Game Balls: Week 11 – Central Texas

Offense was the name of the game this past week. There were plenty of shutouts and close contests but only a few stood out as some of the best performances this week across Central Texas. 1. <strong>Payton Adams (JR-QB) - East View High School (Georgetown, TX)</strong> East View went into a tough matchup against Glenn on Thursday, but the Patriots were able to come away with a win, 55-42. That was in large part due to Adams’ performance as he threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. Adams finished with a completion percentage of 56.8% and one of his longest throws was for 68 yards to junior wide receiver Michael Sedwick. Although there was a lack of defense in this game, Adams’ performance should not be overlooked as it was still among the best this week regardless and should not be underscored. 2. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60635" first="Monaray" last="Baldwin"] (SR-WR) - Shoemaker High School (Killeen, TX)</strong> There are many receivers in football who have 100+ yards games, but not many score more than one touchdown in those contests in the big picture. Baldwin had five receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard completion. Baldwin was a nightmare for the Bryan defense and clearly senior quarterback <strong>Tyjayzeon Bell’s</strong> favorite target. Baldwin’s performance deserves to be highlighted especially since the Bryan defense had no answers for him whatsoever. 3. <strong>Peter McFarlin (SR-QB) - Elgin High School (Elgin, TX)</strong> Although Elgin lost to Pflugerville Connally 43-36, the quarterback for the Wildcats still had a great performance both through the air and on the ground. Firstly, he rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing for 242 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. In total, McFarlin accounted for 355 total yards of offense and five total touchdowns. A worthy performance for a game ball for a mobile quarterback to say the least, especially during a loss. The only one to rival his performance is his teammate. 4. <strong>Trey Isom (SR-WR) - Elgin High School (Elgin, TX)</strong> The other major performance from the Elgin game comes from Isom, who had eight receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns, with his longest reception being for 62 yards. McFarlin had a game, but so did his favorite target Isom, clearly. The two are a dangerous combo when working together and when things are rolling. Elgin may have lost this game but the Wildcats can be proud of how their offense performed and can be proud of these two seniors’ playmaking abilities. 5. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60274" first="Charles" last="Wright"] (SR-QB) - Austin High School (Austin, TX)</strong> Despite Austin’s loss to Hays, the Maroons’ quarterback came away with 425 passing yards and five touchdowns with one interception. Wright had a great performance against the Rebels and he has been on a hot streak these past two contests. Against San Marcos, Wright threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns but with two interceptions. Still, Wright is slinging it and has to be accounted for from opposing defenses. 6. <strong>Nick Anderson (SR-WR) - Austin High School (Austin, TX)</strong> Another receiving to break 200 yards in a game is Anderson. He had 10 receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Hays. Anderson has been having an excellent season as a receiver. In total, he has 45 receptions for 834 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has had 10 receptions in the past two games and proves to be a juggernaut for the Maroons’ receiving core. 7. <strong>Cade Haught (SR-RB) - Cedar Park High School (Cedar Park, TX)</strong> Already covered in the recap for the Battle of Bagdad, Cedar Park dominated Leander but one performance stuck out and that was Haught. Haught had two carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns meaning each of his carries resulted in six points. He also had one reception for 51 yards and one touchdown which means anytime he was given the ball he scored. Although senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="60485" first="Ryder" last="Hernandez"]’s performance was noteworthy, the fact that Haught scored each time he got the ball, is wild. In total, he accounted for 18 points alone, give or take the PATs. 8. <strong>Israel Morgan (SR-RB) - Round Rock High School (Round Rock, TX)</strong> Talk about a rushing performance, Morgan rushed for 101 yards and four touchdowns. However, this performance is still nothing compared to his 252 yards and five touchdowns against McNeil last week. Morgan is a powerhouse in Central Texas, racking up 1,012 yards and 15 touchdowns. The fact that Morgan has not received more offers is astounding considering his level of play. As of right now, his one offer is from UMHB. 9. <strong>Jerrod Fisher (SR-RB) - Cisco High School (Cisco, TX)</strong> Another big performance by a running back was from Fisher, who rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns against San Saba. This was easily Fisher’s best performance this season, beating out his 123-yard and three-touchdown performance against Goldthwaite last week. If Fisher continues on this streak, he could be a problem for opposing teams as Texas enters the playoff period. 10. <strong>Chad Lorenz (JR-RB) - McGregor High School (McGregor, TX)</strong> Probably the biggest running performance in this list goes to Lorenz who had an astounding 270-yard and four-touchdown performance against Caldwell on Friday. The Hornets’ defense just had no answers at all for Lorenz but McGregor still barely won, 49-41. Still, Lorenz had the night of his life and he himself has been a powerhouse this season as well. He has rushed for 1,527 yards and 19 touchdowns. The fact that Lorenz has one more year in high school should scare every team in McGregor’s district. 11. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60479" first="Michael" last="Murray"] Jr. (SR-WR) - Lampasas High School (Lampasas, TX)</strong> Equally, the best receiving performance probably belongs to Murray this week as he had four receptions for 154 yards and three touchdowns, including a 90-yard bomb. He almost scored each time he was given the ball, plus it helps to have an elite quarterback like senior [player_tooltip player_id="60543" first="Ace" last="Whitehead"]. Lampasas has one of the deadliest offenses in Central Texas and with the combination of Murray and Whitehead, they could spell trouble during the playoffs. 12. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60543" first="Ace" last="Whitehead"] (SR-QB) - Lampasas High School (Lampasas, TX)</strong> Whitehead also had a performance himself as he threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns. This gives him a total of five touchdowns against Fredericksburg. Lampasas had a pretty decisive victory over the Billies, 56-20, thanks to the efforts of Murray and Whitehead both. As stated, this is a dangerous duo who could make the lives of opposing defenses terrible. 13. <strong>Lavonte Benford (SR-RB) - Manor High School (Manor, TX)</strong> The lucky number on the list goes to Benford, who rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns in Manor’s 52-27 loss to Hendrickson. Although Manor struggled against the Hawks, Benford still had himself a game worth highlighting. There is not a lot of games recorded for Benford on MaxPreps, so it is important to highlight this one. 14. <strong>Ben Smedshammer (SR-QB) - Lorena High School (Lorena, TX)</strong> Last but not least is the quarterback out of Lorena. Smedshammer, with the arguably best name, threw for 230 yards and one touchdown with an interception while also rushing for 80 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the win against Rockdale. Smedshammer showed real tenacity against a tough opponent but it is worth noting that the Leopards defense also did a great job containing Rockdale senior running back [player_tooltip player_id="60191" first="Cam’Ron" last="Valdez"], an elite back who only had 59 yards in the game. So, both Smedshammer and the Lorena defense deserve praise for pulling out the win.