Germantown, TN – Despite a valiant second-half rally, the Collierville Dragons were unable to overcome a dominant first-half performance by the Houston Mustangs, falling 33-14 in the TSSAA Class 6A Quarterfinals on Friday night at Landers Stadium in Germantown.

The Mustangs came out firing, taking control early with an explosive offensive display and stifling defense that left the Dragons scoreless in the first half. Quarterback Chandler Day, a Tennessee baseball signee, was the driving force for Houston, contributing two rushing touchdowns to give his team a commanding 24-0 lead at the break.

Adding to the Mustangs’ success in the opening half was kicker Jaden Gruszczynski, who drilled a 42-yard field goal to extend the Houston lead. The defense, led by senior defensive back DJ Miller, also made a critical impact. Miller intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown just before halftime, placing a dagger on the Dragons as they struggled to find any rhythm offensively.

The second half saw a different Collierville team take the field. Dragons quarterback Grant Troutman, who had been contained in the first half, connected twice with senior wide receiver Luke Roeder for a pair of touchdowns, giving Collierville a glimmer of hope. Troutman completed 14 of 32 passes for 169 yards on the night, while Roeder finished with five catches for 72 yards.

Despite their offensive surge, the Dragons could not close the gap. Houston's defense stiffened in the final moments, and the Mustangs held on for the victory.

Collierville’s season ends with an impressive 11-2 record, but the Dragons’ playoff run came to a close one step short of the semifinals.

Houston will advance to the state's Final Four, where they will host Ravenwood next Friday at 7pm.