Steven Sowell + Lufkin Notch 34-14 Victory at The Woodlands College Park

SHENANDOAH -- Junior running back Steven Sowell led a strong Lufkin ground game and Timmy Martinez hit two field goals in a 34-14 win against The Woodlands College Park on Friday at Woodforest Bank Stadium.

Sowell ran for 150 yards and a touchdown, a 48-yarder that gave the Panthers a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

The win was the second in a row for Lufkin, which improved to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in District 12-5A with two regular-season games remaining.

Martinez hit a 36-yard field goal for a 17-7 halftime advantage before his 25-yarder with fewer than four minutes remaining in the contest gave the Pack a 27-14 lead. Defensive back Jamarion Houston iced the game with a 54-yard interception return touchdown in the waning minutes.

Lufkin built a 14-0 lead thanks to Sowell's touchdown run and a 58-yard Josh Tolbert run on a fake punt. College Park (4-4, 1-3) cut the lead in half, but never got closer the rest of the game.

Lufkin pushed its lead to 24-7 on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Trey Cumbie to Demarrea Houston early the third quarter. Lufkin led by double digits the entire second half.

Lufkin hosts Conroe Oak Ridge (7-1, 3-1) on Friday in a key 14-5A contest that will influence the playoff race. Oak Ridge suffered its first loss of the season Friday in a 41-23 loss to College Station A&M Consolidated, which beat Lufkin 42-41 on Sept. 27.