EDITORS NOTE: Every week, TexasHSFootball will present their official game ball honors to those that were the most impactful under the Friday Night Lights. Our experts watched numerous games and decided on the very best that Week Seven had to offer.
Please post your game ball honorees below and tag @texashsfootball and use the hashtag #GameBallHonors through our various social media channels. Readers can also submit suggestions via email at [email protected] (no later than 4 p.m. each Sunday).
We’ll be sure to keep an eye on all suggestions — and possibly name them a Texas HS Football Game Ball Honoree or an Honorable Mention.
Tyler Hudson (WR, Klein Oak)
Tyler Hudson finished with two touchdowns and 107 yards in a 21-13 defeat of Stratford as the Klein Oak Panthers clinched a playoff spot and second place in the district.
Hudson scored the only two offensive touchdowns for Klein Oak. His connection with quarterback CJ Ward was apparent, as he was the only receiver Ward could connect with on a slow offensive day for the Panthers.
Stratford had no answer for the junior wide receiver as he plucked everything out of the air and beat the secondary all night. As Klein Oak wraps up the season and prepares for the playoffs, Hudson’s role will be vital for the Panthers to make a deep run. – Tim Verghese
Dwight McGlothern (WR/CB, New Caney), CJ Sanders (RB/FS, New Caney), AJ Skero (WR/DE, New Caney)
New Caney running back CJ Sanders. Vance Valentine/TexasHSFootball
CJ Sanders, Dwight McGlothern, and AJ Skero came up big in New Caney’s “Battle Line on 59” win against rival Porter. CJ Sanders, the freshman running back and cornerback, combined with Sam Jones for 159 yards on the ground and locked down Porter’s number two wide receiver. He also sealed the game with an interception in the final quarter.
McGlothern, an elite sophomore cornerback, mixed it up playing both sides of the ball. As the primary corner, he was vital in shutting down Porter’s typically high-octane offense. On the offensive side, his role was limited as New Caney is a run-first offense, but he came up big with clutch catches in third-down situations and opened up the running game with his blocking. McGlothern was also the primary returner and set the Eagles up with great field position off punts and kickoffs.
On any other night, AJ Skero would have been the sole MVP, playing both defensive end and No. 2 wide receiver, Skero was busy. He finished with four sacks on the night, locked down the Porter running game and had the longest offensive play on the night for New Caney with a 22-yard catch that set up the clinching touchdown. – Tim Verghese
Jamal Williams (QB, Waco La Vega)
La Vega senior quarterback Jamal Williams showed why he is 38-1 as a starter Friday night, as he led the Pirates to a 49-7 victory over Gatesville High School on Senior Night.
Courtesy HUDL
The Pirates typically use their ground game and plethora of rushing weapons to beat their opponents, but Friday night was different.
During the game against Gatesville, Jamal Williams let everyone in the state of Texas know that he is a great passer. Jamal was 16 for 22 for 244 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
He also carried the ball 12 times for 43 yards and two touchdowns. The senior contributed to five of the
Pirates seven touchdowns. — Garrett Ross
College Station Special Teams
The Cougars special teams came up huge in the two biggest district games this year, including Friday’s 26-20 overtime win over Temple to outright win District 18-5A championship for a second-straight season.
Friday, Jaelin Campbell returned the second half-opening kickoff 95 yards.
In the third quarter, Brandon Joseph blocked a punt to give College Station the ball at the Temple 4-yard line. Kicker Alan Guerrieri booted a 40-yard field goal late in the game to help send it to overtime. Three weeks earlier, College Station scored two special teams touchdowns to beat A&M Consolidated. — Scott McDonald
Brayden Houser (QB, Bryson)
Blake Wood/TexasHSFootball
Damian Edwards (RB, Ferris)
Courtesy of Waxahachie Daily Light
There has arguably no one more important than Edwards has been to Ferris High School’s 3-1, third-place standing in District 6-4A-2 — especially given how the Yellowjackets have rebounded from a torrid start, losing five of their first six games.
He’s gained 763 yards on 75 carries (10.2 YPC) and 11 touchdowns in the last three games, including rushing for 239 yards and four touchdowns against Dallas Roosevelt High School last Friday. With only Friday’s matchup with undefeated district leader and potential No. 1 seed Willis Point left on the Yellowjackets’ schedule, Edwards has more than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns and is within earshot of the 2,000-yard mark.
It was also the fourth game this season he’s rushed for more than 200 yards and the third he’s scored four or more touchdowns. – Marcus Matthews-Marion
Trey Collier (QB, Kaufman)
“Collier magic” — five total touchdowns in 48 minutes — was on full display for the now TexasHSFootball 4A Top 10 Kaufman Lions against former AP No. 8 ranked Van High School last Friday.
Charleston Gladden/TexasHSFootball
Whether it was consistently finding alleys down sidelines and around tackles for long touchdowns, using his uncanny strength to fight for extra yards through the middle, or being money on 75 percent of his dropbacks.
Collier completed three of his four passes for 108 yards, including a third-quarter, 44-yard strike to Cecil Gasper. He also ran for 285 yards and four touchdowns. His performance was a bounceback from last season, where he struggled to stay on the field after a rash of injuries.
Despite the instability at the quarterback position last year, Kaufman finished 8-4 overall and 5-1 in their district and in a three-way tie for first place. This season with Collier leading the charge, the Lions finished the season 8-1 and the undefeated, undisputed champions of District 8-4A-1. – Marcus Matthews-Marion
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