Texas football commits in action, Oct. 16-19

The night before the Texas Longhorns lost to archrival Oklahoma, the first commit of their 2020 recruiting class, Hudson Card, led his Lake Travis team to a one-point win against their archrival, Austin Westlake. In the days following that game it was reported that Card had suffered a toe injury that might or might not cost him the rest of his senior season. More on that below.

After last week’s action, eight of the Longhorns’ 28 total football commits have yet to lose a game this fall, and some of them may be only one win away from clinching a playoff spot and ensuring that their team will still be playing at least mid-way into November.

Last week in games involving in-state commits, offensive line pledge Logan Parr saw his team suffer its first district loss since he was in 8th grade, eight commits led their teams to lopsided wins, defensive back commit Joshua Eaton helped his team clinch its best record in years, athlete commit Jaden Hullaby needed only 18 minutes of game time to produce five touchdowns, and cornerback Kitan Crawford helped his team with a tight battle against the team of running back and fellow commit Ty Jordan.

To update you readers on the progress of UT’s out-of-state commits, Utah defensive lineman Van Fillinger helped his team complete an undefeated regular season run last night, and they will begin a likely long playoff run in two weeks. Arizona running back and video game cheat code Bijan Robinson rushed for nearly 350 yards last week and somehow managed to lower his yards/carry average for the season. Robinson is probably one game away from breaking another conference record, and his team continues to be rated among the best in the state, regardless of conference. And injured Florida cornerback Ethan Pouncey won’t be playing this week but will be recognized during his school’s Senior Night.

We’re getting to the point in the season where a win or loss could make or break a team’s playoff chances, and a few future Longhorns will be in must-win situations this week. I’ll have a recap of last week’s action, plus a rundown of this week’s games involving UT’s #cloUT2020 and #trUTh21 commits below. Game times listed are for each location’s specific time zone.

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2020 QB Hudson Card (Lake Travis)
2021 TE Lake McRee (Lake Travis) - injured, out for season

Last week: Completed 20 of 31 passes for 224 yards and 3 TDs, and had 21 carries for 30 yards in a 26-25 win over Austin Westlake.
This week: Bye
Notes: Card threw for a pair of 4th quarter touchdowns to lead Lake Travis to a one-point win over archrival Austin Westlake last week in a hard-fought contest that featured five lead changes and far less offense than fans of either team are were used to seeing.

Lake Travis was ranked #14 in Class 6A and had scored 48 or more points in five straight games going into its matchup with Westlake, which itself went into the game ranked #6 and had not been held under 35 points all season. After one half of play, Lake Travis led 10-3 and the two teams had gained a combined 173 total yards, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Both teams had over 200 yards in the second half, and Westlake scored two 3rd quarter TDs to take a 17-10 lead. But Lake Travis recorded a safety late in the quarter to make the score 17-12, then in the 4th quarter Card connected with receiver Kyle Eaves for his second 30-yard TD pass of the game to put Lake Travis on top 19-17.

Westlake responded with a go-ahead TD pass from sophomore QB Cade Klubnik with 8:12 left in the 4th quarter that made the score 25-19 following a successful two-point conversion. But Hudson Card led Lake Travis on a game-winning drive that concluded with a 10-yard TD pass to senior receiver Grayson Sandlin with 4:10 left in regulation, which put the Cavaliers back on top at 26-25. Westlake missed on a 44-yard field goal attempt with just under two minutes left that would have given it the lead, and Lake Travis held the ball for the rest of regulation to seal the win.

The win improved the Cavaliers’ record to 6-1 overall and 5-0 in district play, and they moved up one spot to #14 in this week’s Class 6A rankings, while Westlake dropped from #6 to #15. They have a bye week before playing the first of their final three district games on October 25 at Del Valle. As it turned out, the win over Westlake may have been a pyrrhic victory because Hudson Card was later reported to have suffered a foot injury during the 1st quarter of the game, and on Tuesday morning Jay Plotkin of the Austin American-Statesman broke the news of Card’s injury and reported that it would need surgery and likely cost him the rest of the 2019 season.

But the Hudson Card injury crisis had another plot twist on Wednesday night when Card shared this update from his personal Twitter account:

Lake Travis has a bye this week, and if Card is out for the minimum estimate he provided of four weeks, that could mean he’s back on the field for the Cavaliers’ first playoff game. If he’s out for a period closer to six weeks, that could potentially mean he’d return to action in early December and lead Lake Travis in a playoff re-match with Converse Judson, who the Cavaliers beat in the 6A Division I Region IV final last year and who is currently ranked #7 in the state.

