Preview: 5A Playoffs Week 2 in Central Texas
The second round of the 5A playoffs begin today for Central Texas teams and there is still a good amount of talent to watch. With just a sample few, these are the players to watch for this week as Texas…
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Continue ReadingThe second round of the 5A playoffs begin today for Central Texas teams and there is still a good amount of talent to watch. With just a sample few, these are the players to watch for this week as Texas continues its high school playoffs.
1. Cedar Park vs Foster (Thursday at 7:30 p.m.)
- Ryder Hernandez Ryder Hernandez 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Cedar Park | 2021 TX (CP) – One of the main players to watch this week is the senior quarterback out of Cedar Park. Hernandez has been electric this season, having one of the best performances in all of Texas. In the first round of the playoffs against Veterans Memorial, Hernandez threw for 249 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. One the key aspects for Hernandez is the fact that he has yet to throw an interception. On top of that, he has thrown for 2,685 yards and 39 touchdowns this season.
2. Rouse vs Mercedes (Friday at 7 p.m.)
- EJ Moore (R) – The Raiders had a comfortable win over Northeast Early College in the first round and Moore was one of the reasons why. He rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns and has had a pretty successful season so far. He has rushed for 978 yards and 12 touchdowns and has scored two touchdowns in the last three games. Moore is on a hot streak, scoring-wise, and it will be interesting to see if he can continue that streak against Mercedes.
3. Liberty Hill vs Boerne-Champion (Friday at 7 p.m.)
- Blake Simpson (LH) – Liberty Hill walked through the first round after defeating Glenn 51-0 and senior running back Blake Simpson had himself a game, which earned him a game ball for that week. Simpson rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns and has scored at least one rushing touchdown in every game this season. In the last three games, Simpson has scored nine touchdowns and rushed for 399 yards. Given the numbers for Simpson last week, he will be looking to repeat that performance in this game.
- Alex Rodriguez (BC) – For the Chargers, their running back is also the player to watch. Last week against Edcouch-Elsa, the junior Rodriguez rushed for 187 yards and also scored three touchdowns. This season, Rodriguez has rushed for 1,022 yards and 12 touchdowns. In the past three games, he has scored seven touchdowns and has rushed for 517 yards. Both of these backs will be battling for the bigger performance and to advance their respective teams. A rushing shootout could be in the future on Friday.
4. Alamo Heights vs East View (Friday at 7 p.m.)
- Isaiah Quinton-Jackson (EV) – Another running back to add to the list to watch this week is the senior Quinton-Jackson, who also had a three-touchdown performance in the first round of the playoffs. On top of that, he also rushed for 120 yards against McCallum last Friday. This season, Quinton-Jackson has rushed for 1,007 yards and 19 touchdowns. In the past three games, he has scored seven touchdowns and has rushed for 401 yards. Although, he faces a good defense in Alamo Heights but Quinton-Jackson is among the most talented in Central Texas.