The Woodlands Highlanders scored 68 points on Friday, Oct. 30, and ran away from Grand Oaks in the second half, beating the Grizzlies 68-48 at Woodforest Bank Stadium to stay undefeated in District 13-6A.
The win pushed The Woodlands to 6-0 in district and 8-1 overall, according to MaxPreps. The Highlanders have now won eight straight games since a season-opening 31-30 loss to Bridgeland on Aug. 28.
The two teams combined for 116 points. The Grizzlies grabbed an early lead, but The Woodlands erased the deficit and took control after halftime.
What the win means
A Woodlands Online preview published before the game noted that a victory over Grand Oaks would all but clinch the district title for The Woodlands. The Highlanders entered the matchup 5-0 in district, having all but clinched a playoff spot.
The Woodlands has not won a district championship since 2021, according to a September report from Woodlands Online. That piece also noted the program carried a 31-season playoff streak.
With one regular-season game remaining, The Woodlands holds a one-game lead atop the District 13-6A standings. The second-place team sits at 5-1 in district, per MaxPreps standings data.
Season-long surge
Junior quarterback Kaden Copelin has powered the Highlanders' offense all year. Entering Friday's game, Copelin had thrown for 1,909 yards and 31 touchdowns with just one interception and a 73 percent completion rate, according to the Woodlands Online preview.
Wide receiver Carter Cass led the team with 41 catches for 530 yards and 12 touchdowns entering the matchup. Bryson Bourn added 27 catches for 491 yards and eight scores. Running back Jason Haskins had rushed for 513 yards and seven touchdowns on 6.3 yards per carry.
On defense, senior end Magnus Herndon entered the game with 7.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss.
Grand Oaks entered at 3-2 in district behind junior quarterback Harley Adams (1,317 passing yards, 15 touchdowns) and wide receiver Darnell Jackson Jr., a University of Utah commit with 544 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Individual statistics from Friday's game were not available at publication time.
Up next
The Woodlands closes the regular season at Oak Ridge on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.
