Angleton is top rated in Greater Houston among 4A teams and District 24-4A for several reasons.
They include: QB Quandre Diggs, RB Henry Josey, RB Terrance Franks, RB Donnie Foster, RB Ryan Jackson and a solid Wildcat defense allowing 18 points per game.
Angleton (4-0) has won four home games, defeating: Dickinson 30-14, Brazoswood 27-7, Hastings 50-38 and No. 9 La Marque 37-14.
Now the Wildcats travel to No. 6 Friendswood (3-1) for a Friday 7 p.m. District 24-4A showdown. Some are hoping the host Mustangs will present Angleton’s biggest test to date as the Wildcats are untested.
Others believe No. 10 Pearland Dawson (4-0) may present that challenge next week.
The winner Friday holds a leg up over the rest of the district. If Friendswood is victorious, the upset will reset state rankings and bring Angleton to within reach of other 4A powers.
Currently the Wildcats are ranked No. 1, and based on top 10 performances so far, no team is close to challenging Angleton adequately although the area powerhouse has yet to post a shutout.
Friendswood and Dawson each hope to remedy that with wins.
Is Angleton idling its offense?
However it appears Angleton has yet to get near full stride offensively. The statistics don’t reveal what the Wildcats are capable of yet. They have four rushers good for 100-250 yards each week.
Look at Angleton’s offensive output, and you’d swear the running backs have orders not to rush for 100 yards. The team dominates with 331.75 rushing yards per game with Diggs, Josey, Franks, Foster and Jackson all averaging more than 5.5 yards per carry.
But with the wealth of swift running backs, Angleton has only three 100-yard games to report — two by Josey and one by Diggs. Nothing more than 126 yards either.
Angleton is not a pass-reliant team with Diggs completing 10-of-26 for 152 yards this fall. Friendswood QB Peter Maetzold has thrown for more yardage in each of the Mustangs’ four game. The Angleton defense knows how to handle a stout aerial attack based on 2008’s 28-25 win over the Mustangs.
Game Expectations
What will fans see Friday at Friendswood? If it’s Angleton status quo, the Mustangs could execute the upset of the Region III season.
It would take Mustang RB Andrew Cole at his best, despite talk he will be playing at less than 100 percent. Cole’s 386 rushing yards account for 75 percent of Friendswood’s ground game.
The Mustangs need him, and Maetzold’s best aerial attack. He’s a 59 percent passer averaging 211 yards per game.
Now if Angleton coach Finis Vanover turns up the burner on the Wildcat offensive output before kickoff, this speed-driven team will rush for more than 500 yards.
And the turf at Winston Stadium may need to be replaced in the off-season if all Angleton backs play to their full potential.