Skip to main content

Tag: Nick Anderson

Austin defeats Bowie in Nail-biter 28-26

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

A rivalry for the ages took place in Burger Stadium on Friday night as the Austin High Maroons took on the Bowie Bulldogs in a hard fought matchup. The intensity of fierce competition has been brewing between both teams for decades and this was the time to gain bragging rights. Austin who had not beat Bowie since 2006 came out with an electric determination, while Bowie was looking for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

The game was a nail-biter as both teams traded punches back and forth. It came down to the wire in the fourth quarter, Austin High was up by two points, Bowie had a chance to retake the lead but they could not handle Austin High’s defensive line. At long last Austin High prevailed as the new kings of this rivalry beating the Bulldogs with a score of 28-26. 

Austin received the ball to start what would be a hard-fought game between both sides. The game started with an 8-yard screen to senior receiver Matt Ruiz who was coming off of a breakout game against Anderson in which he racked up three touchdowns and 138 yards. Backed up due to a holding penalty, quarterback Charles Wright took off on a 35-yard quarterback keeper. Austin was held out of the end-zone and forced to punt after not being able to move the chains. 

Recognizing an opportunity Bowie seized the momentum with their first play from scrimmage. Junior receiver Jason Gaines lined up at running back for the first play as he received a screen in the backfield. Gaines somehow bobbed and weaved through the entire Maroon defense as he took it the full 75 yards for a Bulldog touchdown. 

On their next drive, Austin was not able to recapture the momentum. On their side of the field, the maroons went for it on 4th and 1. Senior running back Grayson Davis tried to push through the Bulldogs defense, though they were too strong and tackled him in the backfield for a forth down stop.  

The Bulldogs put together an incredibly time consuming drive that only resulted in about 30 yards, this was due to multiple penalties and timeouts. Ultimately Austin High held them in the red zone, the Bulldogs sent on the field goal unit for what would be considered an automatic field goal. The Bulldogs found out otherwise as the kick bounced off of the goal post. The Austin High sideline went insane with excitement.

Needing to put together a scoring drive captain Charles Wright took it upon himself to move down the field. On the same play that earned Charles 35-yards, he picked up another 52-yards putting Austin inside Bowie’s 10-yard line. After multiple penalties, Austin found themselves in a 4th and goal situation from the 12-yard line. Going for it Charles Wight dropped back, scanning the field he found Matt Ruiz in the back of the endzone for an Austin High touchdown.

“I told him [Charles Wright] on Thursday that it would be awesome if he rushed for 100yds and threw for 400yds. He is a really good runner and he was able to demonstrate that last week. He is a gunslinger, so his first thought is to scramble and throw the ball. We have been talking to him about using his legs more and he was able to get a lot of positive yardage running the ball. With the defense loading up to stop Grayson, it allows Charles more room to pull the ball and make plays”, said Austin head coach Michael Rosenthal

Bowie continued to sustain long drives but to no avail as Austin forced them to punt. The Austin High Maroons drove the ball down the field and with 28 seconds left on the clock, capped the drive off with a jaw-dropping play. Charles Wright scrambled out of the pocket lobbing up a perfect pass to Nick Anderson who made the miracle catch while tapping his foot an inch from the line for a 25-yard touchdown.

“I think there are a few plays that really stick out in my mind”, said Michael Rosenthal. “I think a lot of our momentum started with some defensive stops early in the game. We gave up the big play early, but then we were able to settle into the game defensively and we did a good job of tackling after that first play. The touchdown to Nick Anderson right before half was big.”
Heading into halftime both teams needed to improve their offense. For Austin, it was about getting senior running back Grayson Davis going. On the flipside, Bowie had to finish drives, they drove down the field but could never cash in.

Bowie took the advice as they drove down the field and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Diego Tello. After missing a field goal earlier things only got worse for the Bulldogs special teams as Austin blocked the kick, safety Carlos Tiemann scooped it and returned it to the house for 2 points. 

At this point the Austin sideline was on their feet for the rest of the game. Jumping, cheering, rilling up the crowd, this team was on fire and weren’t about to quit.

