Class 3A will have its share of skill players returning on the offensive side of the ball in 2021, including:
Running Backs
RB Xavier Wishert, 6-1, 190, Tuscola Jim Ned Indians: Named to the 3A 1st Team All-State Team after rushing for 2330 yards and 33 touchdowns for the undefeated (14-0) Indians of Head Coach Matt Fanning. Fanning was named the 3A Coach of the Year.
Wishert ran for 186 yards and a touchdown in the 29-28 OT win over Halletsville in the 3A title game.
RB Ernest Davila, 5-6, 165, Poteet Aggies: the Aggies haven’t won a playoff game in 63 years, and they continued that streak in 2020 by losing to Blanco 35-20 in the first game of the playoffs. The Aggies finished at 8-3.
Poteet, coached by Darby House, will be led in 2021 by Davila, who rushed for 2089 yards and 20 TDs. He also had 340 receiving yards and 2 TDs.
Quarterbacks
QB Cutter Stewart, 6-0, 170, Orange Grove Bulldogs: selected to participate in the Elite 11 Quarterback Regional competition, Stewart returns after passing for 3446 yards and 39 touchdowns. He will have four new faces giving him protection on the offensive line.
The Bulldogs were 7-4 last year and are coached by Mark DelPercio.
QB Collin Bishop, 5-10, 195, Childress Bobcats: coached by Jason Sims, Bishop passed for 3272 yards and 36 TDs, while rushing for over 1000 yards. He led the Bobcats to a 10-3 record and the 3A Regional Finals, losing to Canadian 45-14.
In the Regional Semifinal against Spearman, Bishop rushed for 139 yards, passed for 100 yards, and had three total touchdowns.
Wide Receivers
WR D.J. Allen, 6-0, 195, Gladewater Bears: Allen is the 3A returning leader in receiving yards. A 4-star recruit (according to 247sports), Allen caught 59 balls for 1316 yards and 19 TDs. He has 21 scholarship offers, including Arkansas, Baylor, USC, TCU, and Auburn to name a few.
The Bears are coached by Jonny Louvier and finished with an 8-3 record in 2020.
WR Brenen Thompson, 5-10, 165, Spearman Lynx: rated a 4-star recruit by 247sports, Thompson accounted for 2000 total yards and 25 TDs. He caught 52 passes for 1061 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In the Regional Semifinals against Childress, Thompson had four catches for 41 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort.
Thompson, who is coached by Aaron Witten, has scholarship offers from 36 schools including Texas, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M to name a few (source: 247sports).
