Jackson Owens caught a school-record 276 receiving yards as Friendswood outlasted Iowa Colony 48-42 on Friday, Oct. 2. Quarterback Josh Brister threw for 451 yards at Henry Winston Stadium.

The win pushed Friendswood to 6-0 for the first time since 2010, according to head coach Jordan Johnson. The Mustangs are 4-0 in District 11-5A-I play, tied atop the standings with Angleton, according to SI.com.

The two teams combined for 1,151 yards of offense. Friendswood accounted for 586, first reported by The Daily News.

Iowa Colony, which moved up to 5A-I from 5A-II for the 2026 season, represented what Johnson called "a significantly tougher challenge than their first three district opponents." The Pioneers proved it. Iowa Colony's Alonzo Bailey scooped up a fumble and returned it 99 yards just before halftime to tie the score at 21-21.

Friendswood's defense answered when it mattered. Grant Martin recovered a fumble in the end zone on Iowa Colony's opening drive to prevent a score. Rit Johnson picked off a pass at midfield and returned it to the Iowa Colony 28, setting up a Mustangs touchdown. Chris Collins added a fourth-quarter interception that gave Friendswood an instant red-zone possession, leading to a 27-yard field goal by Noah Clegg.

Tripp Bateman ripped off a 65-yard run in the second quarter that flipped field position and helped set up a score. Owens caught touchdown passes of 58, 25 and 79 yards. Peyton Lowe caught a leaping touchdown pass to tie the game 7-7 late in the first quarter, then broke free for a 78-yard touchdown reception that made it 35-28 late in the third quarter.

Owens' 79-yard score just 35 seconds into the fourth quarter opened a 42-28 lead. Iowa Colony's Braylon Watts answered with a 5-yard and a 20-yard touchdown reception to pull the Pioneers within range, but Clegg's two fourth-quarter field goals kept the margin safe. Martin sealed it by recovering an onside kick in the final seconds.

"We can't pick the order of our schedule, but we can pick how we play, and I thought our guys picked physicality and to play 48 minutes tonight and be resilient," Johnson said.

Johnson's confidence in Owens dates to the season opener. After the sophomore helped spark a 31-6 win over Texas City on Aug. 28, Johnson told The Daily News: "… He's a young buck, he's a sophomore, but that play didn't surprise me because that's just kind of how he is."

Six weeks later, Owens owns a school record.

Friendswood faces Pasadena at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at Pasadena ISD Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Mustangs then host Freeman before traveling to Angleton and closing the district schedule at home against Randle.