Atascocita has made a living with its big scoring plays this season, but on Friday night, it was The Woodlands that provided the offensive fireworks.

The Highlanders (5-1, 2-0) leaned on their stingy defense and scored three touchdowns of at least 20 yards to hold off the previously unbeaten Eagles (5-1, 1-1) with a 24-14 victory at Woodforest Bank Stadium.

The Woodlands now stands at the top of District 16-6A along with Oak Ridge (5-1, 2-0), which defeated Conroe 56-15 on Friday.

“I think Atascocita may be one of the better teams in our district,” Highlanders coach Mark Schmid said. “I kind of felt that coming into this game, and I feel that now after playing them. To come out with a win over them makes you feel really good.

“We’ve got a lot of football to play, so nothing was decided tonight or last night, but it feels good to get a win over what I feel is a really good football team.”

Atascocita, which entered the game with the district’s No. 1 offense and defense, hurt itself in key spots with penalties and finished with six flags for 50 yards in total. For the first time this season, the Eagles will have to find a way to bounce back from a loss. Click here for complete story