Game Balls: Week 8 – Central Texas

A lot of scoring went on last week especially from two quarterbacks in Rouse junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="121947" first="Mason" last="Shorb"] and Vista Ridge quarterback Desmonde Thomas. Check out the top players from last week’s games. 1. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="121947" first="Mason" last="Shorb"] (JR-QB) - Rouse High School (Leander, TX)</strong> Stats: 371 passing yards, 6 passing touchdowns Shorb had one heck of a game to say the least. He was essentially unstoppable in all areas of being a quarterback. His numbers alone earn him a game ball but his continued consistent performance also warrants him the same honor. 2. <strong>Troy Oliver (SR-WR) - Rouse High School (Leander, TX)</strong> Stats: 7 receptions, 135 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns Both of Shorb’s receivers had big days with Shorb throwing six touchdown passes. Although senior wide receiver Jalen Becerra beat out Oliver in yards, both receivers proved to the state of Texas just how elite they both are. 3. <strong>Jalen Becerra (SR-WR) - Rouse High School (Leander, TX)</strong> Stats: 7 receptions, 164 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns Ditto goes for Becerra this past week, and the trio of Shorb, Becerra and Oliver is deadly, especially when considering the speed both Oliver and Becerra possess and the ability to throw on the run from Shorb. 4. <strong>Jaden Leonard (SR-WR) - Stony Point High School (Round Rock, TX)</strong> Stats: 7 receptions, 152 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns Stony Point was able to get the win over Hutto but Leonard walked away from the game where he had a busy night. Leonard was one of the main driving forces for the Stony Point offense and his numbers truly reflect that. 5. <strong>Christian Edgar (SR-QB) - Westlake High School (Austin, TX)</strong> Stats: 188 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 104 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns With senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="60713" first="Cade" last="Klubnik"] out, it is up to Edgar to continue Westlake’s winning ways and he did just that. Both through the air and on the ground, Edgar really showcased his abilities and skills and how well Westlake coaches its players regardless of starting position. Edgar has a lot of talent and although it is unfortunate Klubnik went down, this does give Edgar an opportunity to shine as well. 6. <strong>Quinten Joyner (JR-RB) - Manor High School (Manor, TX)</strong> Stats: 210 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns Joyner continues to consistently score and score and score game after game. Joyner is easily among the best running backs in the state with how much points and yards he puts up week after week. 7. <strong>Mason Cochran (SO-RB) - Round Rock High School (Round Rock, TX)</strong> Stats: 143 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns Cochran too had a big night with three rushing touchdowns in what was a dominant win for the Dragons, 51-7 over McNeil. Cochran, being just a sophomore, just began his first steps into being in college’s eyes especially putting up the numbers he did. 8. <strong>Desmonde Thomas (SR-QB) - Vista Ridge High School (Cedar Park, TX)</strong> Stats: 315 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns Another quarterback that did work, Thomas too had a huge day with five passing touchdowns. Thomas has been on a roll lately, scoring 8 touchdowns in the past two games against Cedar Ridge and Westwood. After a mostly quiet season, this could be the turning point for Thomas to turn on the jets. 9. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="121133" first="Wyatt" last="Gates"] (SR-WR) - Vista Ridge High School (Cedar Park, TX)</strong> Stats: 5 receptions, 154 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns Equally so, Gates had a big performance against Westwood after being silent since the game against Abilene on Sept. 10. Gates now has six receiving touchdowns on the year and much like Thomas, this could be a momentum shift for Gates for the rest of the season. 10. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="131360" first="Preston" last="Alford"] (SR-RB) - Dripping Springs High School (Dripping Springs, TX)</strong> Stats: 106 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns Alford continues to just be a scoring machine and Dripping Springs continues to be a national champion favorite week after week. Alford simply looks unstoppable on the field and especially when in the redzone.