Bowie was not going to play it safe as they went for it on 4th and short and were stuffed by the Austin defense. Next drive they attempted a fake punt which was blown up in the backfield for a big loss and a turnover on downs.  Johnny Jenkins Bowie was not going to play it safe as they went for it on 4th and short and were stuffed by the Austin defense. Next drive they attempted a fake punt which was blown up in the backfield for a big loss and a turnover on downs. 

Austin capitalized on the 4th down stop as Charles Wright launched a rocket to Nick Anderson for a 20-yard score. Bowie came right back scoring a touchdown but failed to convert on a two-point conversion. Looking to put the game away Wright through a fade up to Johnny Jenkins who climbed the ladder to make a spectacular grab for an Austin High score. Answering the call, Bowie came right back and scored on a quick slant pass to Jason Gaines. 

All of the sudden scoring was coming play after play neither offense could be stopped in the late third and early fourth quarters. All Austin needed to do was hold onto their two-point lead. During a broken play, Wright compounded a bad situation with a bad decision as he threw an interception giving Bowie the ball back. 

It was 4th and 7 with the game on the line. Bowie had no choice but go for it. Austin brought a three man rush, one of who was defensive lineman Abrion Bordeaux who had been making plays all year. This game was no different as he strip-sacked the Quarterback essentially ending the game. 

In the end Austin took the victory in a big rivalry matchup against Bowie. Austin High will face Akins for the final game of their season.
“I am looking to build on our defensive performance against Bowie and have another strong defensive effort. Offensively, we need to run the ball more effectively to keep the defense on their heels”, said Micheal Rosenthal. “The fourth down stops were huge by our defense.”  

Bowie has a favorable matchup with the Lehman Lobos this Friday, a win for Bowie could lead to a tie in the division for 4th place with Anderson. Anderson finds themselves in a tough matchup with the Westlake Chaparrals.  

Proud of his team Rosenthal said, “It means a tremendous amount to our program. We haven’t beaten them [Bowie] since 2006. We came close a few years ago, but we could never get over the hump. It is a great victory for our players. We have had an up and down year and this was a memorable win for them. It is a game that they will never forget.”

Anderson in playoff race after thrilling 70-49 victory over Austin High

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

As the sun set and the lights came up on House Park the Anderson Trojans took on the Austin High Maroons in a high octane shootout. Anderson looked to further themselves in the playoff race while the Maroons looked to defend their home field. Anderson came away with a win 70-49 over the Austin Maroons in a game where both teams combined for over 1000 yards.
Anderson, who received at start of the game, employed a similar tactic to Hays high school, as they loaded the offensive line and ran the ball on 1st and 2nd down. After that proved unsuccessful, Anderson took to the air by throwing a 38-yard pass from senior quarterback Carsten Gross to senior receiver Jason Seager. After running the ball five consecutive times junior running back Joseph Baran was finally able to cross the goal line.


Attempting to get right back in the game, Austin High went for it on 4th & 7 from their own 26-yard line. Ultimately not getting the 1st down set Anderson up in fantastic field position. Anderson capitalized on the short field as Gross connected with wide receiver Grose Kiel on a contested end zone catch that put Anderson up by two scores.


Matters only got worse for Austin High on special teams. Anderson, looking to keep the momentum flowing called for an onside kick. Muffed by Austin, Anderson recovered setting them up with excellent field position once again. Anderson took full advantage of it, as 6’4” quarterback Carsten Gross powered his way into the endzone for a 1-yard touchdown putting Anderson up by 21. 


Forcing Austin to punt, Anderson could seal the game away with a score right here. Austin’s Defense was going to put a stop to that as they forced and recovered a fumble. Iowa commit quarterback Charles Wright needed to make a play if he wanted his team to stay in the game. He did just that finding Matt Ruiz on a 17-yard score, just like that Austin was back in the game.


Both teams continued to score matching blow after blow. The Trojans scored as senior receiver Grose Kiel climbed the ladder on a 19-yard jump-ball touchdown. Carsten Gross scored on a 3 yard QB keeper. Sophomore Colin Page hit the sideline and crossed the goal line for a 15-yard rushing touchdown.


