Houser heading in right direction for Cowboys

Brayden Houser will answer “fishing” without hesitation when asked what his hobbies are outside of football. Particularly, fishing for catfish on the Brazos River with friend and teammate Paul Davidson. The slow-paced pastime may be Houser’s favorite hobby, but on the field the Bryson junior is anything but torpid. “He just makes people miss,” Bryson head coach Jason Briles said. “He’s not terribly fast, but he’s shifty. He can really run the ball, and he can sling it, too.” The Cowboys quarterback is coming off a season in which he threw for 1,980 yards and 30 touchdowns, while also rushing for 450 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite the big numbers, it wasn’t all roses for Houser or the Cowboys in 2015. As their 6-6 record indicates, they faced a grueling schedule last season. Including their bi-district playoff game with Gordon, the Cowboys’ 2015 opponents amassed a cumulative record of 86 wins and just 49 losses. During the difficult district stretch, Houser collected his greatest football memory to this point. “We were going against Tioga who were 8-0,” Houser said. “I threw a touchdown to take the lead and that has probably been my best experience so far.” Houser’s pass proved to be the winning score as the Cowboys held on in a 36-32 victory, proving that they could compete with some of the toughest teams the state could provide. This year Houser hopes to make many more memories that will equal, or eclipse that, but it won’t be easy. For the rest of this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Graham Leader, or subscribe to our online edition.