Last weekend, Longhorns signee Ja’Tavion Sanders looked to lead Denton Ryan past Mansfield Summit in the state semifinals. However, Summit was looking to pull off another upset in their underdog playoff run.
Week 19:
After beating Highland Park, the Raiders proved that they are the team to beat in the 5A Division I classification. However, it was paramount for the Raiders to not overlook an underrated Summit team. Despite a close contest for much of the game, Ryan’s star power prevailed in a 49-35 victory.
2023 Texas target Anthony Hill had a big game for Ryan, tallying a rushing touchdown on offense and a forced fumble on defense. Although Hill is only a sophomore, he shows great promise and already plays a large role for the Raiders. Additionally, Hill’s teammate, Austin Jordan, is another Longhorns target at the cornerback position.
Jordan, a member of the 2022 class, has 19 college offers from schools such as: Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma. This weekend, Jordan will have his work cut out for him in stopping Cedar Park’s passing attack. In Cedar Park’s semifinal win, quarterback Ryder Hernandez threw for seven touchdown passes against Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial. However, another Longhorns target, 2022 defensive tackle Bear Alexander will look to lead Ryan’s defensive front in Friday’s championship game.
The 6’3″ and 325 pound lineman commanded many double teams in Ryan’s win over Mansfield Summit. Like Jordan, Alexander is another popular commodity in the recruiting world, currently holding 29 college offers.
Fellow defensive lineman, Ja’Tavion Sanders, was able to show off his skills with a passing touchdown on offense.
Extra Point:
In Duncanville’s semifinals playoff game against Southlake Carroll, 2022 four-star defensive end Omari Abor wrecked havoc on the Dragons offensive line. Abor, a Longhorns target, tallied multiple sacks for the Panthers. Unfortunately for Duncanville, Southlake Carroll was ultimately able to advance to the title game.
Back to Ryan, Ja’Tavion’s touchdown pass was just another example of his versatility. As a result, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian will be very pleased to get to work with Sanders. Additionally, Sarkisian will look to continue the Denton Ryan to Austin, TX pipeline.
Longhorns Recruiting Notes:
Well, that did not take long. Yesterday, 2022 four-star wide receiver Armani Winfield became the first commit of the Steve Sarkisian era.
