The Galveston County Daily News

FRIENDSWOOD — Peter Maetzold grew up.

It came at a good time.

The Friendswood junior, who got the tall task of replacing Texas Tech-bound quarterback Jacob Karam, put together his most complete game of the season Friday. Maetzold accounted for all four scores, including conducting the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, to lead the Mustangs past La Marque, 27-26.

The victory made the Mustangs (7-3, 5-2), particularly Maetzold, popular among Texas City, Santa Fe and Manvel fans, since it set up a three-way tie for the final playoff spot. La Marque (4-6, 2-5) was eliminated from the postseason for a second straight year after 18 consecutive playoff appearances.

“I feel like Pete was playing not to lose the game before,” Friendswood coach Steve Van Meter said. “Tonight, he played to win the game, which is exactly what we want.”

Friendswood got the ball at its own 31-yard line trailing 26-20 with just under five minutes left in the game. Maetzold took a sack, his fifth of the game, to set up a second-and-14 from his own 27-yard line. He would have to take the Mustangs 73 yards without star running back Andrew Cole, who couldn’t go in the second half.

He came through despite incessant La Marque pressure.

Maetzold started with a completion to Johnathan Johnson followed by tough 4-yard run for a first down. He then hit Matt Kennemer on a beautiful 26-yard fly route before hooking up with Chris O’Bryan for 16 more.

Johnson took two handoffs for 5 yards, and Maetzold converted another pivotal third down, this time to Beau Barnes. After the La Marque defense stuffed Johnson, Maetzold and fullback Sam Giamfortone, Maetzold snuck the ball in from the 1-yard line.

Zach Hardy converted the extra point — he missed his previous one — to give Friendswood the lead for good with 2:57 left

Before the 11-play, 69-yard drive Friendswood had made just two first downs in the second half, after 10 in the first 24 minutes. Maetzold ended the game with five consecutive completions, connecting on 12 of his last 13 pass attempts.

“La Marque was bringing a lot of pressure in the second half and taking away our screens,” Maetzold said. “So I defer to the guys up front for figuring it out and giving me time and those receivers for hauling in catches. They made me look good.”

Maetzold finished 16-of-21 for 256 yards. He threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers.

He hit Johnson on the opening drive to cap a 12-play, 67-yard march. He later pulled off a beautiful scramble before finding O’Bryan on a third-and-goal from the 12 in the back of the end zone.

The third may have been the most impressive. Friendswood got the ball at its own 40 with 28 seconds left in the first half. After a completion to Keith Canada, Maetzold hit Kennemer in stride for 49 yards to take the lead, 20-14, and momentum away from La Marque going into halftime.

“Pete’s looking real good,” Canada, who caught six passes for 115 yards, said. “Best he’s looked all year.”

The Cougars had tied it three times earlier at 7, 14 and 20 with a stout running attack that gained 165 yards on the ground in the first half. Tim Wright had two scores and L’Reco Williams added another.

They took their first lead of the game just as the third quarter came to a close. Michael Gilmore returned a punt 43 yards, which set up Emanuell Williams’ 1-yard run.

But fullback Sam Giamfortone got a hand on the extra point to limit the Cougars’ lead to six. It would come back to haunt La Marque.

Arthur King intercepted Maetzold on Friends-wood’s next drive, and La Marque got down to Friendswood’s 10 with a six-point lead.

On fourth-and-5, La Marque coach Darrell Jordan, whose team already had missed two extra points, decided to go for it and not put the game in the hands of his kicker.

The decision backfired. Emanuell Williams’ backward pass turned into a fumble and set up the game-winning drive for the Mustangs and Maetzold.

“We don’t work on field goals and extra points every day in practice to miss them,” Jordan said. “The kids played well, we just didn’t score. We were in it.”

The Mustangs were already in the playoffs before the game started. But Van Meter called this a must win, adding that a team never wants to limp into the playoffs.

Friendswood certainly won’t. And they got a quarterback to grow up.

“We needed this win,” Canada said. “Now, the way we’re clicking on offense, with Pete going, we’re going into the playoffs on a roll. When we do that, with a good defensive effort, we’re hard to beat.”