Silence fills the Woodforest Bank Stadium. There are only 4 seconds left on the clock. The snapper sets the ball for the kicker to make a field goal. The fate of the Wildkats’ perfect season hinges on this one play. A successful kick means a win and vengeance.
The upcoming football game is against Cleveland and is set to start at 7 p.m. on Friday at Berton A. Yates Stadium. The Kats are coming to the game with a perfect season record after beating The Woodlands last Thursday 45-42.
“A key factor that helped us win this game was our mindsets,” senior Mason Isbell said. “Whenever mistakes would happen, we didn’t point fingers, we got right back up and moved on and improved the next play.”
The energy at the Woodforest Bank Stadium was electric, and it helped motivate the team to win.
“The support was important because they kept cheering us on,” senior Cruz Ramirez said. “We were down and making mistakes, but the crowd believed in us, so we were hyped up.”
Willis beat the Highlanders for the second year in a row, but there are still many football games left to show dominance to the rest of the opponents.
“The win against The Woodlands boosted our confidence,” senior Earl Melebeck said. “But the job isn’t done yet.”
The person who made the game-winning field goal used to attend The Woodlands High School, and he showed them vengeance.
“It felt good defeating my old school because they treated me negatively when I was there,” senior Justin Willis said. “It was good to stick it to them and win the game. Without my snapper, Jorn Halbaedier, the ball wouldn’t have been on the tee.”
Football is not only physical but also a mental game that requires a lot of discipline and focus.
“The key factor in getting the win was the ability to stay focused under pressure,” Ramirez said. “Strong communication is important, but we must also believe in each other and stay committed to the team.”
The pressure to win is heavy, but all players knew they had to win this game, losing wasn’t an option.
“None of us let the pressure and the moment get to us,” Isbell said. “We stayed locked in on our own and focused on the common goal of winning the game and beating the guy lined up across from us.”
Everyone in the stadium was silent until the ball went through the goalposts and the referees raised their arms and said it was good.
“I felt so anxious about who would win the game,” junior cheerleader Ny’Terriae Franks said. “When our kicker made that field goal and the clock hit zero I knew we won.”