Austin was also productive as they moved the ball downfield at a fast pace. Talking about fast-paced, Matt Ruiz scored again off a WR screen in which he ran up the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown. Austin scored on another big play as Charles Wright found Nick Anderson over the middle for a 59-yard touchdown. On the final play of the second half, Charles Wright found Grayson Davis on a wide-open swing pass for a two yard score.
Heading into halftime Anderson was in the lead, though Austin was fast approaching. Both teams needed to improve their defense as neither offense could be stopped. For Austin, it was about winning jump balls and stopping quarterback Carsten Gross who trampled the Austin defense play after play. For Anderson, it was about limiting big plays. The majority of Austin’s Scores came on either a big play or were set up by one. If Anderson could limit this, their defense would be more effective.


“We have to do a better job stopping the run”, said Anderson head coach Daniel Hunter. “People may look at how many passing yards we gave up and think we need to improve on our coverage but real football people understand that if we stop the run than we don’t allow as many 1st downs and a byproduct of that is less opportunities to throw the ball downfield. We have given up 300 yards passing and Won the game, but we have never given up 300 rushing and Won a game. Rushing the football and stopping the run, is still the most important part of football.”


Despite any adjustments, the coaches made at halftime both offenses could and would not be stopped in the second half. Carsten Gross threw for two Touchdowns and ran four in, totaling 185 passing yards and 114 rushing yards. On the receiving end, Grose Kiel caught both touchdowns and totaled 98 receiving yards in the game. Colin Page lead the team in rushing as he went for 159 yards and two scores on the ground.


Coming into the game Trogan’s Carsten Gross and running back Joseph Baran were tied with 59 carries on the season. It was not uncommon to see Gross on both designed and improvised runs, which proved to be an effective strategy when Austin shut down Anderson’s passing attack.
Both run games were firing on all cylinders as Anderson totaled over 400 rushing yards and had a total of eight rushing touchdowns. Austin’s Grayson Davis also put in work as he ran for over 160 yards and made a difference in the receiving game with two touchdowns.


“I thought Charles Wright was a game-changer on Friday night”, said Austin Head Coach Michael Rosenthal. “(Wright) He had 6 TD’s and threw for over 350 yards. He took care of the football. Matt Ruiz also had a great game as well. He had 9 catches for 138 yards and 3 TD’s It was by far his most productive game of the year. 
I am looking for our physicality to improve. I think we have had moments on both sides of the ball this year where we have blocked well and tackled well. We are looking for more consistency and to put a complete game together. We need all 3 phases to have their best games against Bowie and Akins.


I think this year’s team has had to deal with more adversity throughout the year. We have gotten very close at times to getting over the hump, but we just need to find a way to make one more play and we haven’t done that yet. I am looking forward to the final two games to see our best effort each and every play.”


From here Austin has a matchup with Bowie and Akins to finish out the season. Anderson finds themselves in a different situation as they are fighting Bowie, Hays and Del Valle for the remaining two playoff spots. Anderson will look to beat Lehman in what could be considered a favorable matchup.

“We felt good running the ball with our backs and the quarterback run game”, said Anderson Head Coach Hunter, when asked what was the most effective part of the game he could attribute this win to. “We threw in some reverse passes when we felt like they had became frustrated and started blitzing. All in all our offense had a great night, and our defense got the stops we needed to put some distance between the scores. Austin High has a great offense and we knew they would score some points on us we just came in with the mindset to jump on them early and create distance on the scoreboard”

Austin High defeats Lehman 38-14

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

In Kyle Texas, the story of the Lehman’s homecoming will not have a happy ending. In a game played under a harvest moon, the Friday night lights shined bright as the 1-1 Lehman Lobos face the 1-1 Austin High Maroons in the district opener. Within minutes the crowds at the Bob Shelton Stadium were quieted as the Maroons began their assault and ultimately beat the Lobos 38-14.


The Austin Maroons received the kick and the game was on. Austin High assembled a methodical drive repeatedly picking up first downs. An explosive carry by senior running back Grayson Davis earned them 23-yards. Just outside of the red zone, junior quarterback Charles Wright connected with junior wide receiver Nick Anderson for a 21-yard touchdown.  


