Tag: Texas high school football

Thoughts and notes from Thursday’s Highland Park-Southlake Carroll game

Two of the biggest programs in the state of Texas clashed at AT&T Stadium on Thursday night.

Two of the biggest programs in the state of Texas clashed at AT&T Stadium Thursday night to open the high school football season. Highland Park, a winner of three straight state championships from 2016-2018, faced off against one of 6A-DI’s favorites in Southlake Carroll.

Much of the attention this season was supposed to be on 1.000 composite-rated quarterback Quinn Ewers. The former Texas commit decided to graduate early and enroll at Ohio State. Football was undoubtedly a significant reason but the new Name, Image, and Likeness rules played a factor as well.

Nobody thinks the Dragons will be missing Ewers too much anymore after the performance from junior quarterback Kaden Anderson. Making his first career start at the varsity level, the unranked prospect looked like a seasoned veteran from the get-go.

His delivery, decision-making, and accuracy were all spot on throughout the game. Anderson looked comfortable in the pocket too, stepping up into open space when Highland Park rarely got pressure. Everything you thought we would be writing about Ewers this fall.

Likely no one would have known Anderson was in the limelight for the first time in his career. He looked comfortable from the first snap.

While I was not originally at the game to cover it, ESPNU’s broadcast was captured by some Twitter users.

Here are a few of Anderson’s highlights:

Anderson finished the night with 261 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing a third of his passes. He even rushed one into the end zone on fourth down, one play after fumbling the exchange with Southlake running back Owen Allen.

The junior currently has no rating on any of the three major recruiting websites (247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals). No offers have been reported either.

I can imagine that will all change sooner rather than later. Southlake Carroll has a long lineage of producing college-level quarterbacks. Head coach Riley Dodge has found his next guy.

Arch Manning is clearly the guy for Texas in the 2023 class. If one of the other national programs end up snatching the five-star, backup plans will need to come within the state. Do not count Anderson out as one of the options.

It’s early on in his career, but Anderson looks the part. We’ll see how he fairs against 6A competition week in and week out.

Other players of note

Owen Allen – Southlake Carroll ’23 RB

Highland Park seemed scared to tackle Allen, especially once in the open field. Southlake’s offensive line was creating holes all night for the running back and he was running straight through the Scots.

He finished with 215 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, averaging over 10 yards per touch. Just like his quarterback, Allen is unranked by the recruiting services and has zero offers. Again, I expect that to change fairly soon.

Brennan Storer – Highland Park ’23 QB

Highland Park’s recent run in 5A-DI has produced three straight Divison I quarterbacks as well. John Stephen Jones (Jerry Jones’ grandson) is at Arkansas, Chandler Morris enrolled at Oklahoma before transferring to TCU, while Brenden Schager just won the backup role at Hawaii.

Brennan Storer was next in line to put up major numbers for the Scots but his time will have to wait. The junior quarterback finished with 150 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on 12-20 passing.

Flashes of the potential were shown, especially on the run. Storer seemingly was sacked on 2nd and 26 before making some magic.

Storer’s other score on the night was a nice throw across the middle of Southlake’s defense to wide receiver John Rutledge.

 

According to 247Sports, Kansas is the only Division I school to offer the junior quarterback. With how gaudy of numbers Highland Park will put up on a weekly basis, Storer will be the next Scot to play big-time college football. Time will tell over the next two seasons.

Remaining notes

Highland Park’s edge Jack Curtis (2022) got in the backfield at least once on Thursday. After getting knocked down by a double team, the three-star prospect was to able get back up and wrap up Anderson.

North Texas was Curtis’ main offer, with Arizona being the sole Power Five program interested. Air Force and Army have expressed interest as well.

Southlake Carroll 2022 tight end RJ Maryland looked like a major mismatch all night. While the Boston College tight end and Anderson were only able to connect twice, he lined up all across the field as a receiver. Only a handful of times did he end up putting his hand on the ground.

Maryland committed to Boston College in late June after taking an official visit to Miami. The son of former first overall draft pick Russell Maryland, the football talent has been passed down to the next generation.

As things stand, Texas has not offered any of the players mentioned throughout the post. Edge Prince Dorbah was the last Highland Park player for Texas, while Andrej Karic was the last from Southlake Carroll.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian comments on high school players opting out

Jaydon Blue announced his decision to opt-out of his senior year last Thursday. Texas HC Steve Sarkisian thinks this is just the beginning.

Opting out or holding out has been a trend in college football and the NFL for years now. Professionals will refuse to participate in offseason workouts or practice in hopes of a new contract. Take a step down, and NFL-ready players are skipping bowl games so a freak injury does not cause their draft stock to plummet.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, elite college football players opted out of the season to prepare for the draft. Without punishments either. Four of the top 10 picks in the 2021 NFL drafts were opt-outs, despite not playing a football game in over a year.

Something borderline “historic” occurred on May 20. For the first time at the high school level, a big named, blue-chip recruit opted out of their senior season to prepare for college football.

Five-star running back Jaydon Blue announced his decision last Thursday, saying he will focus on his academics and off-the-field training before enrolling in January. According to a report, the decision was clearly communicated with Steve Sarkisian and his staff.

When speaking at the Touchdown Club of Houston luncheon on Wednesday, the Texas head coach was asked about the specific scenario without being able to mention Blue by name (NCAA rules). Sarkisian said he has “put a lot of thought into it” and thinks Blue’s opt-out was just the beginning.

“I think this is bigger than one individual,” said Sarkisian. I think this is going to be something that we have to wrap our heads around. I do not think this is a one-off, one high school kid. This is somewhat of a trickle-down effect that we are dealing with from professionals, to college athletes, and now, potentially at the high school level. It’s a relatively big issue that we have got to start wrapping our brains around.”

Sarkisian continued, saying he does not know how to feel about high school players opting out. Supporting the people involved with the situation should the priority No. 1, though.

“I don’t necessarily know what’s good, what’s bad, what’s right, what’s wrong as it pertains to the University, the individuals, the kids on our team, and their future in the NFL,” said Sarkisian. “Our biggest thing we’re trying to do is support the high school coaches and knowing the job they have to do and support the families and young men that are even maybe talking about making this type of decision.”

If the 2021 NFL draft is any indicator, high school players opting out of their senior seasons will have no repercussions. With how talented of a running back Blue is, the likelihood of him still having a scholarship and enrolling at Texas is high. Even if he was out of the game for nearly a year.

Sarkisian could very well be right — this is not the end, it is the beginning. College coaches are going to have to adapt and even set the precedent for what is right and what is wrong.

Texas finds itself as being the guinea pig for top high school recruits opting out.

Texas HS football player, Wyoming signee Tony Evans Jr. killed in shooting

Tragedy struck in Texas early Saturday, as Lancaster High School football player and Wyoming signee Tony Evans Jr. was shot and killed.

Tragedy struck in Texas early Saturday, as Lancaster High School football player and Wyoming signee Tony Evans Jr. was shot and killed, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Evans Jr. and another person were reportedly shot at about 1:30 a.m. in a hotel room approximately three miles away from Dallas Love Field Airport. Both victims were rushed to the hospital, where Evans Jr. was ultimately pronounced dead. The other victim, who police did not identify, is currently in stable condition.

Evans Jr. was a star wide receiver at Lancaster and just recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play college football at Wyoming over an offer from Northern Colorado.

“He wanted everything to work out,” said Rodney Hudson, a friend of Evans Jr.’s, per the Dallas Morning News. “And he was going to have a breakout season. That’s what he did. Whatever he told me he did. There was nothing fake about him, he’s real. Even though he was playful, he’s real. That love that he showed is real. I just want people to know that.”

Police have yet to take any suspects into custody for the shooting and have not yet released details on the events that led to the shooting. According to Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News, Evans Jr.’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

Report: Ex-Del Valle HC Charles Burton, 5-star WR Caleb Burton to join Lake Travis

The five-star wide receiver and his father are set to join forces again at Texas powerhouse Lake Travis, according to reports.

With Charles Burton not returning as Del Valle High School’s football coach next season, five-star wide receiver Caleb Burton decided to play his senior season elsewhere.

Now, the two are joining forces once again at a Texas high school football powerhouse.

According to Thomas Jones of the Austin American-Statesman, Charles Burton is joining Lake Travis High School’s coaching staff, with his son set to transfer into the school as well. Charles Burton’s hire won’t be approved by the Lake Travis school district until later this month and he won’t begin working at the school until next school year.

Charles Burton was recently replaced at Del Valle by IMG Academy’s Bobby Acosta. The elder Burton went 29-51 in eight seasons at Del Valle and was the school’s longest-tenured head coach before resigning from the position in March. Burton made just one playoff appearance in his tenure at Del Valle and went 3-6 last season.

RELATED: IMG Academy looking for new football coach after Bobby Acosta leaves for Del Valle

Caleb Burton, meanwhile, is committed to Ohio State and caught 82 passes for 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns in his freshman and sophomore years before missing his junior year with an injury. Once he returns, he will bolster a Lake Travis team that averaged 52.6 points per game and went 6-1 last season.

Lake Travis welcomes back eight starters on defense and five on offense next season, headlined by quarterback Bo Edmundson.

Which Texas high schools have won the most football state championships?

No state does high school football quite like Texas. Texas’ high school football history is among the most storied in the United States, as the Lone Star state features some of high school football’s most dominant programs. Aledo just took home its …

No state does high school football quite like Texas.

Texas’ high school football history is among the most storied in the United States, as the Lone Star state features some of high school football’s most dominant programs. Aledo just took home its record-setting 10th UIL state championship, while other big-name programs have piled up their share of hardware over the years.

Let’s take a look at which Texas high schools have won the most football state championships.

RELATED: Austin Westlake defeats Southlake Carroll to win Texas 6A Division I title

Texas target Cade Klubnik outduels Quinn Ewers in state championship

Texas target and Austin Westlake quarterback Cade Klubnik outdueled Quinn Ewers to win the Texas 6A state championship.

The Longhorns don’t have a commitment at quarterback for the 2022 class as of yet. They lost out on Quinn Ewers early on in October when the nation’s top recruit decided to pledge to Ohio State after decommitting from his childhood team growing up. On Saturday night, Ewers led his Southlake Carroll Dragons into AT&T Stadium in Arlington to face Austin Westlake. On the opposite sideline, the quarterback he would face off against was Texas target Cade Klubnik.

Klubnik is another top 2022 quarterback recruit, but not quite as highly touted as Ewers. He does hold an offer from the University of Texas and the Longhorns are seen as a top school choice. His head coach, Todd Dodge, once wore the burnt orange as a quarterback in the 1980’s. A former fellow Westlake quarterback, Sam Ehlinger, also could be a deciding factor in helping lure him to the Forty Acres. That will all play out in the coming months after head coach Steve Sarkisian closes out the 2021 cycle.

On Saturday, it was all about Klubnik and Austin Westlake aiming for a state championship. Early on in the battle, it seemed like this would be a back and forth affair as the Chaparrals would answer the Dragons in quick fashion.

It would stay a tight game throughout much of the first half in the Texas 6A state championship game. Southlake Carroll wouldn’t go away quietly early on as the two teams were tied at 21 with under 2:00 to go until halftime. Klubnik would eventually put the Chaparrals ahead.

Austin Westlake would extend their lead to 14 points on a touchdown to get the scoring started in the second half. Ewers and the Dragons would look to get back into the game but he would throw his second interceptions to defensive back Michael Taaffe, who made a spectacular play for the turnover.

Klubnik would score yet another touchdown on the ground and the Chaparrals started to pour it on the Dragons. By the time that Southlake Carroll could answer, Austin Westlake would build the lead to 52-21. They went on to win 52-34, giving former Longhorns quarterback Todd Dodge yet another state championship.

It was quite the season for both quarterbacks.

‘The Dodge Bowl’: Texas 6A-1 state title game creates father vs. son coaching matchup

Father and son will do battle as Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll play for a Texas 6A-1 state championship on Saturday.

Saturday’s Texas 6A-1 state championship game between Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll is more than just an unlikely matchup between two teams that had to pull off upsets for a chance to play for hardware.

It is also the “Dodge Bowl.”

When Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll clash this weekend, so will father and son. Legendary Austin Westlake coach Todd Dodge will do battle against his son, 32-year-old Southlake Carroll coach Riley Dodge.

It’s not really something that you ever really think about,” Todd said, per KVUE ABC. “As a son and father, you sit around and talk about, ‘We’d love to coach together someday. I’d love to coach you at the college level. I’d love to win a state championship together’ – which we got to do – but to coach against each other … never.”

Todd coached Riley at Southlake Carroll throughout his high school career before accepting the head-coaching job at North Texas. Todd returned to the high school ranks in 2012 with Marble Fall High School (Texas) before accepting the job at storied Austin Westlake in 2014. In seven seasons at Austin Westlake, Todd has accumulated an 87-12 record to go along with a Texas 6A-2 state title in 2019.

Riley, meanwhile, still dons the Southlake Carroll green and white after taking over as the program’s head coach in 2018. He is 38-3 in three seasons at the helm, but has yet to win a state championship.

Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll were supposed to meet at AT&T Stadium to kick off the 2020 season before COVID-19 scrapped the father-son meeting. Now, the two will duke it out on Texas high school football’s biggest stage.

“Neither one of us, I don’t think, believed [we would make it here] because we’ve been sharing ideas with each other like we were just two old guys who were never going to play each other,” Todd said. “I think sometimes we wish we wouldn’t have shared as much info.”

Ohio State QB commit Quinn Ewers does ‘O-H’ to Alabama signee

Quinn Ewers decided to have some fun with Alabama signee Kendall Blackshire after Southlake Carroll’s upset of Duncanville on Saturday.

Top 2022 quarterback recruit and Ohio State commit Quinn Ewers decided to have a little fun with Alabama signee Kendrick Blackshire after Southlake Carroll’s stunning upset over Duncanville in the Texas 6A semifinals on Saturday.

With the National Championship game between Alabama and Ohio State only 48 hours away at the time, the beef spilled over to the high school football field. Video caught Ewers flashing Ohio State’s famous “O-H” symbol at Blackshire when the two met at midfield postgame.

It goes without saying Ewers’ gesture was done in good nature, as both players shared a smile and a laugh. Ewers got the best of Blackshire and Duncanville in the end, though, throwing for 167 yards and registering two touchdowns in a win over the Panthers.

Blackshire will now begin preparing for his career at Alabama, while Ewers’ focus shifts to Austin Westlake in the Texas 6A championship game this weekend. Who knows, though? Maybe Blackshire and Ewers will meet again in a national championship game of their own down the line.

Top 2022 QB recruit Quinn Ewers returns, leads team to playoff win

Top 2022 quarterback recruit Quinn Ewers was back under center for Southlake Carroll in the Texas state playoffs on Christmas Eve.

Two months on the sideline did little to deter top 2022 quarterback recruit Quinn Ewers from leading his team to a playoff victory on Christmas Eve.

Ewers, who had not started a game since Oct. 30 due to a sports hernia, returned for Southlake Carroll in the second round of the Texas 6A Division 1 playoffs and powered the Dragons to a 30-26 win over Martin High School with 251 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.

“What a game,” Ewers said, per Darren Lauber of the Star-Telegram. “It feels amazing to be back out here with my guys. Being on the sideline is just horrible and I hate that feeling. You feel useless at some point, but it feels so great to be back out here.”

Southlake Carroll will now face Euless Trinity in the 6A Division 1 quarterfinals. Euless Trinity needed some fireworks of its own to advance in the postseason, as junior running back Ollie Gordon rushed for 455 yards and six touchdowns on 49 carries to spark an upset over Allen, ranked No. 13 in the USA Today Super 25.

As for Ewers, he has made headlines throughout the last couple of months despite suiting up. The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2022 according to 247Sports backed off his commitment to Texas in November and flipped to Ohio State on Nov. 19.

“I loved the University of Texas and it had nothing bad towards them obviously, but I just felt like it wasn’t the right fit for me right now and I just realized that and I looked into Ohio State pretty hard and I realized that was the right spot for me to be,” Ewers told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong.

Texas Football Recruiting: Five-star Denton Ryan DT announces top 16

In the 2022 class, Denton Ryan has another star at the DT position in Bear Alexander. Texas has made the top 16 for the five-star.

Denton Ryan High School is producing some of the best in-state talents over the past two recruiting cycles. Five-star athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders signed with the Longhorns on Wednesday and four-star athlete Billy Bowman, a former UT commit, signed with Oklahoma.

Moving into the 2022 class, the Raiders have another star at the defensive tackle position in Bear Alexander. Rivals.com has him as a five-star prospect and the No. 3 player in the state of Texas.

Within his top 16, Oklahoma and TCU are the only other Big 12 schools to make the cut. SEC teams dominate with top programs such as Alabama, Georgia, and LSU within the mix. In-state rival Texas A&M, who is seen as one of the favorites in his recruitment, also makes the top 16.

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 – 35 21
Rivals 5 5 3 2
ESPN – – –
247 Composite 4 140 22 9

Vitals

Hometown Denton, Texas
Projected Position Defensive tackle
Height 6-3
Weight 325

Recruitment

  • Offered on March 30, 2019
  • Unofficial visit on March 30, 2019

Top 16

Crystal Ball

No crystal ball at the time of posting

Film

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