Area Playoffs Preview (6A): Players to Watch in Central Texas

With the first round of the playoffs done, the teams that advance are continuing to see the end goal in sight of a championship. Still, these players have many more weeks to go before then but for this week, these are the players from 6A schools to watch in Central Texas. 1. <strong>Reginald Stewart (SR-WR) - East Central High School (San Antonio, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 27 receptions, 555 receiving yards, 8 receiving touchdowns Stewart has not only excellent hands but can run routes tightly and precisely. He can catch most difficult throws that come his way and he is the go-to in scoring position because of this. After taking down Reagan in the first round, East Central now faces an even tougher Lake Travis team. To defeat the Cavaliers, the Hornets will have to lean on players like Stewart to get the scores needed. 2. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60794" first="Derrick" last="Johnson"] (SR-RB) - Lake Travis High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 1,071 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 18 receptions, 272 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns Johnson has been one of Lake Travis’ scoring machines all season. Not only is he effective on the ground but when receiving as well. He is nearly impossible to stop once he gets his momentum going and the East Central defense will have its hands full. 3. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="127949" first="Isaac" last="Norris"] (SR-WR) - Lake Travis High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 59 receptions, 815 receiving yards, 10 receiving touchdowns Given how effective junior quarter [player_tooltip player_id="121941" first="Bo" last="Edmundson"] is at throwing the ball, Norris has proven how effective he is with catching it. He has supplied a ton of touchdowns through the air and a big chunk of the season’s yardage. He is just under senior receiver [player_tooltip player_id="60689" first="Caleb" last="Burton"] for the most receiving touchdowns on the team. Both Norris and Burton are the main targets for Edmundson and with Johnson supplying the rushing yards, Lake Travis looks nearly impossible to stop. 4. <strong>Jaheim Lard (SR-WR) - Brennan High School (San Antonio, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 24 receptions, 534 receiving yards, 10 receiving touchdowns Brennan is currently undefeated and for good reason. One of those reasons is Lard, who has performed in the same manner as Norris and Burton by being a trusted target in scoring position. The Bears dominated in their win over United last week and now face off against Los Fresnos. If Lard performs as he has been all season, Brennan should have no worries. 5. <strong>Noah Camacho (SR-RB) - Bowie High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 1,160 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns Bowie was able to defeat Round Rock but not as comfortably as the Bulldogs would like. Now, another tough opponent stands in their way in Smithson Valley. Still, Bowie has plenty of weapons in its arsenal and the main one being Camacho. He has been a running machine all season and he does not look like he is going to let up anytime soon. 6. <strong>Ryker Purdy (SR-RB) - New Braunfels High School (New Braunfels, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 1,180 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns New Braunfels finds itself in the same position but will be facing the goliath of Westlake. Given how high octane Westlake’s offense is, New Braunfels will have to constantly keep up the pressure. Luckily for the Unicorns, that is just how their offense operates as well. One of the pieces of the puzzle is Purdy, who like many of the other running backs mentioned can score often and can run circles around most defenses. To pull off an upset, New Braunfels will need Purdy to have a great game. 7. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60713" first="Cade" last="Klubnik"] (SR-QB) - Westlake High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 1,987 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 302 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns Klubnik recently returned from injury and it does not look like it has changed him one bit. He is just as accurate and focused as ever and his awareness has not faultered. Klubnik is the main piece for Westlake but given he has not made many mistakes, he should be fine to take on a potential shootout with New Braunfels. 8. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60848" first="Jaden" last="Greathouse"] (JR-WR) - Westlake High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 44 receptions, 771 receiving yards, 13 receiving touchdowns The main target for Klubnik, Greathouse will also be ready for a potential shootout as well. Like the other receivers mentioned, Greathouse also adds speed and physicality to himself and can match up with the best of defensive backs. If Klubnik is doing excellent, odds are Greathouse is as well. 9. <strong>Justice Hurt (SR-QB) - Taft High School (San Antonio, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 512 passing yards, 9 passing touchdowns, 1,186 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns Hurt is an interesting quarterback to watch given he chooses to run the ball more than throw. Still though, while quarterbacks may not find much success doing this, Hurt has essentially blown up scoreboards. He has scored more rushing touchdowns and gained more yards than most running backs in Central Texas. Taft will take on a tough opponent in the undefeated Vela but if Hurt keeps playing like he has been, there is a chance for an upset. 10. <strong>Reece Beauchamp (SR-WR) - Vandegrift High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 44 receptions, 907 receiving yards, 15 receiving touchdowns Beauchamp has been mentioned countless times this season and that is simply because he is one of the best receivers in Central Texas. He has an excellent relationship with junior quarterback Brayden Buchanan and the two share lots of success. Still, Vandegrift will go up against an undefeated Steele team but these teams are pretty evenly matched and could result in one great game.