Amidst wet conditions, the No. 16 Cypress Ranch Mustangs (4-0, 2-0) were able to pick apart Bridgeland (2-2, 1-1), 52-10.

The win kept Ranch’s undefeated record intact and the Mustangs, with wins over Cinco Ranch, Westlake, and Langham Creek, have looked like the team to beat in District 14-6A. Despite the great start, head coach Gene Johnson said that his team has a lot of room to grow.

“We’re very fortunate to be (4-0), we’ve had some games that could have gone either way, we’re realistic about that,” Johnson said. “We’re excited but we’ve got a lot of things we can do to improve and it’s early in the season.”

Running back Elias Pino has highlighted a potent Mustang rushing attack this season and continued that trend against Bridgeland. Pino scored on his first touch of the night, rattling off a 68-yard touchdown run and finished the game with 123 yards and a touchdown —  bringing his season total to 296 yards and six touchdowns. Power back Willie Eldridge also chipped in 27 yards and a touchdown.

“Elias and Willie have run well for us so far,” Johnson said. “Coming into this year, we were hoping they would be a big factor for us and so far they have.”

The Mustangs employed a stable of running backs who overpowered the Bridgeland front and ran for 306 yards. They'll need to continue to move the chains next week in order to keep up with Cy Lakes’ electric offense.

“We definitely aren’t overlooking Lakes, they had a big win 54-7 over Cy Park,” Johnson said. “They are a legit team. When you hang 54 points on the board, you’re really good.”

New school Bridgeland, which doesn’t have a senior class, had low expectations entering the season and has fared well in a foundational year for the program. Though they suffered their first-ever district loss, head coach David Raffield was encouraged by the fact that his team was able to hang in there, trailing just 17-3 at the half.

“We showed that we can hang in there with anybody for 24 minutes but we’ve got to put together a complete 48-minute game,” Raffield said. “That 48-minute competitiveness and fire is so important to learn. We’re young and inexperienced, but eventually, we’ll get there.”

Sophomore receiver Dylan Goffney has proven to be the Bears’ biggest threat on offense and made some spectacular catches notching 79 yards. The performance brings Goffney to 534 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Goffney is just one of the many inexperienced Bears that have been able to step in and get experience which Raffield thinks will be extremely beneficial for this season and in years to come.

“I tell people all the time that a good team between a not-so-good team is just a little bit of effort and they’re learning that out there,” Raffield said. “They’re all learning and having to do so at a fast pace. As the confidence grows we’re seeing kids step up which is a great sign.”

Bridgeland will have another tough test next week against Cy Woods, who defeated Langham Creek, 41-39 on Thursday night. In the team’s building year, Raffield is encouraged by the progress his young team continues to make.

“Technically as a football team, we continue to keep getting better and better. We were way better this week than we were last week, even though we lost,” Raffield said. “There are so many things that our team learns every time they step on the field. It will all come together, it’s just a matter of time.”