The Woodlands put up 59 points and held Cleveland scoreless on Oct. 14, posting a dominant District 13-6A shutout that pushed the Highlanders to 6-1 on the season.
The 59-0 result, reported in CW39's Week 8 scoreboard, marked the second straight game in which The Woodlands overwhelmed a district opponent. The Highlanders scored 54 points against Willis the previous week in a game that, according to Woodlands Online, "wasn't close from the start."
Senior wide receiver Bryson Bourn drove much of the offense in that Willis win, catching five passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns. Bourn earned Woodlands Church Athlete of the Week honors for the performance. Through the Willis game, he had totaled 383 receiving yards and six touchdowns on the season, Woodlands Online reported.
The Highlanders entered the week ranked No. 23 in the Houston Chronicle's Class 6A state rankings and No. 17 in the Texas TNG Top 100. Both reflected the team's 5-1 record before the Cleveland game.
Junior quarterback Kaden Copelin has been the engine. Through five starts entering the Willis game, Copelin had thrown for 1,215 yards on 78% completion with 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions, according to a Woodlands Online preview. Senior running back Jason Haskins had rushed for 290 yards and four touchdowns while adding six catches for 101 yards and a score.
Wide receiver Carter Cass led the team with 30 catches, 329 yards and eight touchdowns through five games entering the Willis matchup. Tight end Colton Weddel, a team captain, added 122 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.
On defense, team captain Magnus Herndon has anchored the front. The edge rusher had six sacks through five games earlier this season, according to a Woodlands Online profile. Herndon led District 13-6A with 14.5 sacks last season and was named a team captain alongside Weddel at the preseason Meet the Players event.
New defensive coordinator Coach Taliaferro, who moved from the outside linebackers role, has overseen a unit with 10 new starters. Herndon told Woodlands Online in an October profile that the defense "has come together" despite the turnover.
Cleveland snapped a 36-game losing streak with a Week 1 win over Spring Woods earlier this season, its first victory since 2022, according to Woodlands Online. The Indians had no answer for The Woodlands on Oct. 14.
