The Tomball Memorial football team’s backfield looked more like a seasoned tandem than a duo starting for the first time in a 40-0 victory over the Bryan Vikings.

The Wildcats’ junior quarterback Joseph Manjack IV and sophomore tailback Richard Rodriguez accounted for 466 yards — 173 passing and 287 on the ground — in their homecoming game and the Vikings’ District 14-6A opener Friday at Tomball ISD Stadium.

“That quarterback Manjack turned into something else,” Bryan coach Ross Rogers said. “That’s a fast guy with a great arm. They were a good team, and that made them a lot better team.”

Manjack had lined up at wide receiver in Tomball Memorial’s first three games, and Rodriguez was the backup to Carbrey Barnes, who entered the game leading 14-6A in rushing with 528 yards — more than 200 than his closest competitor.

“It was a surprise,” Rogers said of the backfield duo. “Apparently they waited until last week’s loss and decided to make a change. They also blocked us well.”

Tomball Memorial coach Sam Parker said Barnes and quarterback Coltin Marwell, who was fourth in 14-6A in passing, were injured in the loss to Cypress Woods the previous week. He said they could return after a bye week but after Friday it could be a tough decision who starts.

Rodriguez had 179 yards on 27 carries behind a line that averaged 275 pounds and was led by 6-foot-7, 295-pound sophomore left tackle Josiah Rodriguez. Richard Rodriguez took advantage of some holes at the line of scrimmage but also broke enough tackles downfield to total seven runs of at least 10 yards.

“We spend a lot of time tackling, and we weren’t getting him down,” Rogers said. “He was strong and did a good job, and they’ve got a bunch of different people they can use.”

Manjack, who coming into the game was fourth in the district in receptions with 15, ran for 114 yards on 15 carries and threw for four touchdowns, all to senior Logan Kyle, a Vanderbilt recruit.

Kyle’s first four receptions all went for touchdowns. He caught six passes in all.

Memorial (3-1, 1-1) scored the first three times it had the ball, the first on a 1-yard sneak by Manjack. The next two times Manjack found Kyle for 10 and 20 yards, respectively. Kyle did all the work on his first touchdown. On the second, Manjack avoided two Bryan defenders, scrambled to the sideline and before going out of bounds found Kyle open in the back of the end zone.





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Then before the end of the half, the two connected for a 28-yard TD pass over the middle. Memorial’s first four scoring drives went for at least 62 yards with a long of 90 as the Wildcats totaled 16 first downs in the first half.

Meanwhile, the Bryan offense couldn’t get on track, accounting for only 35 yards and three first downs in the first half. The Vikings (1-2, 0-1) put together one sustained drive, getting to the Wildcat 34-yard line thanks mostly to quarterback Nico Bulhof’s 10-yard run and his 11-yard pass to Gary Lynch. The drive ended on downs at the Wildcat 34 with Bryan trailing 13-0.

“We are not really good on offense, and defensively we can play at times,” Rogers said. “It’s a tough district with some big ol’ strong kids.”

The second half started just as the first finished, with Manjack finding Kyle for a 31-yard touchdown. On each of his last two TD passes a Bryan defender just missed swatting the ball away as Kyle pulled it in.

Memorial’s defense got into the act for the final score as linebacker Alex Edmondson returned an interception untouched for a 28-yard touchdown.

“The ball was snapped low, so [Bulhof] didn’t get to read it,” Rogers said. “When he picked it up, he threw it, and [Edmondson] had time to adjust. We’ve got to hit some passes, but it’s not like he’s sitting back there with a lot of time like they had.”

The Wildcats kept their starters in until the final possession, and the Vikings’ defense, which was without injured linebacker Patrick Menjares, picked up its play late.

“As the game wore on, we played some sophomores, and at one time three out of four of the down linemen were sophomores,” Rogers said. “That’s not what you want to do, but they got some experience, and they made some plays.”

Bryan’s Jalen Davis, who lines up at wide receiver and tailback, made the most of his few touches, running a kickoff back 37 yards in the third quarter, catching a pass for 28 yards and breaking off a 10-yard run.

Bryan will continue 14-6A play at 7 p.m. next Friday against Langham Creek at Merrill Green Stadium.