An up-and-down season came to an end for the Houston High School football team on Friday, as the Tigers fell 56-35 in a first round game of the Class 2 District 3 Tournament at Forsyth.

“This might’ve been our best offensive performance of the year,” said HHS head coach Eric Sloan. “We were able to move the ball and eat a lot of clock, but defensively, we couldn’t get a stop.”  

The Tigers finished the season with an overall record of 4-6 and went 3-4 in South Central Association conference play.

The Panthers (7-3) will face second-seeded Springfield Catholic in this Friday’s second round. The Fighting Irish (8-2) beat No. 7 Willow Springs 41-7 in the first round.

Head coach Eric Sloan and Tigers captains walk toward midfield for the pregame coin toss Friday night at Forsyth. From left, Kane Crawford (15), Oliver Greiner (71), Tucker Venn (13) and DJ Riley (3).
HHS head coach Eric Sloan greets senior DJ Riley (3) after he scored a touchdown to give Houston a lead early in the first quarter.
Senior quarterback Chris Halbrook and the rest of the Forsyth offense line up for a play Friday night at Collier Field. The dual-purpose facility features a large spread of artificial turf shared by the football and baseball fields.
Forsyth senior kicker Chase Calhoun boots point-after-touchdown late in the first half. The attempt failed, but Calhoun (with nicknames “The Golden Boot,” “The Million Dollar Leg” and “Legatron”) was a major factor in the Panthers’ victory, making six extra points and booming several kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks. The Panthers led 42-14 at halftime.
HHS freshman Tucker Venn runs the ball during the third period. Venn fueled the Tigers’ three-touchdown fourth quarter with two rushing touchdowns – one for 70 yards.
Senior DJ Riley and freshman Tucker Venn both line up at the quarterback position in the second half.
HHS senior Caden Guerra runs the ball deep in Forsyth territory during the fourth quarter. Moments later, Guerra scored the first of the Tigers’ three touchdowns in the period on a short run. Houston had 56 rushing attempts for 407 yards in the contest.
Forsyth senior TaMarkus Holmes (1) runs the ball in the second half. Holmes was one of several athletic and speedy Panthers to cause Houston’s defense trouble in the game. He scored on a reception late in the first half and a run early in the second half.

To view photos from the game, with the option to purchase, click here.

Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Contact him by phone at 417-967-2000 or by email at ddavison@houstonherald.com.

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply