S.J. Battle knows Madison has a target on its back this season.
But that's not an intimidating notion for the Marlins' junior quarterback. It only fuels his motivation.
Despite being a first-year starter, he's shown the poise required to excel at the most important position on the field.
It was more of the same on a blustery Friday evening at Butler Stadium.
Battle and his teammates overcame a slow start to earn a 28-20 homecoming win over Westbury in a key District 10-5A Division I matchup, a result that almost certainly assures the Marlins a second straight playoff berth.
SCOREBOARD:Friday's state and area results
"We really just wanted to play our game and stay focused on playing Madison football," Battle said after emerging from a raucous locker room celebration. "We just needed to do what we do and execute the game plan."
Madison (5-2, 5-0) has won five consecutive games since opening the season 0-2 with losses against Clear Brook and Yates. The Marlins are seeking their first back-to-back district titles since claiming four straight from 1998-2001 when Houston legend Vince Young was playing quarterback and coach Ray Seals was roaming the sidelines.
Reading off that fun fact to his players this week was just another way for coach James Soria to stoke their fire.
"They're extremely motivated," Soria said. "They're looking to make a little history. Last time it happened, it was the Vince Young and Courtney Lewis days. These guys want to make it happen. It's their added motivation right now."
Westbury, still mourning the loss of senior LePaul Warren, remains in the hunt for the postseason with three games remaining against Milby, Sam Houston and Sharpstown, respectively. The Huskies (3-4, 2-3) are looking for their second consecutive playoff appearance after winning nine games last year for the first time since 1999.
Just three weeks ago, Warren, a 17-year-old dual-sport athlete who had plans to become an engineer one day, was shot and killed near the Westbury campus on Sept. 25. The Huskies had to cancel their homecoming game against Northbrook - recorded as a forfeit loss - after the shooting and suffered a 33-30 setback against Waltrip in their first game back the following week. While the loss to Madison was a tough one for Westbury, fifth-year coach Jarvis Kelley has been encouraged by what he's seen from his players as they continue to heal from their tragedy.
"This is a close-knit group," Kelley said. "It's like losing a family member. They play for each other, preach brotherhood and culture, so losing a family member is hard. But the kids made up their minds that they wanted to finish this season and play for LePaul. I couldn't be more proud because they're a resilient group of kids."
After trailing Westbury by a touchdown early, Battle finally got the passing game rolling, and the defense delivered two fumble recoveries to help their efforts in the first half. After giving up the game's opening score, senior De'Andre Columbus quickly answered for the Marlins with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Battle later connected on touchdown passes to Juel Peterson and Columbus to give Madison the 21-7 advantage at halftime.
Battle found a wide-open Columbus for another touchdown on the Marlins' first possession of the third quarter, and the defense delivered two more fumble recoveries and two critical stops in the final minutes to preserve the win.
Battle completed 8-of-15 passes for 129 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Through seven games, he's passed for nearly 1,300 yards with 21 touchdowns and has looked polished despite his relative inexperience.
Battle had big shoes to fill entering the season. Madison won nine games last year and claimed its first district title since 2016 with senior quarterback Danzell Bloodworth leading the offense. Bloodworth passed for more than 2,400 yards and 34 touchdowns as the Marlins rose back to prominence following a 3-7 campaign.
"He's a rhythm quarterback," Soria said of Battle. "Once we get him going, he's hard to stop. He's a smart kid, he's a student of the game, and we spend a lot of time together, teaching him protections. He does a great job with our offensive coordinator, Roland Hayes, reading coverages and doing what we like to do in the downfield passing game. Week by week, we're starting to see him be more of a leader, and that's what I want to see. He's not a vocal kid, and he's not commanding, but that's where I would love for him to start taking that step to be that field general."
Since he took over as the starter, Battle has kept the Marlins' offense humming. Just a couple of weeks ago, he broke Young's school record for touchdown passes in one half with seven against Sharpstown.
"It means a lot considering he was the greatest at Madison," Battle said with a big smile. "Now I'll be remembered with him on that list. It's a big blessing, and it's just a testament to all the work that I've put in."
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There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Madison a step closer to second consecutive playoff berth after 28-20 win over Westbury.