When Texas kicker Tommy Henshaw (Clear Creek) nailed a 42-yard field goal at the end of the first half of play at the annual Bayou Bowl game Saturday night at Baytown’s Stallworth Stadium, he likely had no clue that those points would end up being the difference.

But that ended up being the case.

The Texas team scored all of its points (17) in the first half and that proved to be enough as the Lone Star’s top football players beat the Louisiana all-stars 17-14.

It didn’t take the Texas team long to make a presence known as the opening drive resulted in quick and early points. Texas quarterback Kyle Padron (Southlake Carroll, SMU) hit high school teammate Ryan Walker for a big gain setting a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Padron.

Not too long after, the Texas defense led by linebacker Princeton Jackson (Cy Ridge, Iowa State) made sure they left their mark on the game as well. But in Louisiana’s first couple of series, linebacker Tahare Ray (Spring, Kilgore JC) came through on back-to-back tackles and an interception.

That interception set up a 28-yard touchdown pass from Austin Pugliese (Cy Creek) to Nick Harwell (Fort Bend Elkins, Air Force) to give the Texas team 14-0 lead late in the first half. And as the game moved on, Texas remained in the driver’s seat. 

Louisiana quarterback Blake Matherne (Belle Chasse, Nicholls State) was the primary player moving the ball for the Pelican State. There was not much movement from them for the first three quarters of the game.

But in the fourth, they found a second wind.

It was John Graf (Notre Dame) who snagged an interception that led to a Matherne touchdown from the 1-yard line.

Matherne kept the chains moving throughout the last quarter to buy himself time from the Texas pass rush. With less than 3 minutes to go, Matherne found Louis Hollier (Acadiana, Northwestern) from more than 50 yards away streaking in the middle of the field. Hollier took the ball out of a Texas players hands and bulged his way into the end zone.


With a 17-14 score, Louisiana had one last try to make something happen with less than a minute to go. But the Lone Star defense stood strong and came away with the win.