornerback saved the day for Clear Springs and earned the Chargers a spot in the region finals for the first time in school history.

Richardson did just about everything for Springs. He intercepted two passes, blocked a kick and had a critical kick return to help the Chargers hold off Houston Memorial, 41-35, at Galena Park ISD Stadium. Springs meets two-time defending state champion Katy 1 p.m. next Saturday at Tully Stadium. (Shit.)

“Man I got to find that guy and give him a big ol’ kiss, right on the cheek,” Cunningham said. “He came through today in a big way. He got us to the finals and Katy.”

The 5-8, 170-pound junior was hard to find after the game, surrounded by a throng of media and fans; but he was hard to miss during the action.

Richardson started by blocking a key Memorial field goal in the second quarter. Richardson came off the edge for his sixth block of the season, to keep the score at 14.

Clear Springs had trailed by seven twice already, but after the block, the Chargers never fell behind again.

“I just came off the edge real hard and got a fingertip on it,” Richardson said.

After a stalled possession, the Chargers answered thanks to a Khary Alexcee fumble recovery. Trevon Randle scored from 3 yards out.

Memorial and Springs then exchanged scores in a helter-skelter offensive battle. Mustangs sophomore Justin White scored the first of his two touchdowns, on a rumbling 58-yard run.

But Deche Milburn answered with the first of his three touchdowns on a beautiful 46-yard strike from Phillip Miller.

“It was one of the biggest nights I’ve ever had,” Milburn said. “We knew we had to score every time we went out there.”

Richardson then came through again with just under a minute left in the first half. He took a punt back 26 yards to set up Oscar Duran’s 33-yard field goal. It gave Springs a 10-point halftime lead, 31-21, one it would hang onto until the end of the third quarter. “Sam is our best player, when you take in defense, offense and special teams,” Chargers coach Clint Hartman said. “Nothing he does surprises me.”

Richardson led off the second half with his first interception. It didn’t result in a score, but it stalled a Memorial drive to start the third quarter.

The Mustangs, though, wouldn’t go quietly. White scored again to cut the lead to 31-28.

It wouldn’t last long. Milburn and Miller answered once again. Springs went on a 10-play drive that consumed nearly four minutes. Miller found Milburn on a perfectly timed 4-yard fade route, to re-up Springs’ lead to 10 at 38-31.

Miller finished 34-of-49 — connecting with eight different receivers — for 362 yards. It put him more than 3,000 passing yards on the season. Milburn caught 12 passes for 130 yards. (Just wanted to point out our offense kicked ass last night)

But the defense couldn’t hold as Memorial continued to carve holes in the normally stout Chargers’ unit. Quarterback Taylor Wayne connected with tight end Nick Bergmann for the second time on an 18-yard touchdown. It brought the score back to three at 41-38.

The Chargers surrendered more than 459 yards of total offense, 232 on the ground and 227 through the air. It’s the most Springs has allowed all season. (Just wanted to point out our defense sucked last night)

White gained 199 on the ground, the most any single running back has gained against the Chargers in 2009.

“We had some poor tackling and they got us to bite on some play actions,” Hartman said. “It wasn’t pretty.”

The Chargers didn’t score on their next possession, and Memorial took over down 38-35 with just over five minutes remaining. The way the Mustangs moved the ball, they looked like they could take its first lead since Richardson’s block.

Richardson, however, wasn’t done yet. On third-and-8, he picked off Taylor and returned the ball to the Memorial 20. It set up Duran’s final field goal and secured a tough victory.

“That sealed the game for us,” Cunningham said. “When he got that, I knew we we’re going to win and I needed to give him a kiss.”


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I liked the videos man, can u post any more?

We lost to Katy, fucking bastards. It was 21-21 at the half, but they scored 2 and got a field goal in the 2nd half. I actually cried, since this is the last year a lot of my friends will play with me. Honestly, we should have won, but everyone in the Houston Area would suck our dicks now, we scored on Katy and were actually winning most of the 1st half. Everyone around here is afraid of Katy (except us, we don't give a fuck who we play), they are like the Texas High School Football equivalent to the NE Patriots, and we're the only team to put 3 tds on them in the last 3 years. I wouldn't doubt they will win state, but it should be us, not them, playing next week. Once again, fuck you Katy High School, you're the biggest bunch of assholes on the planet.