Taylor pushes Cinco Ranch to brink

By Jason McDaniel
Chronicle correspondent
The Taylor Mustangs were certainly poised to pull off the upset last week, before falling to Cinco Ranch 21-16 recently.
They trailed 7-0 early, but after the teams traded punts they began asserting themselves, starting with Jalen Thibodeaux's interception at Taylor's 3.
The Mustangs didn't score but advanced across the 50 before using a perfect punt by Lee Rodgers to pin the Cougars at their 1/2-yard line. One play later, Max Guarniere wrapped up Seung Hong for a safety.
Taylor got two points and the ball back at Cinco's 48, then used a 14-play drive to cash in with a four-yard scoring pass to Josh Thompson for a 9-7 lead with 7:29 in the second quarter.
The Cougars had one last chance to score before the half in what turned into a dramatic finish. They drove 54 yards, with Nlemchi's eight-yard reception taking them to the Taylor 1.
But with time running out and no timeouts they hurried to the line and, instead of spiking the ball, went with a keeper by Myers, who was stopped short of the goal line as time expired.
We were waiting for the official to spot the ball and he waited too long, and by the time we snapped it Zach felt like he couldn't down the ball because he'd be out of time, so he took it and ran with it," Clayton said.
Mustangs coaches went wild after the play and the team sprinted into the locker room with a lead and huge upset in the making.
We certainly had the momentum at halftime, and we came out in the second half and took control (with a scoring drive Bright Ashaka finished with a 1-yard TD," Taylor coach Flint Risien said.
But give credit to Cinco Ranch. They came back, they took the lead and then they were able to grind it out from there."