2020 QB Ja’Quinden Jackson (Duncanville)

Last week: Completed 7 of 14 passes for 160 yards and 1 TD, and had 5 carries for 63 yards and 2 TDs in a 28-6 win over Lake Highlands.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:30, at Richardson Pearce
Notes: Duncanville gained only 322 total yards last week against Lake Highlands and Ja’Quinden Jackson completed only half of his passes, but those completions netted some big plays, and the Panther defense held Lake Highlands to 180 total yards and only 9 first downs.

Lake Highlands held the ball for the vast majority of the 1st quarter and actually scored first by capping off a 14-play possession with a 37-yard field goal with 5:35 left in the opening frame. Duncanville was unable to get past midfield on its opening drive and punted, but its defense stepped up and forced the first of Lake Highlands’ six punts in the game, and junior receiver Roderick Daniels returned it for a 79-yard TD with 26 seconds left in the quarter.

Duncanville scored TDs on its next two possessions, the first a 59-yard run by Jackson with 9:30 left in the 2nd quarter, and the second a 69-yard scoring pass from Jackson to Marquelan Crowell with 1:07 left in the first half, and the Panthers went into halftime ahead 21-6.

Jackson ran for his second TD of the night from 7 yards out on Duncanville’s second possession of the 3rd quarter to put his team up 28-6, and the Panther defense ensured the lead was safe, as Lake Highlands did not cross midfield again until its final drive of the game, which ended with a turnover on downs at the Duncanville 41-yard line.

Duncanville has played 24 quarters of football this season and allowed just two touchdowns, both of them to DC power St. John’s. The Panthers have outscored their five in-state opponents 214-12. With the win they improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in district, and they maintain their #1 spot in the Class 6A rankings and #4 spot in the USA Today Super 25 Expert rankings.

This week they face a Richardson Pearce team that is 4-2 overall and 3-0 in district. Duncanville beat Pearce 49-7 in their 2018 matchup.

2021 QB Jalen Milroe (Katy Tompkins)

Last week: Completed 6 of 11 passes for 152 yards and 2 TDs, and had 8 carries for 12 yards and lost a fumble in a 28-0 win over Katy Mayde Creek
This week: Saturday, October 19 at 11:00 am, vs. Katy Morton Ranch
Notes: For a second straight week, Jalen Milroe had a productive series of connections with receiver Gabe Atkin, who caught Milroe’s first four completed passes for 113 yards and a TD. The Falcon offense wasn’t its usual effective self, gaining just 267 yards and scoring a season-low 28 points, but their defense made a big impact, limiting previously unbeaten Mayde Creek to 171 total yards and forcing three turnovers. In winning 28-0 they dealt the Rams their first shutout loss since 2016.

The win moved Tompkins to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in district play, and the Falcons are #22 in this week’s rankings for Class 6A, their one loss being to #2 Katy two weeks ago. After beating Mayde Creek last Thursday, Tompkins gets an extra day of recovery and preparation before a Saturday morning kickoff for its game against Morton Ranch, which is coming off a 45-3 loss to Katy last Friday.

Morton Ranch is 4-3 this season and 1-2 in district play. Another statistic relevant to these posts is that Morton Ranch is 0-2 this season against teams with Texas commits on their roster, as the Mavericks lost 14-0 to Vernon Broughton’s Cypress Ridge team on September 5, and lost 31-28 three weeks ago to Hayden Conner’s Katy Taylor team. Milroe and company will look to continue Morton Ranch’s losing streak in that category. Tompkins beat Morton Ranch 15-8 in 2018.

2020 RB Ty Jordan (West Mesquite)

Last week: Had 12 carries for 99 yards and 1 TD, caught 4 passes for 52 yards, and completed one pass for a 24-yard TD in a 39-36 loss to Tyler John Tyler.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, vs. McKinney North
Notes: Jordan accounted for 185 total yards and a pair of TDs last week, but it wasn’t enough to give West Mesquite the win in a tight district matchup with Tyler John Tyler, and the Wranglers fell 39-36.

West Mesquite gained 473 yards but was assessed 13 penalties and committed four turnovers. A 24-yard TD pass from Jordan to Trevion Mitchell gave the Wranglers a 7-0 lead, and they led 14-3 later in the quarter, but John Tyler scored 24 straight points afterward to take a 27-14 halftime lead. Jordan got West Mesquite back on the board with a 56-yard scoring run in the 3rd quarter, and a long TD pass later in the quarter briefly gave the Wranglers a 28-27 lead. But Texas commit Kitan Crawford gave John Tyler the lead for good on a 21-yard 3rd quarter TD run that made the score 33-28.

Both teams scored TDs in the 4th quarter and West Mesquite had the ball late in regulation trailing 39-36, but West Mesquite’s sophomore QB Kevin Jennings, who threw for 304 yards on the night, was intercepted in the end zone with 14 seconds left.

The loss left West Mesquite 1-5 for the season and 1-1 in district play with four games left. The Wranglers need a win on Friday to avoid falling into a hole they’ll only have three games to climb out of, and that won’t be an easy thing to accomplish against McKinney North, which is 6-1 this season and 3-0 in district play. Expect a lot of offense in the game from at least one team, as McKinney North comes into that matchup averaging just under 57 points per game. McKinney North beat West Mesquite 52-37 last season.

2020 RB Bijan Robinson (Salpointe Catholic - Tucson, Arizona)

Last week: Had 16 carries for 347 yards and 6 TDs in a 59-21 win over Casa Grande.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, vs. Tucson Canyon del Oro
Notes: Bijan Robinson continued his assault on Arizona’s record books, rushing for 347 yards and 6 TDs on a season-high 16 carries last week in a performance that slightly lowered his yards per carry average for the season to an even 23.0!

Robinson scored four first half TDs against region foe Casa Grande, leading Salpointe Catholic to a 38-7 halftime lead. He reached the end zone for a fifth time on the Lancers’ first possession of the 3rd quarter, then added a sixth TD in that quarter’s final minute to put Salpointe Catholic ahead 59-14.

Salpointe Catholic has scored at least 54 points in every game this season and Robinson has usually played barely or not at all in the second half of games, which has limited his opportunities to accumulate the stats he would have had he played for an entire four quarters. But he has been about as efficient as possible when given the ball, scoring 29 touchdowns on 69 offensive touches,

Robinson now has 102 total touchdowns for his career and needs two more to break the Conference 4A record, which is held by former Texas A&M and current Arizona Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk. Robinson is also up to 6,274 rushing yards for his career and already holds the state’s “big school” record (for players at the 4A level or higher), and with 477 more yards he will pass Brandon Long for the most career yards of any Arizonan to play above the Conference 2A level.

To break the state’s all-time rushing record for all levels, Robinson will need to lead Salpointe Catholic to the state championship game (which would give him a maximum of six more games this season) and average 212 yards per game. Casey Jahn, who holds the state’s career rushing record, needed 875 carries to reach his total of 7,544, a figure Robinson is 1,270 yards shy of with 410 fewer career carries than Jahn.

With three games remaining in the regular season, Salpointe Catholic is 6-0 and ranked #2 in the Open Division ratings. The Lancers’ opponent this week is Canyon del Oro, currently ranked #3 in Conference 4A and #7 in the Open Division ratings. Canyon del Oro is 7-0 and coming off a 21-7 win over Sahuaro (not to be confused with six-time defending champion Saguaro), a team Salpointe Catholic beat 58-13 the week before. Salpointe Catholic has won seven straight games against Canyon del Oro, including a 49-6 victory in the 2018 season.

2021 WR Quaydarius Davis (Dallas Skyline)

Last week: Caught 2 passes for 0 yards in a 33-0 win over Dallas W.T. White.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, vs. Richardson
Notes: Quaydarius Davis can definitely relate to Texas receiver Devin Duvernay’s struggles to find any running room against Oklahoma last Saturday, as Davis’s last four catches over Skyline’s previous two games have gained a net total of 2 yards.

His lack of production did not hurt Skyline’s offense in its win over W.T. White last week. The Raiders scored TDs on their first two possessions of the game to take a 13-0 lead with 6:19 left in the 1st quarter. After a scoreless 2nd quarter, Skyline scored TDs on its first two drives of the second half and later added a punt return TD to make the score 33-0 with 3:49 left in the 3rd quarter, and that remained the score for the rest of the game.

With the win, Skyline evened its season record to 3-3 and improved to 2-1 in district play. On Friday night the Raiders will play fellow 3-3 team Richardson, which is also 2-1 in district. Duncanville beat Richardson 65-7 last year.

2020 WR Quentin Johnston (Temple)

Last week: Caught 4 passes for 62 yards and one TD in a 56-27 win over Killeen.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:30, at Killeen Ellison
Notes: I mentioned in last week’s post that Temple’s upcoming opponent Killeen, despite having just one win for the season, had a pair of players to watch in senior defensive tackle Ta’Shoyn Johnson (a North Texas commit) and 2021 running back Kadarius Marshall. But, unbeknownst to Temple before the game, Marshall had already been lost for the season due to a shoulder injury, and Johnson also had to sit out last Friday’s game.

Quentin Johnston got Temple on the board first with a 30-yard TD reception in the 1st quarter from senior QB Vance Willis, who would finish the game with 215 yards passing, 194 yards rushing, and 7 total TDs. With Killeen missing multiple defensive starters, the Temple Wildcats rolled to a 42-19 halftime lead and never looked back.

The win improved Temple to 5-1 overall and 4-0 in district play. The Wildcats will attempt to remain undefeated in district play when they take on Killeen Ellison on Friday night. Ellison is 2-5 overall and 2-3 in district play, and Temple has won the last four games between the two schools, with the most recent being a 42-18 victory in 2018.

2020 WR Troy Omeire (Fort Bend Austin)

Last week: Caught 7 passes for 107 yards and one TD, and had 3 carries for 15 yards in a 48-17 loss to Fort Bend Travis.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, vs. Fort Bend Clements
Notes: Omeire had another productive receiving game last week and now has 49 catches for 717 yards and 7 TDs through six games, but his efforts weren’t enough to put Austin over the top against unbeaten district opponent Fort Bend Travis.

The game got off to a fast start and the teams were tied at 7-7 less than one minute after the opening kickoff. Travis led 13-7 midway through the 2nd quarter when its defense intercepted Austin QB Brandon Abboud for a 90-yard pick six to make the score 19-7. Troy Omeire cut the deficit to 19-14 after making a 10-yard TD grab with 4:47 left in the first half, and Austin trailed 19-17 going into the 3rd quarter.

But Travis outscored Austin 29-0 in the second half to turn the game into a rout. According to the Houston Chronicle’s box score for the game, Abboud was intercepted five times with Travis’s defense returning two of them for TDs, and the two teams - whose campuses are less than 4 miles apart - were assessed a combined 39 penalties for 257 yards!

The loss dropped Austin to 1-5 for the season and 1-2 in district play. For the Bulldogs to have any hope of making the playoffs they’ll have to take care of business in their next two games against Clements and Kempner, both of which are 0-3 in district. Afterwards they finish the season against Bush and Elkins, a pair that currently has a combined record of 9-3.

Austin has a nine-game winning streak against Clements, who they will face Friday night, though their last two matchups with that team were both decided by seven points. Clements is 1-5 overall this season.

2021 OL Hayden Conner (Katy Taylor)

Last week: Credited with 4 pancake blocks in a 57-6 win over Katy Cinco Ranch.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:30, at Katy Mayde Creek
Notes: Hayden Conner and the Taylor offensive line paved the way for a rushing attack that gained 427 yards last week against Cinco Ranch, with junior running back Casey Shorter accounting for 373 yards and 6 TDs on the night.

The Taylor defensive unit was no slouch either, forcing two turnovers and limiting winless Cinco Ranch to 31 total yards. The win improved Taylor’s overall record to 5-2 and the Mustangs maintain a perfect district mark at 3-0. Having beaten the bottom three teams out of the seven-team District 19-6A, the Mustangs are probably assured of finishing no worse than 4th place in the district and should sew up a playoff spot with a win in any of their last three games, though they’ll come against opponents with a combined record of 17-2.

Friday night’s opponent is 5-1 Mayde Creek, which was unbeaten until Jalen Milroe’s Katy Tompkins team knocked them off 28-0 last week. Taylor has won 11 consecutive games against Mayde Creek, including by a 28-21 score in 2018. This is Taylor’s 40th season to play varsity football and a win would give the program its first-ever four-year streak of reaching the postseason.

2020 OL Jaylen Garth (Port Neches-Groves) - injured, out for season

Last week: Team lost to Crosby 13-7.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:30, vs. Dayton

2020 OL Andrej Karic (Southlake Carroll)

Last week: Team beat Trophy Club Byron Nelson 49-0.
This week: Thursday, October 17 at 7:00, at Keller Fossil Ridge
Notes: Carroll gained 531 total yards last week against Byron Nelson in a balanced offensive attack that featured 30 pass attempts and 31 rushes. The Dragons led 21-0 at halftime, then added 21 more points in the 3rd quarter to end any Byron Nelson dreams of a comeback.

The 6-0 Dragons are ranked #7 in Class 6A, and #23 in this week’s USA Today Super 25 Expert Rankings. Tonight they will face a desperate 1-5 Fossil Ridge team that is 1-2 in district play and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Carroll beat Fossil Ridge 47-26 in 2018. Trivia note: two former Southlake Carroll head coaches also served in that capacity at Fossil Ridge: Todd Dodge (now at Austin Westlake) and Hal Wasson (now at Corsicana).

2020 OL Jake Majors (Prosper)

Last week: Team lost to Dallas Jesuit 41-14.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, vs. McKinney Boyd
Notes: Prosper’s undefeated run through its 2019 schedule came to a crashing end last week, as its normally potent offense committed four turnovers and gained just 240 total yards in a 41-14 loss to Dallas Jesuit.

Jesuit’s four-star senior running back E.J. Smith (son of Dallas Cowboys Hall-of-Famer Emmitt Smith) had 150 yards from scrimmage and scored four TDs. Jesuit began three of its first four drives at midfield or in Prosper territory, and the Rangers jumped to a 20-0 lead less than eight minutes into the game. Prosper cut the deficit to 20-7 in the final minute of the 1st quarter, but its other first half possessions ended with one interception and four punts.

After trailing 27-7 at halftime Prosper got as close as 27-14 with a TD pass with 6:52 left in the 3rd quarter, but Jesuit capped off a long drive on their ensuing possession with a TD run to make the score 34-14 with 11:46 left in regulation, and Prosper QB Jackson Berry was intercepted on their next two possessions.

Prosper is now 5-1 for the season and 2-1 in district play. They will next play McKinney Boyd on Friday night. Boyd is 2-4 for the season and 1-2 in district play. The Broncos had lost four straight games before beating Plano West 35-22 last week. Prosper beat Boyd 42-37 in 2018.

If Prosper reaches the playoffs it will surely be in the 6A Division II bracket and will have the district’s runner-up seed if Jesuit also makes the playoffs and has the same or better district record. If that happens, Prosper’s loss last week to Jesuit will likely have the silver lining of allowing Prosper to avoid facing defending 6A Division II state champion Longview in the second round of the playoffs.

2020 OL Logan Parr (San Antonio O’Connor)

Last week: Team lost to San Antonio Brandeis 37-15.
This week: Thursday, October 17 at 7:00, vs. San Antonio Marshall
Notes: A sellout crowd was on hand last week to watch two of San Antonio’s best teams, and those fans saw O’Connor fall to Class 6A’s #23 team Brandeis, ending O’Connor’s 23-game winning streak in district games that stretched over parts of four seasons. The Panthers had not lost to a district opponent since their 2015 season finale.

O’Connor’s defense forced three Brandeis turnovers and held the Broncos to 238 total yards and only 8 first downs, but Brandeis built a big lead primarily off of special teams miscues by O’Connor. Less than two minutes into the game, Brandeis led 7-0 after returning a blocked punt for a TD. A second blocked punt resulted in a TD that gave Brandeis a 21-7 lead with 1:19 left in the 2nd quarter. That became a 23-7 lead after Brandeis recorded a safety four and a half minutes into the 3rd quarter.

O’Connor got as close as 23-15 following a short TD run with 3:36 left in regulation, but Brandeis recovered the ensuing onside kick and would score twice in the final 2:45 of the game to make the final score 37-15.

The Panthers are now 4-2 overall and 4-1 in district play, putting them in a three-way tie with Brennan and Stevens for second place in District 28-6A. They will play those two teams to cap off the season, but before that they will face Marshall and Clark, which are a combined 2-10. Tonight they will play 1-5 Marshall, which lost 56-6 to Brandeis a month ago. O’Connor has won six straight games against Marshall, including a 33-18 win in 2018.

2020 DT Vernon Broughton (Cypress Ridge)

Last week: Team lost to Cypress Creek 41-20.
This week: Thursday, October 17 at 7:00, vs. Houston Northbrook
Notes: Cypress Ridge trailed Cypress Creek 21-0 less than a minute into the 2nd quarter in last week’s district game between the schools, but Cypress Ridge fought back, scoring three TDs in the last 7:40 of the first half to get within 27-20 at halftime. But Cypress Creek outscored the Rams 14-0 in the second half.

The Rams are now 4-2 overall and 2-2 in district play, and will attempt to get back over .500 in district play tonight when they play winless Northbrook, a team that has been outscored 240-40 in its first five district contests. Cypress Ridge beat Northbrook 61-0 last season.

2020 DE Van Fillinger (Corner Canyon - Draper, Utah)

Last week: Credited with 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 QB hurry in a 56-22 win over Lehi Skyridge.
This week: Team beat American Fork on Wednesday, 59-28.
Notes: Last week was at least the third time in 2019 that Corner Canyon had faced a team ranked either #1 or #2 in Class 6A, and once again the Chargers won decisively. Skyridge came into the game ranked #2, and its 34-33 win over Corner Canyon in the 2017 5A state championship game was the Chargers’ last loss before they started a 21-game winning streak that included a 31-14 win over Skyridge in the 2018 5A state final.

Skyridge had designs on ending that winning streak last Thursday and looked capable of doing so when it took a 7-0 lead midway through the 1st quarter. But Corner Canyon scored an incredible 49 unanswered points over the rest of the first half, and the 3rd and 4th quarters were played under a running clock and at one point Corner Canyon students reportedly chanted to the #2 Falcons, “Thanks for practice!”

Corner Canyon finished off its regular season schedule last night against with a 59-28 win over American Fork, a team the Deseret News had ranked #4 in its statewide rankings of teams from all classifications. I’ll have a recap of that game in next week’s post.

Utah’s playoffs will have an “all-comers” format this year, and an RPI rating will determine the seedings for the 27 teams in Class 6A, with the top five teams getting a first round bye. The playoff brackets should be announced by the end of this week, and Corner Canyon will assuredly get the #1 seed and enjoy its first bye of the season next week.

2020 DE Princely Umanmielen (Manor)

Last week: Team beat Leander Rouse 20-18.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, vs. Pflugerville Connally
Notes: Manor squeaked out a two-point win over winless Rouse last week, which gave the Mustangs a 2-0 district record and their fourth straight win. They are tied for first in District 11-5A Division I with Hutto and Cedar Park, which are currently ranked #6 and #10 in the state, respectively.

Manor will play its last two games against that formidable pair, but on Friday the Mustangs play Pflugerville Connally, which lost its first six games of the season before getting its first win last week over Pflugerville by a score of 35-28. Manor beat that same Pflugerville team 42-17 two weeks earlier. Manor has beaten Connally five straight times, most recently by a 57-14 score in 2018.

2020 LB Prince Dorbah (Highland Park)

Last week: Team beat Mansfield Legacy 76-6.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:30, at Dallas Samuell
Notes: Highland Park won its third straight district game in a blowout. With the 76-6 shellacking of Legacy, the Scots have won their last three games 204-6. Highland Park gained 607 total yards, forced three Legacy turnovers, and scored the game’s first 69 points.

They will likely be able to name their score again on Friday night when they play Samuell, which is 2-4 and has been outscored by its district opponents 122-32. Highland Park beat Samuell 49-0 in 2018.

The Scots are ranked 5-1 overall and remain the #4 team in Class 5A Division I. After playing five straight cream puff opponents they will close out their regular season in November with games against #7 Lancaster and Jaden Hullaby’s Mansfield Timberview team.

2021 LB Derrick Harris (New Caney)

Last week: Credited with 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 6 QB hurries, and 1 pass defended in a 42-12 win over Port Arthur Memorial.
This week: Saturday, October 19 at 6:00, at Kingwood Park
Notes: New Caney went on the road and decisively beat Port Arthur Memorial last week 42-12. The Eagles led 28-0 at halftime. The win improved their record to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in district, putting them in a tie with New Caney Porter for first place in District 9-5A Division I.

Porter, who the Eagles will play in their regular season finale on November 8, is 5-1 overall and may be the only team legitimately standing in the way of New Caney finishing with its first-ever undefeated regular season run. New Caney won a school record 10 games in 2018 and reached the playoffs for a fourth straight year, tied for the best postseason streak in program history. The Eagles have outscored their three district opponents 160-18 and likely need just one more win to secure a program-record fifth straight playoff berth.

They will go for that win on Saturday night against Kingwood Park, which is 3-3 this season. New Caney has beaten Kingwood Park in four straight seasons and averaged 43 points in those games.

2020 DB Xavion Alford (Alvin Shadow Creek)

Last week: Team beat Galveston Ball 49-6.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, vs. Friendswood
Notes: Shadow Creek, the #2 team in Class 5A Division I, won easily over Galveston Ball last week, and the Sharks have now outscored their first six opponents 301-41.

At 3-0 in district play, the Sharks are tied for first place in District 10-5A Division I with unbeaten Friendswood, who they will play on Friday night. Friendswood is coming off a 34-32 win over Richmond Foster, which had been the #7 team in 5A Division I, and it will look to knock off a second straight ranked opponent on Friday. Shadow Creek won 27-19 when the teams played in 2018.

2020 DB Kitan Crawford (Tyler John Tyler)

Last week: Had 15 carries for 175 yards and 2 TDs, caught 1 pass for 20 yards, and made 2 tackles in a 39-36 win over West Mesquite.
This week: Bye
Notes: Crawford had a productive night with the football, gaining 195 yards and scoring a pair of TDs on 16 offensive touches while only playing in three quarters. According to the Dallas Morning News’ recap of the game, Crawford sat out the 1st quarter as a consequence for being late to a team meeting earlier in the week. West Mesquite led 14-10 at the end of the 1st quarter, but John Tyler scored 17 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter, with seven of them coming courtesy of a 32-yard TD run by Crawford.

West Mesquite briefly took a 28-27 lead in the 3rd quarter, but a 21-yard scoring run by Crawford put the Lions ahead once again at 33-28. John Tyler never relinquished the lead after Crawford’s second TD, though the game wasn’t decided until the very end, as the Lions led 39-36 and got an interception deep in their own territory to halt a would-be game-winning drive by West Mesquite in the game’s final minute.

After a rough non-district schedule that included games against three teams that are currently a combined 17-2, John Tyler started district play with an overall record of 0-4, but the Lions go into their bye week with a 3-0 record in district and are tied for the lead in District 7-5A Division I. They should clinch a postseason bid with a win in any of their remaining three games.

They will close out their district schedule with games against three teams that are all very much in the playoff hunt, starting with district co-leader McKinney North on October 24.

2020 DB Joshua Eaton (Aldine MacArthur)

Last week: Returned an interception for a TD in a 47-7 win over Aldine.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, at Spring Westfield
Notes: Joshua Eaton and his brother Taylor Eaton both scored TDs in a blowout win over Aldine, which improved MacArthur’s record to 3-3 for the season and guaranteed the Generals their best record since finishing 5-5 in 2013. MacArthur went 9-39 between 2014 and 2018.

Taylor Eaton scored two 1st quarter TDs to give the Generals a 12-0 lead, then three 2nd quarter scores expanded MacArthur’s lead to 33-0 by halftime. The second of those 2nd quarter TDs came on a 40-yard pick six by Joshua Eaton with 8:59 left in the first half. (Note: the box score listed that TD as an interception return, but Eaton’s Hudl highlights from the game portray that score as a fumble return.) According to the Houston Chronicle’s box score, MacArthur was penalized 17 times for 110 yards, but its defense forced four turnovers and didn’t allow a TD until Aldine scored with 7:47 left in regulation, which made the score 47-7.

MacArthur is 2-1 in district play and likely needs wins in two of its final four games to clinch a playoff spot, which would give the Generals their first postseason appearance since 2007. On Friday night they will face 5-1 Spring Westfield, the #11 team in Class 6A. The only blemish on Westfield’s record is a 24-21 loss five weeks ago to Galena Park North Shore, currently ranked #5 in 6A. Westfield beat MacArthur 31-13 in 2018 and has defeated the Generals in each of the past three seasons by a combined score of 134-19.

2020 DB Ethan Pouncey (Winter Park, Florida) - injured, out for season

Last week: Team beat Oviedo 21-3.
This week: Thursday, October 17 at 7:00, vs. Orlando Colonial
Notes: Pouncey hasn’t been able to play this season, as his Winter Park Wildcat teammates are 5-3 overall and 1-0 in district. Though a torn labrum robbed him of his senior season, Pouncey should make an appearance on the field tonight, as Winter Park will be celebrating Senior Night for its final home game of 2019.

2020 DB Jerrin Thompson (Lufkin)

Last week: Team beat College Station 31-21.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:30, at Tomball
Notes: For a second straight week, Lufkin had to fight for four quarters before coming away with a win over a quality district opponent. Two weeks ago the Panthers had to come from behind in the 4th quarter to beat Magnolia 24-18. Last week against a 4-1 College Station team they held a slim 17-14 lead after three quarters, but scored twice in the final frame to take a comfortable 31-14 lead.

Lufkin is now 5-1 overall and 3-0 in district play, which puts it in a tie with Magnolia West atop the standings of District 8-5A Division I. The Panthers remain the #5 team in this week’s 5A Division I rankings and will travel to play 3-3 Tomball on Friday night. Lufkin beat Tomball 35-24 when the teams played in 2018.

2021 ATH Billy Bowman (Denton Ryan)
2021 ATH Ja’Tavion Sanders (Denton Ryan)

Last week: Bowman made 6 tackles and caught 3 passes for 56 yards and 1 TD; and Sanders made 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, and caught 5 passes for 96 yards in a 35-9 win over Colleyville Heritage.
This week: Thursday, October 17 at 7:00, vs. Carrollton Creekview
Notes: After averaging 45 first half points in their first five games of 2019, the Ryan Raiders were held far below that figure last week against Colleyville Heritage and led by a mere 14-6 score at halftime.

