By LONNIE KING | © 2025, Big Daddy’s Texas Sports
Pridgeon Stadium – Houston, TX | August 28, 2025
A Tale of Two Halves
Opening night at Pridgeon Stadium had all the hallmarks of an early-season high school football game — mistakes, miscues, and momentum swings.
And because most of the early-game errors belonged to the MacArthur Generals, by halftime it looked like the Cypress Ridge Rams might take advantage and coast to victory.
When the first 24 minutes were completed, Cy Ridge had the upper hand, leading 7–0 thanks to quarterback Kale Weiland’s 43-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
But in the second half, it was all MacArthur. The Generals outscored the Rams 23–6 after the break, turning a one-point loss in last year’s opener into a convincing 23–13 road victory this time around.
MacArthur Finds Its Spark
Generals quarterback Ryan Smith shook off a shaky first half (including an interception in the end zone) to deliver two huge strikes after halftime. He connected with Amari Cano on a 47-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter and hit Cano again on a 58-yard gain that flipped field position. Cano finished with 4 catches for 120 yards and a score, while Smith ended the night 9-of-17 for 248 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.
On the ground, MacArthur was balanced if not explosive. Jonathan Mosley (62 yards, 1 TD), Korey Fisher (39 yards, 1 TD), and Trinidad Espinosa (19 yards on 11 carries) combined to push the Generals past the 100-yard mark as a team.
Defense and Discipline Make the Difference
Linebacker Xavier Raygoza was everywhere for the Generals, recovering a fumble in the first half and delivering key stops in the second. The defense also came up with the clincher: defensive back Noel Montezuma’s interception in the final minute ended any hope of a late Cypress Ridge rally.
For Cypress Ridge, mistakes piled up at the wrong times — three turnovers, a blocked field goal, a missed field goal, and a failed two-point conversion.
Those missed chances left the Rams chasing the game once MacArthur seized momentum.
Special Teams Spark
Cypress Ridge did give its home fans one more reason to cheer. Senior Cam’ren Wattell returned a kickoff 68 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 10.
But without timeouts and with MacArthur grinding down the clock, the Rams couldn’t close the gap any further.
Looking Ahead
MacArthur (1–0) hits the road again next week to face Channelview at Maddry Stadium, then returns home for a non-district matchup against Beaumont West Brook.
Cypress Ridge (0–1) will try to regroup quickly as they travel across town to face Aldine Nimitz at Thorne Stadium.
Final Score:
MacArthur Generals 23, Cypress Ridge Rams 13
- MACARTHUR 0 0 9 14 — 23
- CYPRESS RIDGE 0 7 0 6 — 13
Scoring Summary
- 2Q – Cy Ridge: Kale Weiland 43-yd TD run (XP good), 7–0
- 3Q – MacArthur: Jonathan Mosley 5-yd TD run (XP good), 7–7
- 3Q – MacArthur: Safety on sack in end zone, 9–7
- 4Q – MacArthur: Amari Cano 47-yd TD pass from Ryan Smith (XP good), 16–7
- 4Q – MacArthur: Korey Fisher 5-yd TD run (XP good), 23–7.
- 4Q – Cy Ridge: Cam’ren Wattell 68-yd KO return (2-pt no good), 23–13
Player of the Game
Amari Cano, WR – MacArthur
4 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD; added a 58-yard catch that set up another scoring drive.
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