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It’s easy to classify Quinten Joyner’s final regular-season game as a big-time performance in a big-time game being played in big-time circumstances, but yeah, that’s what it was.
The Manor running back rushed for 350 yards and four touchdowns in his team’s 45-10 win over Round Rock Stony Point on Nov. 4. A playoff spot out of District 25-6A was on the line and it was the final regular-season game for Joyner, who has committed to USC.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound back broke touchdown runs of 85 and 90 yards and outdueled Stony Point’s Cameron Cook, a TCU pledge who rushed for 114 yards. Joyner, who had a 404-yard performance last year, has more than 4,800 career yards and 63 touchdowns heading into the Class 6A playoffs.
Coach Pat Kennedy says Tyvonn, who carried 33 times for 356 yards and four touchdowns in a 54-42 win over Brenham that wrapped up a 10-0 regular-season finish for Lake Creek, is the best player in the school’s five-year history and one of the five best players that he’s seen in his 30-year coaching career.
“He’s durable, fast, a hard runner, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s a defensive coach’s nightmare. For the year, he has 1,947 yards and 32 TDs. An A-B student, Tyvonn is an awesome kid and awesome teammate. The kids love him, and he’s a great kid to have on your team.”
-LAKE CREEK HEAD COACH PAT KENNEDY
Glen Rose senior quarterback Hudson White and his teammates have never experienced a district loss during his four years in high school and in fact the program has won 31 consecutive district games and seven consecutive district titles. White made sure that streak stayed alive with a phenomenal performance in a 56-27 victory against Ferris. White, who is a dynamic dual-threat quarterback passed for a career-high 340-yards and accounted for eight touchdowns, four passing and four rushing while adding 188-yards on 22-carries. Tigers head coach Cliff Watkins said this was a special night.
“Hudson is throwing the ball better than he ever has and last week he was fitting the ball into tight windows and we had some receivers make great plays too. Hudson always seems to play his best in our biggest games. Hudson is a team captain and one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around and he is a great student that is involved in a lot of different organizations and fun young man to coach.”
-GLEN ROSE HEAD COACH CLIFF WATKINS
The Grandview Zebras needed a bounce-back win after their 38-21 loss to West a week ago and they got one thanks to senior Kason English who provided a great deal of the production on both sides of the ball as the Zebras rolled to 41-7 victory against Whitney. The 5-11, 185 senior “Jack of All Trades” finished the game with 12-carries for 93-yards, 1-TD, 1-catch for 70-yards that was a TD, 3-Tackles, 2-Interceptions, 3-Caused Fumbles, 2-Fumble Recoveries including one he returned for a TD during the win. According to Zebras head coach Ryan Ebner this is what Kason has been doing as a four-year varsity player.
“Kason is an unbelievable athlete who can do a lot of different things as an outstanding wide receiver to playing cornerback for us as well and a kick and punt return guy. This past Friday with the weather being bad we needed Kason to play quarterback for us because of the conditions and he didn’t hesitate to take on that responsibility and he was fantastic on defense and had perhaps one of the best games I’ve ever seen during his career and there have been many. Kason is not only a great football player but an outstanding student-athletes who leads by example and always has a smile on his face.”
-GRANDVIEW HEAD COACH RYAN EBNER
Buitron carried the Broncos on his back at times with a share of the District 3-2A Division I at stake in the regular season finale. Buitron shined on offense, defense and special teams to lift Sonora to a 48-21 victory over Forsan, which clinched the No. 1 playoff seed for the Broncos as they needed to win by 11 points or more to secure the top seed. On offense, he carried the ball 26 times for 235 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while completing 9 of 17 passes for 178 yards and two TD passes.
At safety, he registered 10 total tackles, a tackle for loss and two sacks. He also had two punts for 91 yards, which included one that was pinned inside the 20-yard line. The do-it-all Buitron also kicks off and returns punts for the Broncos (8-2, 4-1), who are set to face Olney in the bi-district round of the playoffs. Sonora head coach Blake Weston says Buitron is the team’s leader on both sides of the ball. Buitron took home a silver medal last spring, as he was a part of the Bronco mile relay team that finished second at the UIL Class 3A state track & field meet.
“He’s just lightning in a bottle. He’s just a special athlete on the football field and really everything that he does. He was on our track team last year. He plays baseball. He’s a great baseball player. He’s lightning in a bottle, man. He has big-play capability and he’s very unselfish, too. We’ve had a lot of teams try to take him away this year and he’s very unselfish and facilitates the ball and gets it to other people when they are taking him away. That’s huge for a junior. To do that, he’s a very unselfish football player.”
-SONORA HEAD COACH BLAKE WESTON
Ethan Gallegos saved his best for last. In the Bloodhounds’ regular-season finale Friday, Gallegos proved why he is the team’s leader as he led St. Joseph to a 60-50 shootout victory in grand fashion by scoring 8 touchdowns.
Through the air, Gallegos completed 31 passes on 44 attempts for a season-high 359 yards and a season-tying 5 touchdowns. But that wasn’t enough for the senior signal caller who transferred from Weslaco High School mi as he also toted the rock 27 times for 154 yards and another 3 TDs Gallegos helped the Hounds pile up a 572-yard offensive performance as the Bloodhounds finished the regular season at 8-2 overall and 6-1 in TAPPS D-II District 3 play.
“This past Friday he did a good job of controlling the football and was outstanding with his arm and when we needed him to use his legs he delivered as well. We are very fortunate to have this former Panther from Weslaco come to Brownsville and become a lifelong Bloodhound. We are grateful for him and lucky to have him.”
-JOSEPH ACADEMY HEAD COACH TINO VILLARREAL