In an interview this week, Robinson football coach Robert Rubel was asked about the upcoming Rockets game against Troy on Friday. The discussion all but immediately turned to Troy High School running back Zach Hrbacek, “I’ve watched him and coached against him for three-years, and he’s the best running back we’ve faced during that time. And, he’ll be the best player we’ll face this season, he’s a very talented player, and we’ll have to do our job to try and stop him.”

And, that’s after what Hrbacek did on Friday against Mexia when he finished with 42-carries for 296-yards and 6-TD’s and if that wasn’t enough, he returned a kickoff 103-yards for a TD in a 55-37 win. When Troy football coach Ronnie Porter was asked about his star running back, he replied, “Zach has taken on a different kind of leadership role for the 2020 season. In the past, he has always led by example but was a man of few words. He understands now that the other players look up to him and has been a vocal leader on the field and at practice.”

Hrbacek has already compiled 577-yards rushing and 10-TD’s in two games, not including the long kick return. This was to be expected after Hrbacek’s spectacular junior season when the Sam Houston State commit finished with 2,746-yards on 340-carries and 35-TD’s. He added another 223-yards and 3-TD’s receiving a year ago.

Denver City quarterback Mario Sanchez put together his best performance of the season so far this past Friday night. The senior signal caller was a dual threat, accounting for 467 of the team’s 545 yards of total offense and all seven touchdowns in the Mustangs’ 50-36 victory over Seminole.

Sanchez did most of his work on the ground, finishing with 171 yards rushing on 26 carries and five touchdowns. Through the air, Sanchez went 17 of 23 for 296 yards and two scores. The 296 yards passing and the five touchdowns are both career-best marks during his time as the Denver City quarterback. The Mustangs moved to 2-1 on the season thanks in large part to Sanchez’s leadership.

“This is an honor for Mario, as well as the entire football team. Mario is a special young man – not just on Friday night. He is definitely a huge blessing to be around every day. He is the kid that enjoys life as much as he does playing football. He is the one that works hard on every play. You never have to wonder if he is going to show up ready to get after it. He will practice as hard as he intends to play every day.” – Denver City Coach Daniel Fontenot

On a night where momentum swings were common, Corpus Christi Moody’s Nathaniel Sada found a way to either help the Trojans keep it or regain it. Sada accounted for four touchdowns in Moody’s 46-43 win against Beeville Jones in their season opener on Sept. 24 at legendary Buc Stadium in Corpus Christi.

His first touchdown was a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but that was just the beginning. After that it was nothing but big plays for the junior. Sada returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 80 yards for a touchdown. Ten minutes later, he did it again, this time 65 yards as Beeville Jones tried a pooch kick that he picked up and ran around down the sideline for the score. Sada closed out the night with a 76-yard touchdown catch and run that gave Moody the lead for good.

Sada finished his spectacular night with 106 yards receiving on three catches, a rushing touchdown, and his two special team’s touchdowns. Sada is an A student at Moody, part of AVID and has been on the varsity basketball and track teams since he was a freshman.

“He’s a tremendous young man – great character. He’s just a hard worker, a great teammate and all in all he’s a great kid and great young man that is great to be around and coach.” – Moody Head Coach Michael Cantu

Tyler Townley continued his consistent destruction of opposing defenses in a 50-28 win over Aubrey, completing 17 of 23 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns and adding 20 carries for 157 yards and two more scores. It marked the fourth straight game Townley has passed for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns and the third game in a row he has rushed for at least 150 yards and two scores.

“He’s just very consistent in the run and pass game. He’s absolutely one of the smartest kids I’ve ever coached. His knowledge of what’s going on offensively and defensively is next level. He sees things on the field a lot of people don’t see, and it’s because he studies so hard and works so hard. He studies film on the weekend and during the week. He’s just a great kid who is highly-competitive and wants great things for his football team.” – Caddo Mills Head Coach Kodi Crane

In a non-district game that included 11 second-half touchdowns, EJ – as in Eric Joe, the son of Rudder coach Eric Ezar – completed 22 of 27 passes for 425 yards and carried six times for 209 yards and a score in the Rangers’ 63-56 victory. The Ezar family moved from Willis, where the elder Ezar was athletic director, to Bryan after EJ’s freshman year, and he’s shouldered well the pressure that comes from being the coach’s son. Ezar’s great-grandfather, Joe Ezar, was a professional golfer known for his trick shot capabilities who ran with the likes of Bing Crosby and was once profiled in The New Yorker. In that vein, EJ drew a key offsides penalty against Weiss by altering his cadence and three 15-yard penalties after defenders tackled him out of bounds.

“He’s one of those kids who is very savvy. He lives, eats and drinks football and is aware of his surroundings. He knows and studies the game and is really smart. We called a hitch route on one play, and when the corner bit in, EJ pumped and threw it to the outside receiver. He’s in all AP classes and has a 4.1 GPA and ranks 19th in his class. There definitely are challenges when you coach your son, because he has to be better than everybody else. But EJ has lived up to that.”

– Rudder Head Coach Eric Ezar

Lindale running back Jordan Jenkins, who has given a verbal pledge to Baylor, continued to be a workhorse for the Eagles in a 52-6 win over Chapel Hill. Jenkins carried 26 times for 285 yards and scored four touchdowns, all in a little more than two quarters of action after the Eagles turned things into a blowout. After spotting Chapel Hill an early touchdown, Jenkins took his first carry of the evening 72 yards for an answering touchdown and then took over from there. Jenkins has now rushed for 1,014 yards and 14 touchdowns to help Lindale begin district play with a 2-0 record.

“That’s not the way we drew it up. They went down and scored at will, but I think it sums up who Jordan is and what he means to the program the way he answered the call. I know he’d want me to say it, but it was him and the offensive line. It was wide open. He hit a crease, and he was gone. That sort of let us settle in and from that point forward, we dominated the game. We give a Player of the Week award, and this week, for the first time, it was our entire offensive line. Jordan was really fired up about that. He’s just an unselfish young man and such a team guy. He wants it to be all about the team.”
– Lindale Head Coach Chris Cochran

Sawyer Robertson continued his impressive start to the regular season Thursday against Odessa High. The Mississippi State commit for both football and baseball finished 22 of 32 for 387 yards and five touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown in the Mustangs’ 49-0 victory over the Bronchos. Robertson is a three-year varsity starter for Lubbock Coronado and one of the leaders of the Mustangs’ touchdown for a Top 10 program in Class 5A Division 1.

“Sawyer has a lot of ability on the field but he’s also a great teammate and a good person. He’s put in a lot of hard work and it’s always great to see someone from our school get this kind of recognition.”
– Coronado Head Coach Seth Parr

The Raymondville Bearkats made a major statement in their season debut at home on Friday, Oct. 9 against Victoria West thanks to senior running back ZaRaiVion Armendarez. In a 38-33 win, Armendarez did a little bit of everything correctly as he scored all six of the Kats’ touchdowns.

On the ground, he carried the ball 24 times for 265 yards and four scores that included a run of 76 yards early on. He also scored on two receptions, including one on a short pass that he turned into a 67-yard TD thanks to his impressive speed. On the night, he hauled in five passes for 92 yards and the two scores. He even completed one pass for 15 yards and finished the game with 357 all-purpose yards.

In addition to his skills on the gridiron, Armendarez is a track & field star and in the classroom with a 4.2 GPA.

“Considering everything that has gone on this offseason, it was wonderful to see ZaRaiVion perform as well as he did. He showed resiliency and he never slowed down, and the rest of the team fed off of his energy and came together for the win,”
– Raymondville Head Coach Frank Cantu

It might be hard to duplicate Keldric Luster’s performance against Frisco Memorial in a video game. The Frisco Liberty sophomore quarterback accounted for 612 total yards and seven touchdowns in Liberty’s 58-51 win. Luster completed 21-of-23 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns. He added 274 yards and five more scores on the ground.

“Statistically, those are just outrageous numbers. Honestly, it’s just indicative of what a great competitor he is. His teammates and his coaches are shocked that he does that sort of stuff. We get to see him every day in practice and get to see what kind of competitor he is and his talent. He’s a very deserving young man.”
– Liberty Head Coach Matt Swinnea

There were no garbage time yards in Trayveon Epps’ record-setting night. Kilgore needed every yard and every touchdown in a 45-38 win over Chapel Hill in a key district game, and Epps provided – carrying 26 times for 401 yards and six touchdowns. Kilgore led 21-0 after one quarter and 28-7 at the half, but Chapel Hill rallied after the break to keep it close, so Kilgore kept feeding Epps the ball.

The 401 yards broke the school record of 359 set back in 2009. His six TD runs (20, 35, 20, 51, 85, 60) also broke the record of five rushing TDs in a game previously held by four players.

“We certainly needed those yards and those scores to come out on top. Tray is the kind of kid who gives all the credit to this offensive line, and those guys did a great job up front, but he did a great job finishing runs. I’m proud of what he accomplished and what he’s going to accomplish. He knew he was going to be our number one back this year, and he worked extremely hard to prepare for his senior season. He’s the kind of kid you enjoy coaching. He just shows up every day and goes to work. I’m not surprised at the success he’s having.”
– Kilgore Head Coach Mike Wood

At a mere 5 feet 6, Philip Amy may lack the height that one generally associates with passing quarterbacks. However, Philip was able to throw under, around and through Fort Bend Hightower in a 35-34 win, completing 22 of 33 for 474 yards and four touchdowns. In three games, he has 10 TDs with no interceptions. He has a 98.24 average and takes calculus AP classes at Foster. The Falcons are unbeaten in three games of the COVID-delayed season.

“Philip has always exhibited a relentless work ethic and a great attitude and is a great teammate to everyone. There is not a day that Philip doesn’t come ready to work and do what he can to improve himself and his team. Philip is a guy that everybody likes and wants to be around. We are blessed to have him.”
– Foster Head Coach Shaun McDowell

Jarius Stewart had a long but successful Friday night for the Calhoun Sandcrabs.

The senior started at quarterback and in the secondary and played virtually every minute of the Sandcrabs’ 77-76 District 15-4A, Division I win over Corpus Christi Miller.

Stewart rushed 19 times for 245 yards and six touchdowns, scoring on runs of 54, 5, 70, 37, 1 and 4 yards.

As if these offensive stats weren’t enough, Stewart also contributed on the defensive side of the ball with 12 tackles and broke up three passes.

“This is a young man who never comes off the field. He was playing quarterback and running up and down the field covering their best receiver who was going deep all night. He’s such a dynamic player. He’s such a true leader and the kids love him.”
– Calhoun Head Coach Richard Whitaker

With the offense struggling, the Lufkin Panthers needed a lift from the defense in a 13-7 overtime victory against New Caney. Senior defensive lineman Wilburn Smallwood answered the call all night long, finishing with eight tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a quarterback pressure and a blocked kick.

Panther head coach Todd Quick, who coached Smallwood’s dad back in 1997, had no doubt Smallwood would step up when Lufkin needed it most.

“We knew what we were getting with Wilburn. His dad was our Mike linebacker. He was a tough-nosed kid who played the right way, so we knew Wilburn knew how to play the game. He played quite a bit as a sophomore and became a leader for us as a junior. We put a lot on him this year as a senior. Our offense wasn’t clicking Friday, and when you punt the ball as much as we did it puts the defense on the field a lot. He just said, ‘I got this.’ He really put it on his shoulders. He took over and made plays all night long.”

– Lufkin Head Coach Todd Quick

In overtime at last week’s game, the Connally Cadets were trailing rival China Spring, 45-44. The Cadets were going for two to try and win the game outright and secure the #2 seed in District 9-4A, Division 2. The game was going to ride on the shoulders of all-everything senior Kavian Gaither, who has already rushed for 201-yards on 28-carries and scored two touchdowns, thrown for 119-yards and another touchdown and scored the Cadets’ touchdown in overtime to setup this critical 2-point attempt. Oh, and the four-year letterman and linebacker also recorded sixteen tackles, 1-TFL and 1-caused fumble during this Instant Classic at Cougar Stadium.

After a timeout, the Cadets planned to run “stretch right,” part of their bread-and-butter with Gaither in the gun with a power set and he would find a way to score. But something went wrong – the snap was low. Gaither, showing amazing poise, picked up the ball, glanced to see if there was any way he could go the opposite way, but two Cougars were right on top of him. Somehow, as he’s done many times throughout his career, “KG” found a way to throw a pass to the right side of the end and there was senior Bronsha Miles, Jr., alone for the game-winning the two-point conversion and the ball game, 46-45 in overtime.

“KG dominated on both sides of the ball and there was no doubt we wanted the ball in his hands in overtime. He never flinched no matter what the score was, as always you can depend on him to get the job done and once again, he came through for his team. KG is a four-year, four-sport letterman and a straight-A student-athlete and one of the best leaders I’ve ever had the privilege to coach. He has two unbelievable parents who have raised a fine young man and we here at Connally are blessed Kavian is part of our program.”

– Connally Head Coach Shane Anderson

This past week Texas high school football fans were treated to an all-around phenomenal performance as senior two-way player Ca’lub Holloway turned in one of the best performances of the year in 5A leading his team to a 52-51 win over the Creekview Mustangs. He contributed with 22 carries for 283 yards and five touchdowns, one reception for 77 yards and touchdown, but wasn’t done there as he also compiled eight tackles defensively. The Scorpions are now 3-3 overall and 2-1 in district play.

“There are so many great things you could say about Ca’lub. He works tremendously hard in the classroom as well as on the field. I think the one thing that separates Ca’lub from most is his personality. He always has an infectious smile on his face and treats others with the utmost respect. I have yet to find an individual that doesn’t get along with this young man. He is not only a leader on our team, but he is truly a leader here at South Hills High School.”
– South Hills Head Coach Mika Harp

Wilmer-Hutchins relied on its defense and senior linebacker Demondre Williams to help knock off Pinkston, 26-24, and capture the District 8-4A Division I title. Williams piled up 23 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups. Wilmer-Hutchins shut out Pinkston in the second half after trailing, 24-8, at the break.

“We ask him to do a lot. Playing Mike backer in our scheme is the equivalent of being a quarterback in a pass-happy offense. It’s decisions that he makes — the way he sets those guys up to be in the right gaps — it’s a tremendous task. He has done everything a football coach would ask of a kid. We don’t ever want to get on the bus or walk out of our field house to play a football game without Demondre Williams.”

– Wilmer-Hutchins Head Coach Elzie Barnett

A wild district shootout between Port Neches-Groves and Kingwood Park went to the Indians thanks to a monster night from Blake Bost. The senior quarterback accounted for 361 yards and seven touchdowns in PNG’s 62-35 win over the Panthers. Bost completed 20 of 26 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing 12 times for 127 yards and three touchdowns. The two-year starter is coming off a season that saw him named First Team All-District.

“Blake is everything you would want in a QB. He’s a leader, an extremely hard worker, and a great teammate. He can make plays with his arm or legs. He’s highly intelligent and makes great decisions with the ball in his hands. We are extremely blessed that he’s a PNG Indian, and I couldn’t be more proud to be his coach.”
– PORT NECHES-GROVES HEAD COACH BRANDON FAIRCLOTH

High School football fans in El Paso were treated to a great overtime matchup this week as the El Paso Tigers defeated the Jefferson High Silver Foxes 42-36. The Tigers were led by senior quarterback Yan Arias as he was active in all six touchdowns. He was 21 of 29 through the air with 364 yards and three touchdowns. He complimented the aerial attack on the ground with 11 carries for 69 yards and three touchdowns.

“Yan’s energy and work ethic on and off the field is special. His dream has always been to be the starting quarterback of the El Paso High Tigers. After dealing with some personal issues at the beginning of the year he was able to join the team again this past week and he took full advantage of it, leading his team to their first win in over two years. I am so happy for him. I know he has a bright future ahead of him and will make an elite husband, father, and community leader.”
– El Paso Head Coach Ray Aguilar