Two of the best teams in the San Antonio area face off this Friday at Ranger Stadium. Despite it only being the second meeting between Steele and Smithson Valley, the game has huge playoff implications in 6A district 27.
Both the Steele Knights and the Smithson Valley Rangers are led by excellent quarterback play.
Senior Xavier Martin, who is committed to Texas Tech, leads the Knights offensively with 1,007 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. Martin is a dual-threat quarterback who is just as dangerous on the ground as he is through the air.
For the Rangers, they depend on three-star quarterback and New Mexico State commit—Josh Adkins. The senior is one of the most underrated passers in the state and makes things go for the Rangers offense. Adkins has the finesse to throw the long ball while using his maneuverability in the pocket to avoid the rush.
It will be the Rangers first home game of the season as they were rained out against Hendrickson in week one. To add to the pressure of their first home game, the Rangers fell to Round Rock last week by 6 points.
In contrast, the Knights held off an improved O’Connor side 45-24 to improve their season record to 2-1.
The Knights are scheduled to take on Judson next week, so it could very well be a trap game for them if they aren’t careful.
Look for Rangers’ head coach Larry Hill to draw up some ol’ magic. Hill has been under the helm for 24 years and his experience could be the deciding factor on Friday.
