Game Balls: Week 1 – Central Texas
In this article:
High school football has begun in Central Texas and it kicked off with a bang with top performances from multiple athletes. Take a look! 1. Mason Shorb Mason Shorb 6'3" | 175 lbs | QB Rouse | 2023 State…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingHigh school football has begun in Central Texas and it kicked off with a bang with top performances from multiple athletes. Take a look!
1. Mason Shorb Mason Shorb 6'3" | 175 lbs | QB Rouse | 2023 State TX (JR-QB) – Rouse High School (Leander, TX)
vs Burnet (44-7, Rouse win)
Stats: 393 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns
Shorb was incredibly accurate in the game and was able to needle a few passes through tight spots. Although he made some risky choices in the game which almost led to turnovers, Shorb still showed why he is one of the best in Central Texas.
2. Cameron Cook (JR-ATH) – Stony Point High School (Round Rock, TX)
vs Copperas Cove (69-27, Stony Point win)
Stats: 12 carries, 194 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 2 receptions, 84 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
Cook was on fire in this game against Copperas Cove. He was almost unstoppable and that was no more evident than his 92-yard touchdown run where he seemingly went untouched. If opposing defenses hope to keep Stony Point from running up the points on them, then they will have to keep Cook down.
3. Jaydon Bailey (JR-RB) – Steele High School (Cibolo, TX)
vs Hendrickson (35-14, Steele win)
Stats: 27 carries, 137 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns
Bailey would just not be tackled in this game, and much like Cook, he came into the new season with an ignited fury of wanting to play his heart out. This passion was also seen in a 31-yard touchdown run against the Hawks. Steele is always a tough team to face and with Bailey in the backfield, it will be even tougher.
4. Seth Morgan (SR-WR) – Belton High School (Belton, TX)
vs Georgetown (35-31, Belton win)
Stats: 8 receptions, 119 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
Morgan displayed his route-running ability and his speed. He was able to get open often and could turn short passes into large gains. His best highlight was his 44-yard touchdown reception. Georgetown is another tough team but Belton came to play and Morgan had a lot to do with that.
5. Re’Shaun Sanford Re’Shaun Sanford 5'7" | 155 lbs | RB Harker Heights | 2023 State TX II (JR-RB) – Harker Heights High School (Harker Heights, TX)
vs Weiss (43-35, Harker Heights win)
Stats: 27 carries, 238 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
Sanford has some of the best ball-carrying vision in the game. He is both fast and slippery and if there is any gap to the endzone, he will exploit it. Weiss simply had no answer for him which allowed him his 200-plus yard game.
6. Aiden Baumann (SR-QB) – New Braunfels High School (New Braunfels, TX)
vs San Marcos (49-30, New Braunfels win)
Stats: 240 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns
7. Reece Beauchamp (SR-WR) – Vandegrift High School (Austin, TX)
vs Cedar Park (42-7, Vandegrift win)
Stats: 4 receptions, 132 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns
Vandegrift dominated Cedar Park and that had a lot to do with Beauchamp, who was simply unstoppable all game. The Timberwolves struggled to defend against him and he was the go-to target for deep passes/endzone passes. Beauchamp looks like a favorite to get a lot of touchdowns this season.
8. Alexander Franklin III (SR-RB) – Leander High School (Leander, TX)
vs Glenn (20-17, Leander win)
Stats: 20 carries, 152 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
Franklin was also electric in the season-opening game against Glenn. Like the other running backs, he made sure the season started off right especially getting a 71-yard touchdown rush in the game. Franklin is one of those backs that is a challenge to bring down. In one play, it took almost the whole defense to finally bring him down, and once he gets into open-space, he is hard to catch up with.
9. Armando Reyes (JR-LB) – C.H. Yoe High School (Cameron, TX)
vs Lago Vista (64-62, Lago Vista win)
Stats: 5 total tackles, 3 solo tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 blocked field goal
10. Dylan Sanchez (JR-QB) – Lampasas High School (Lampasas, TX)
vs Brownwood (58-55, Brownwood win)
Stats: 365 passing yards, 7 passing touchdowns
11. Preston Alford Preston Alford 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Dripping Springs | 2022 State TX (SR-RB) – Dripping Springs High School (Dripping Springs, TX)
vs Tivy (44-26, Dripping Springs win)
Stats: 17 carries, 184 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 1 receiving touchdown
Alford was a scoring machine, to say the least. Tivy just could not keep him out of the endzone whether it was on the ground or through the air. Alford even scored 51 yards out on a run. Dripping Springs looked impressive in its win but the limelight is on Alford after his performance.
12. Trayvian McCoy-Gay (SR-RB) – Round Rock High School (Round Rock, TX)
vs Miday (69-17, Round Rock win)
Stats: 13 carries, 245 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns
Almost getting 300 yards in a game deserves a game ball on its own, but McCoy-Gay also scored four touchdowns in this game. Midway simply struggled on defense, but it takes pure talent to run up the stat sheet like McCoy-Gay did regardless of opposing team struggles.
13. Junior Thornton (SO-WR) – Midway High School (Waco, TX)
vs Round Rock (69-17, Round Rock win)
Stats: 5 receptions, 177 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
One player that did not struggle on Midway was Thornton, who along with his stats listed above, also had a 75-yard touchdown reception. Midway may have suffered a tough loss but if the mistakes can be corrected, then Midway can become a dangerous team, especially with Thornton.
14. Derrick Johnson Derrick Johnson 5'11" | 190 lbs | DB Lake Travis | 2022 State TX (SR-RB) – Lake Travis High School (Austin, TX)
vs Martin (40-28, Lake Travis win)
Stats: 7 carries, 145 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 3 receptions, 72 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Martin was all over the field in this game and it is tough to pick out one single impressive moment because he was just all-around impressive. Probably the biggest moment in the game is his 64-yard touchdown reception which he turns a short pass into such a big touchdown for Lake Travis.
15. Johnny Bowens (JR-DL) – Judson High School (Converse, TX)
vs DeSoto (35-28, Judson win)
Stats: 3 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles