Top 10 Week 8 Texas High School Football Moments

With another weekend of Texas High School football nearly upon us, here is a look back to the memorable moments from last weekend.

With losing streaks snapped, big-time upsets, and an unbelievable Hail Mary, there were plenty of star-studded performances last weekend. Here is the best of the best from Week 8.

10. Sealy upsets #5 Bellville in Battle of Mill Creek

The 82^nd Battle of Mill Creek was one to remember for the Sealy Tigers last Friday. Sealy had won the previous three meetings but came into this year’s edition of the rivalry showdown as underdogs against Bellville, the number 5 team in Class 4A Division II. Running back Richard Reese has been the main man for Bellville all year and he delivered yet again with 217 rushing yards on 22 carries on the night. Couple Reese’s big night with two short, fourth quarter touchdown runs by quarterback Jake Lischka and the Brahmas led 28-24 with just five minutes to go. Cue Sealy quarterback D’vonne Hmielewski. Hmielewski had a big night himself, throwing for 175 yards and adding 90 more yards on the ground. With the home crowd on their feet and just two minutes left in the ball game, Hmielewski took off to his left on a designed quarterback run and beat the Brahma defense in a footrace to the corner of the end zone for a seven yard score that put Sealy up for good, 31-28. This upset victory puts Sealy in the driver’s seat for the District 12-4A Division II crown as it sits atop the conference at 2-0, alongside La Marque, with an impressive win over Bellville in its back pocket.

9. Cinco Ranch stuns Mayde Creek to end 14-game losing streak

Cinco Ranch came into its encounter against Mayde Creek on a 14-game losing streak, while the Rams were 3-0 with three double-digit victories so far on the season. However, there is a reason games are not played on paper. Cinco Ranch struggled to gain yardage on the ground, but sophomore quarterback Gavin Rutherford stepped up in a big way, throwing for 209 yards and three touchdowns. The game-winning score came with four minutes left to go in the third quarter as Rutherford lofted a beautiful ball towards the corner of the end zone and right into the hands of his receiver Noah Abboud for a 10-yard score. The Cinco Ranch defense did its job in the fourth quarter, keeping Mayde Creek out of the end zone and sealing the first victory for the Cougars since November 11, 2018. It was also the first win for second-year head coach Chris Dudley. Cinco Ranch will hope this victory will boost confidence moving forward this season as the Cougars do battle in an extremely competitive District 19-6A.

Rutherford’s touchdown pass to Aboud (Courtesy of Dennis Silva II): https://twitter.com/densilva2/status/1317290333684797441

8. Trayveon Epps’s big night carries Kilgore past Chapel Hill

Trayveon Epps had a performance for the record books when Kilgore squared off against Chapel Hill last Friday. With four first half touchdown rushes by Epps, Kilgore looked to be rolling up 28-7 at halftime. Chapel Hill kept fighting though and made it a ball game in the second half, powered by 400 yards passing by quarterback Cameron Ford and 222 yards receiving by sophomore Deuce McGregor. However, every time Chapel Hill got close, Epps responded. With Kilgore up 31-21 in the third, Epps broke off an 85-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 17. Then again in the fourth quarter with the score at 38-35, Epps found paydirt for the sixth time with three minutes to go to put the game to bed. All-in-all, Epps set two school records, rushing for 401 yards and six touchdowns as Kilgore secured a 45-38 victory. “Tray would give credit to his offensive line, but Tray did a great job finishing runs,” Kilgore head coach Mike Wood said. “We certainly ended up needing those yards and scores to come out of Chapel Hill with a win.” Kilgore will look to keep its success in the run game rolling as it looks to keep up with Lindale as the two only undefeated teams in District 9-4A Division I continue to head on a collision course towards a possible showdown for the district title in the final game of the regular season on November 6^th.

7. 7. Cedar Hill takes down Aledo in battle of DFW elites

It was a 6A vs. 5A showdown in Aledo last Friday as Cedar Hill, the 11^th ranked team in 6A, took on Aledo, the #2 team in 5A Division II. Cedar Hill quickly jumped out to a 13-3 lead as Kaidon Salter tossed two touchdown passes, including a shovel pass that was deflected into the air right into the hands of offensive lineman Miquel Massey Jr. for a touchdown. In the second half, Aledo responded. After a 20-yard touchdown run by DeMarco Roberts with nine minutes to go in the fourth, the Cedar Hill lead was down to 20-17. The Longhorns were not about to be denied after leading all night, however, as running back Kevin Young, Jr. broke off a 20-yard touchdown run of his own with less than two minutes to go to seal a 27-17 victory for Cedar Hill. Salter led the way yet again for the Cedar Hill offense with 241 yards passing and 128 yards rushing. And with Salter’s playmaking ability, Cedar Hill will continue to be a dangerous opponent, especially when the playoffs roll around.

Massey’s touchdown catch (Courtesy of: DFW Varsity): https://twitter.com/dfwvarsity/status/1317275517620572168

6. Frisco Liberty overcomes Frisco Memorial in shootout thanks to memorable night from Keldric Luster

Frisco Liberty quarterback Keldric Luster may only be a sophomore, but he sent shockwaves through the DFW area with his performance against Frisco Memorial last Friday. Luster threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns, while doing just as much damage with his feet as he racked up 266 yards and five touchdowns rushing. However, Frisco Memorial kept up thanks to 331 yards passing by its quarterback, Ethan Lollar, and three touchdown rushes by Garren Huey. With the score knotted up at 51 with just over seven minutes to go in the game, Liberty faced a 4^th-and-2 at its own 35. Yet again, it was Luster who rose to the occasion. Luster took the snap, found a hole, and raced off for a 65-yard touchdown that ended up being the winning score as Liberty held on for a thrilling, 58-51 victory. With Luster and the Liberty offense firing on all cylinders, they are certainly going to be a nightmare for the rest of the defenses on their schedule to face in District 7-5A Division II play.

5. Highland Park makes statement win with convincing victory over Rockwall

Rockwall may have been the number 12 team in 6A after an impressive win over Southlake Carroll the week before, but Highland Park, the number two team in 5A Division I, came ready to do battle on Friday night. Highland Park dominated from the very first kick of the ball and never looked back, jumping out to a 26-0 lead. Quarterback Brayden Schager led the way offensively with six total touchdowns on the night. He threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns and added 26 rushing yards and three more touchdowns on the ground. The Scot defense also limited Rockwall quarterback Braedyn Locke to only 154 yards passing and came up with a pick-six in the third quarter as linebacker George Wright intercepted a screen pass and took it to the house en route to a 46-18 Highland Park victory. It was a complete performance by Highland Park and evidence that its dynasty at the 5A level is still very much alive and well.

4. Trevion Sneed carries Mineola to overtime win over state-ranked Pottsboro

Mineola had an unenviable task on Friday night as it took on Pottsboro, the number three team in 3A Division I and the state title runners-up from last season. The Yellowjacket run game, however, was undeterred. Mineola senior Trevion Sneed rushed for 301 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore Dawson Pendergrass pitched in with 204 yards and four touchdowns of his own. “Trevion and Pendergrass both came up huge for us, along with solid play from our offensive line,” Mineola head coach Luke Blackwell said. “We got down early in the game, but the kids played hard and battled back to tighten things up a bit before halftime.  I thought we got a lot of confidence and momentum from that point that really carried us through the rest of the game.” Pottsboro was powered by quarterback Braden Plyler as he threw for 159 yards, rushed for 118 more, and totaled six touchdowns on the night. With these offenses dueling and the score knotted at 49, the game needed overtime to find a winner. After Mineola’s defense stepped up and came up with a stop on Pottsboro’s first possession, the stage was set for the Mineola run game. With the ball at the Pottsboro 15, Trevion Sneed broke free for his third and final touchdown of the night, sealing a memorable 55-49 victory for the Yellowjackets. “I thought the overall key to our success Friday Night was our resilience and toughness,” Blackwell said. “In terms of what it means for our program, I thought it was a big win obviously, but I also think it shows that we have the ability to play at a very high level.” Mineola will hope this win serves to boost their momentum as they are right back in the thick of things in the race for the 5-3A Division I crown.

3. Corpus Christi Carroll snaps nearly three-year losing streak with impressive win over Corpus Christi Ray

October 19, 2017. That was the last time Corpus Christi Carroll had tasted victory as it headed into its district showdown against Corpus Christi Ray. However, on the field last Thursday, Carroll looked like anything but a team on a 25-game losing streak. Andre Sanders rushed for two touchdowns in the first half and Jayden Smith added a three-yard touchdown run of his own to put Carroll up 18-0 at the half. The Tigers didn’t look back in the second half either. Sanders added his third touchdown rush of the night as the Carroll ground game flourished, while the Tiger defense continued to hold Ray at bay as Carroll ran away for a 40-7 victory. This commanding victory for Carroll is a monumental one for its program and players, showing its district opponents that this Tiger football team will not be an easy out this year.

2. Leander ends losing streak with dramatic late comeback against Pflugerville

When a touchdown run by Elijah Oakman put Pflugerville up 47-35 with just four minutes to go, it looked like Leander was about to suffer its 23^rd straight defeat. Instead, the Lions showed why teams need to play until the final whistle. After starting with the ball in Pflugerville territory thanks to an impressive return on a squib kick, Ray Egelsee punched in from one yard out to cut the deficit to 47-42 with just over two minutes to go. With time running out, Leander booted an onside kick attempt behind the initial line of defense of the Pflugerville hands team. With the ball skidding along near the sideline at the Pflugerville 30, a Pflugerville player missed an opportunity to recover the ball and Leander’s Aidan Perrott fell on the loose ball to give Leander a shot. That’s all it needed. The Lion offense marched down the field and Garrett Landry found the end zone on a quarterback sneak to put Leander up 48-47 with just under 30 seconds to go. After a Pflugerville kick return to its own 43 yard line, Leander still had a bullet to dodge. Pflugerville moved the ball to the Leander 34-yard line and set up a 51-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game. The kick ended up going wide left, allowing Leander fans and players alike to breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate their first victory in over two years. “I was very impressed with the composure our guys played with. Even with time running out they never panicked; they continued to play and fight very hard,” Leander head coach Kris Price said. “We are learning to fight through adversity and play together for a full game. I’m very proud of our guys.” With an impressive, late comeback to snap a long losing streak, Leander produced one of the stories of the weekend and gave itself plenty of momentum to work with moving forward in District 11-5A Division I play.

1. Spring defeats Westfield on jaw-dropping Hail Mary play

The Hail Mary is one of the most exciting plays in football and with only seconds left in Spring’s encounter against Westfield, it was the only hope for the Lions as they trailed 23-21 at their own 49 yard line. Spring had actually led 21-0 in this game but two touchdown rushes by Westfield running back Dahmeir Scott and a three-yard scamper by quarterback Cardell Williams turned the game on its head and left Spring facing long odds on the final play of the game. Spring quarterback Bishop Davenport dropped back, avoided a Westfield tackler, and launched the ball 60 yards from his own 40 yard line. Reciever Travis Sims got in behind a sea of Westfield defenders and leaped up and came down with the catch at the Westfield one yard line before being tackled into the end zone for the winning score. The ensuing scene was pure chaos as Sims was dogpiled by his teammates to celebrate the thrilling end to a rivalry game that had been a roller coaster of emotion. This thrilling victory sets up a mouthwatering clash between the only 2-0 teams left in District 14-6A as Spring and Eisenhower will do battle this weekend for the sole position of first place.

Game-winning Hail Mary (Courtesy of Houston Inside High School Sports): https://twitter.com/ihss_houston/status/1317320479120740357