Pearland blows past FB Travis 38-0 in playoff opener

    For the 25th straight year, the Pearland Oilers have advanced to the post-season but haven’t made it past the second round since 2013 when they won the Class 5A Region III crown and fell to the Allen Eagles in the state title game.
    The Oilers won their first-round last year with a 16-14 win in five overtimes against Dickinson but lost to Atascocita in the area round.
    This year, Pearland easily beat the Fort Bend Travis Tigers 38-0 to advance to the area round to face nemesis Atascocita once again. The Oilers are 0-3 against the Eagles who enter the game with a 10-1 record with their only loss against North Shore (27-23). Atascocita eliminated the Oilers from the playoffs in 2016, 2020, and 2023.
    Pearland improved to 9-2 with the win over Travis and seems to be peaking at the right time.
    The Oilers got the opening kickoff and quickly moved the ball down the field to score with 9:52 left in the first quarter as running back Tate Chisolm scored on a one-yard plunge for a 7-0 lead.
    The drive was highlighted by a pass completion from QB Jake Westmoreland to WR Jordan “The Jet” Hernandez covering 76-yards. The scoring drive took only five plays.
    After the Pearland defense forced a three-and-out on the first possession by Travis, the Oilers mounted a 9-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped off with a 46-yard scoring strike from Westmoreland to Hernandez. Zane Adler booted the PAT giving the Oilers a 14-0 lead with 3:15 remaining in the opening period.
    The Pearland defense continued their outstanding play in the first half as Travis never mounted a scoring threat as they forced to punt on every possession without ever getting a first down.
    Pearland’s defense recorded five sacks. Jaylen Stewart was especially locked on to Fort Bend Travis’ QB and sacked him twice. Stewart also set a new season high mark in total tackles with ten. Pearland got some further help from Anthony Deleon: he picked up a sack and made 11 total tackles.
    The Oilers would score one more time in the second period as Chisolm would tally his second touchdown on a 3-yard run to complete a 53-yard, 5-play drive to post a 21-0 lead at intermission.
    The closing drive featured a Westmoreland to tight end Logan Johnson pass covering 32 yards to set up the score.
    The second half belonged to the Oilers as they scored 17 more points to put the game away at 38-0.
    The Oilers scored once in the third quarter when Chisolm excited the home crowd with a sensational 49
-yard scoring jaunt with 5:30 remaining in the frame to up the score to 28-0.
    A Westmoreland to Luca Sanchez touchdown pass covering 18 yards increased the lead to 35-0 with 11:56 left in the fourth period.
    With 5:10 remaining in the game, Adler nailed a 26-yard field goal to post the 38-0 final score.
    The Pearland offense outgained Travis 505 (233 passing, 272 rushing) to 146 yards (155 rushing, 33 passing).
    Westmoreland was 9-of-12 passing for 200 yards and two touchdowns while gaining 36 yards rushing on three carries.
    Chisolm led the ground attack with 16 totes for 108 yards and three scores. He now has 1,063 yards and 16TDs and 3TDs receiving for a total of 19.
    Cam’ron Bush had 73 yards on 12 carries and Ryan Miller had 22 yards seven carries.
    Hernanez “The Jet” led the receiving corps with seven catches for 150 yards and one TD. Hernandez now has 59 catches for 1,058 yards and 14 TDs for the year.
    Pearland (9-2) and Atascocita (10-1) will meet in the Class 6A Region III area round at Turner Stadium on Friday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m.