Heritage got as close as 14-9 after making a field goal just over four minutes into the 3rd quarter, but Ryan’s defense took over after that, as Heritage punted on each of its six subsequent possessions and never advanced the ball beyond midfield. Billy Bowman scored with 3:49 left in the 3rd quarter on an 18-yard TD pass from nominal tight end and former QB Drew Sanders, an Alabama commit and no relation to teammate and UT commit Ja’Tavion Sanders. Drew Sanders also caught 2 TD passes and rushed for a score. The Raiders held Heritage to 165 total yards and won by a 35-9 score.

Ryan remains the #3 team in 5A Division I and is now 6-0 for the season and 3-0 in district play, tying them with Birdville for the lead in District 4-5A Division I. Tonight they will face a Carrollton Creekview team that lost to Colleyville Heritage 42-0 two weeks ago. Ryan beat Creekview 59-21 when the teams played in 2018.

2021 ATH Juan Davis (Everman)

Last week: Completed 7 of 15 passes for 107 yards and 2 TDs, had 14 carries for 13 yards, and punted six times for an average of 37 yards in a 33-14 loss to Midlothian.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:30, vs. Burleson
Notes: Everman’s offense has been anemic for most of this season, and in its district loss to Midlothian last week the Bulldogs did not commit a turnover but gained just 135 total yards.

Midlothian held the ball for most of the 1st quarter, going on two extended drives that resulted in a field goal, then a TD two plays into the 2nd quarter to take a 10-0 lead. Everman responded with an 11-play drive that resulted in a 14-yard pass from Juan Davis to Aaziah Flores on a 4th-and-6 play with 6:19 left in the first half.

Everman forced a three-and-out on Midlothian’s next drive, but the ensuing punt was downed at the Everman 4-yard line, and three plays later Davis was tackled in the end zone for a safety to give Midlothian a 12-7 lead with 2:10 left. After receiving the free kick Midlothian drove to the doorstep of the end zone and was a mere yard away from expanding its lead to 19-7, but the Everman made a goal line stand and stopped the Panthers short as time expired in the first half.

Their luck did not hold in the second half, as Midlothian scored TDs on two of its first three drives to take a 26-7 lead, while Everman punted on five of its six possessions after halftime. The 33-14 loss dropped Everman’s record to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in district play. A loss in any of Everman’s final four games of the regular season would likely eliminate the Bulldogs from playoff consideration for just the second time in the span of 21 seasons, and would guarantee that they finish with a sub-.500 record in consecutive seasons for the first time in 41 years.

They’ll try to stave off that possibility when they face Burleson on Friday night. Burleson started off this season 5-0 before losing in the past two weeks to Burleson Centennial and Aledo, two teams Everman also previously lost to. Everman has won its last four games against Burleson, including by a 40-35 score last season.

2020 ATH Jaden Hullaby (Mansfield Timberview)

Last week: Completed 5 of 9 passes for 192 yards and 3 TDs, and had 3 carries for 78 yards and 2 TDs in a 49-0 win over Dallas Samuell.
This week: Friday, October 18 at 7:00, at Dallas Sunset
Notes: Jaden Hullaby accounted for five touchdowns in one and a half quarters of play in Timberview’s win over Samuell last week. He connected with running back Montaye Dawson for a 62-yard TD pass on Timberview’s first offensive play, and added TD runs of 3 and 49 yards to help stake the Wolves to a 35-0 lead before the game was nine minutes old.

Hullaby found Dawson again for a 79-yard TD pass on the first play of the 2nd quarter, then tossed a 41-yard TD pass to Justin Kimber on Timberview’s next possession to make the score 49-0 with 6:54 left in the half.

Thunderstorms moved into the area at halftime, and according to the Dallas Morning News “after several repeated lightning flashes” the two teams agreed to call the game and not attempt to play the second half.

The weather-shortened win improved Timberview’s record to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in district play. The team is tied with state-ranked teams Highland Park and Lancaster for first place in District 6-5A Division I. The Wolves will host #7 Lancaster next week, then play at #4 Highland Park two weeks later in their regular season finale.

They should be able to all but name their score on Friday night against Dallas Sunset, a team that has been outscored 343-12 in its six games this season, and a program that has won just ten games since the start of the 2006 season! Timberview beat Sunset 71-9 in 2018.