Lehman’s offense was looking to tie up the game, however, Austin’s defense had a different idea. Lehman quarterback Logan Travis dropped back to pass, little did he know defensive back Holdan O’kelley was waiting. Holdan jumped the route intercepting the ball and brought it to the house.  
The score was 14-0 Austin High and the Lobos needed to score. The Lobos drove downfield putting together a 20 play drive in which they ran the ball 18 times. This was a run-first Lehman offense. After 19 plays they had a 4th and goal about two yards out. Down by 14 points Head Coach, Bruce Salmon opted to go for it. Running back Kanui Guidry ran up the middle only to be met by hard-hitting linebacker Everett Butler who made the 4th down stop.


Austin was in a dangerous position so close to their endzone. Charles Wright dropped back, seeing the Nickel Blitz he quickly threw the out route but the ball was tipped by Davian Gil. With the pass wobbly, junior defensive back Roy Mallet seized the opportunity and snatched the ball out of the air for a Pick 6.


Trying to shake off the Pick 6, Austin High put together a nice drive. The drive was highlighted by Nick Anderson’s 41-yard reception which ultimately set them up for a field goal once they stalled out. The Lobos offense was set up in excellent field position after freshman Jayden Brown Returned the kickoff all the way to Austin’s 18. From there the Lobos pounded the rock until they were on the Maroons 2-yard line. With the end-zone in sight, Logan Travis fumbled the ball on a hand-off to be picked up by Austin OLB Andrew Mosser who returned it to Austin’s 39. This play was an accurate description of how the rest of the game went.
After Austin stalled out again Lehman came back with a big play of their own. Senior running back Keyshaun Williams had been a workhorse all game in this run-heavy offense. It finally paid off, from Austin’s 39 Keyshaun broke the run wide open scoring from 39 yards out. After this run, both teams stalled on their drives leading to half time with the score AHS 17 – LHS 7.
Lehman received the ball to start the second half and was soon faced with what killed them in the first half, fumbles. Still on their side of the field, Austin High Defensive Coordinator Bernard Riley sent OLB pressure and it got home. Senior OLB John Colunga hit the quarterback and knocked the ball out. It was a team effort to recover the ball as 3 Austin Maroons dove on the ball immediately. 

The Linebackers don’t get all the fun, is what Maroon’s junior corner-back Ben Woodhouse was thinking as he was dialed up on a blitz. Woodhouse hit home stripping the quarterback and recovering the fumble putting the offense in a great position. 


Up until this point The Austin High offense had not been able to move since their first drive even with the great field position provided by the defense. On one of their longest drives of the game, the Maroons put together a 15 play drive topping it off with a 5-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Colby Kalbacher. This sparked the offense and they never took their foot off the petal. 


After the defense forced another fumble, yes another fumble, it was apparent Lehman was not able to hang on to the ball. It only took one play for Charles Wright to find Nick Anderson for a 54-yard touchdown. After Austin’s defense made another stop Austin’s offense made another electric play as Grayson Davis broke a 52-yard touchdown run to officially seal the game. 


When asked about the numerous forced turnovers by his defense, Defensive Coordinator Bernard Riley had this to say, “ITS ALL ABOUT THE BALL! Getting the football back trumps everything. Takeaways controlled the ball game.”

  • Quarterback Charles Wright finished the game with 252 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception
  • Running back Grayson Davis rushed 11 times for 82 and a touchdown
  • Wide receiver Nick Anderson caught 7 of his 12 targets for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns
  • Wide receiver Colby Kalbacher caught 5 of his 10 targets for 43 yards and a touchdown
  • Wide receiver Drew Morgan caught 4 of his 6 targets for 26 yards

“The Westlake game will come down to our guys doing their job and getting takeaways just like last week”, said coach Riley of their upcoming second divisional game against Westlake.
It was a very impressive performance by Austin High, especially the defense and their ability to force turnovers. After watching some of Austin’s practices I could see the emphasis they put on forcing fumbles as well as tackling, it paid off. This was a big win for Austin, not only was it a district match but it showed that their defense can also win games. The question is how will they fare against the 4-0 Westlake Chaparrals in the second divisional game of the season.