Alief Taylor welcomes 3-0 Pearland to Crump stadium for both teams’ district opener.
Early on, problems for the Oilers on special teams as the snap sails over the punter’s head, Phillip Moore scoops up the loose ball and walks in for the Alief Taylor touchdown, Lions up 10-zip.
Pearland’s offense answers right back, as JD Head hooks up with Jeremiah Aaron and there’s nobody between Aaron and the end zone, he coasts in for a 50-yard score that cuts it to 10-7.
But Alief Taylor controls much of the first half, as Estoban Torres keeps it on the read option, gets to the edge, and scores from 13 yards out.
And then it’s Torres dropping back, he has all day, and he has a wide open Derrick Jones streaking down the field, Torres hits him in stride, it’s a 67-yard touchdown pass and Alief Taylor leads 26-21 at halftime.
In the third, it’s the Lions defense, Keshaun Cooper-Owens is untouched on the blitz, he forces the fumble and Bryce Burkett scoops it up and returns it 42 yards to the house, and Alief Taylor smelling a big upset, leading 32-21.
But Pearland fights back. Brandon Campbell takes the handoff right down main street, he goes 15 yards to the end zone, and the Oilers are back within four at 32-28.
Then in the fourth, head lofts one up into the end zone for Jaden Piece, and a nice job by piece to haul it in for his second score of the night, Oilers take the lead, 34-32.
And finally, Head sets up the screen for Campbell, and Campbell takes care of the rest. He takes it 40-yards to put this one on ice, Pearland scores 27 unanswered to storm back and win it, 48-32 over Alief Taylor.