Rockwall Heath vs Temple : Difference Makers

Rockwall Heath and Temple met in the Area Round at Burleson ISD Stadium to determine who would move on to the Regional Quarterfinals. Both Teams have had recent success in the playoffs and coming into this contest they both believed that a run to a State Championship was in their sights. The Heath Hawks came put on top of the Temple Wildcats 45-33, showcasing one the top offenses in the state, while Temple didn’t get to continue their quest for a state title, the Wildcats had some standouts who made a difference. We will discuss a few players who stood out on both teams under the Friday Night Lights. Lance Mason | Tight End | Rockwall Heath | Class of 2022 Mason has the luxury of playing with one of the top quarterbacks in the state in [player_tooltip player_id="60721" first="Josh" last="Hoover"], an Indiana football committ, but he makes Hoover’s job easy. Lance made plays all game long and was a valuable weapon in the Hawk arsenal. Mason gets open with ease, gets off the line quickly, can line up on the line or split out wide and use his 6’3 frame to his advantage against smaller defenders. Mason beats linebackers consistently, runs precise routes, and understands how to get open based on the defensive coverage. Lance has soft hands, a big catch radius which aids him in going up to make big grabs and he has mastered the ability to wall off defenders from the ball. Mason is tough, not afraid to make catches in traffic and is a key cog in the Hawk running game with his ability to be a ferocious blocker in an offense that features Minnesota Gopher committ [player_tooltip player_id="60728" first="Zach" last="Evans"]. College coaches should be flocking to inquire about Lance before signing day. Bryce President | Linebacker | Rockwall Heath | Class of 2024 From the first defensive snap, Bryce<img class="size-medium wp-image-238348 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/Bryce-President-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> made his presence known. Bryce is a playmaker, has range from sideline to sideline, has good closing speed, takes good angles in pursuit and is a sure tackler. President is an athletic linebacker, which allows him to play the passing lanes well and cover backs out of the backfield. Bryce has the skills to defend passes thrown over the middle and he possesses the speed to get proper depth when he drops in coverage. On the night President had several tackles for loss on timely blitzes and a pass breakup. Keep an eye out for President who is only a sophomore, to be a key contributor for the Hawks for years to come. [player_tooltip player_id="136159" first="Taurean" last="York"] | Linebacker | Temple HS | Class of 2023 York is a leader on the Temple Wildcat defe<img class="size-medium wp-image-238353 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/Taurean-York-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />nse. He is physical at the point of attack, takes on blocks well, diagnoses plays quickly, flows from sideline to sideline with ease, has a high motor, has the speed to run down plays, stays square at impact and has fluid hips which allows him to play the passing lanes in coverage well. Against Heath, Taurean had 13 tackles (11 solo) with 2 tackles for loss. York has been the 12-6A Defensive MVP for the last two seasons and had 141 tackles (91 solo), 17 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 4.5 sacks, 6 quarterback pressures, 3 PBUs and a touchdown in 2021 for the Wildcats. York is the type of linebacker that college defensive coordinators seek out to be difference makers at the next level. Jalen Wardale | Cornerback | Temple HS | Class of 2022<img class=" wp-image-238356 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/Jalen-Wardale-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="162" /> Wardale passes the eye test for cornerbacks at the next level. As I saw him warmup, you can see the potential to be a playmaker. Jalen stands 6’2 or 6’3 with an above average arm length which allows him to get hands on wideouts, has quick feet, good bend in his hips, and is fluid in his back pedal. Wardale tackles well in the open field and uses good leverage taking on blocks against the run. With his size and ball skills, Wardale should be on colleges radar and could be a steal for a college program looking for under the radar big corners.   Tomas Torres | Defensive End | Temple HS | Class of 2023 <img class="wp-image-238355 alignleft" style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/Tomas-Torres-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="175" height="131" /> Torres at 6’5 255 lbs. has the classic defensive end frame. Tomas is long, athletic, has a quick first step, sets the edge well, purses plays with proper technique and has the speed to run down plays that go away from him. Torres had several plays in the Hawk backfield to go along with a couple of quarterback hurries. Torres will return to the Wildcat defensive line for his senior year as a returning impact player to go along with York. Tomas gets it done in the classroom with a 5.3 GPA, is ranked #3 in his class and scored 1200 on his SAT. Torres was also a first team all-district 12-6A selection in 2021. Colleges should take notice of Torres and his recruiting profile should rise after an impactful junior season. Samari Howard | Running Back | Temple HS | Class of 2022 Howard is an explosive runner who makes defenders miss in the open field and runs with power. Samari has a quick first step, can shift gears and cut quickly without losing speed. Howard has next level speed to score from anywhere on the field. Howard has a shifty jab step as well as the one cut and go ability that featured backs should have to play at the next level. He knows how to get small in the hole and keeps his pad level low until he breaks into the secondary. Howard has soft reliable hands and is a weapon out of the backfield on screen passes and a matchup problem for linebackers. Samari ended the year with 1,728 yards rushing, 22 touchdowns and took home the 12-6A district offensive MVP as well set career records in point 336 and TDs with 53. Colleges in search of a running back who can go get a first down or take it the distance should take a look at Howard.