Preview: 5A Playoffs Week 3 in Central Texas

Jack Densmore

December 24, 2020 @ 12:00 PM

The 5A playoffs kick off today on Christmas Eve with Cedar Park and Canyon, but it is important to keep an eye out for the amount of talent that currently still represent Central Texas. Although Cedar Park is among the favorites for a state title this season, it is important to not sleep on Rouse, Liberty Hill or East View when it comes to Central Texas teams. Each has talent that could blow up at any moment, so check out the players to watch out for this week. 1. Cedar Park vs Canyon (Thursday at 1 p.m.) <ul> <li>Josh Cameron (CP) - The senior wide receiver comes off of a big performance against Foster last week when he had 10 receptions for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, the Cedar Park offense was unstoppable as it has been all season, but this was Cameron's biggest game all year. He has also been on a hot streak as of late, scoring a touchdown in every game since the Pflugerville game on Nov. 25. On the season, Cameron has 771 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.</li> <li>Hunter Hewitt (CP) - The Cedar Park defense is just as talented as the offense, making the Timberwolves one of the most elite schools in Texas, but Hewitt stood out in the game against Foster, coming away with three sacks in the game. The senior defensive lineman has a total of 10 sacks this season and 17 quarterback hurries. He also has 56 total tackles including 23 tackles for a loss. Hewitt has been disruptive all season based on these stats alone and the Timberwolves' defense the "Black Rain" will be looking to continue to be disruptive in this game against Canyon.</li> </ul> 2. Rouse vs Liberty Hill (Saturday at 2 p.m.) <ul> <li>Jalen Becerra (R) - One of the highlights of Rouse's win over Mercedes last week was the junior wide receiver Becerra's performance as he had three receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns, almost getting a touchdown with every reception. Rouse had a great offensive showing in the game, coming away with a 57-28 win, and the duo of Becerra and junior wide receiver Troy Oliver Jr. had a total of four touchdowns and 239 receiving yards. Both of these receivers are hard to cover and can create big plays, but Becerra is also one to watch this week as Rouse takes on Liberty Hill.</li> <li>Blake Simpson (LH) - Although the senior running back did not score the most touchdowns in the game against Boerne-Champion, he did come away with the most rushing yards. Simpson has had an excellent senior season, rushing for 1,182 yards and 17 touchdowns. Against Boerne-Champion, Simpson rushed for 184 yards and one touchdown. In the past two games, Simpson has scored four touchdowns and rushed for 332 yards.</li> </ul> 3. East View vs Pioneer (Saturday at 7 p.m.) <ul> <li>Payton Adams (EV) - The junior quarterback comes off of a game where he threw five touchdowns and no interceptions. Although Adams has had a successful senior season, throwing for 2,196 yards and 23 touchdowns, it is the East View running game that has usually stolen the spotlight. However, Adams blew up in the playoff game against Alamo Heights last week, in terms of scoring. What is more impressive is the fact Adams threw the five touchdowns in as little as 19 throws. He finished the game with a 128.1 quarterback rating and it will be interesting to see if he continues his hot streak against Pioneer.</li> <li>Isaiah Quinton-Jackson (EV) - The senior running back is probably the most common denominator with the points scored by East View. Last week, Quinton-Jackson rushed for 73 yards and scored one rushing touchdown but also came away with three receiving touchdowns with every reception he got. This season, he has rushed for 1,080 yards and has scored 20 touchdowns while also having 416 receiving yards and six touchdowns, three coming in last week's game.</li> </ul>