With just three weeks left in the regular season, things are heating up across the state of Texas. On Thursday, the San Marcos Rattlers were set to face the Del Valle Cardinals with a potential playoff spot on the line. Additionally, I was intrigued to watch this game because of 2023 four-star wide receiver Braylon James, who is being actively recruited by the Longhorns among many other programs.
In addition to Thursday’s game, I also decided to make the short drive out to Nelson Field in Austin, TX on Friday to watch the LBJ Jaguars host the Lampasas Badgers. Currently, LBJ is the state’s top-ranked team in the 4A Division 1 Classification.
Week 9:
While Thursday’s game featured an excellent coaching matchup, all eyes were on Del Valle wide receiver Braylon James. In fact, Longhorns wide receiver coach Andre Coleman was on the sidelines to watch the junior receiver, along with Stanford head coach David Shaw and receiver’s coach Bobby Kennedy.
Throughout the game, James showcased an ability to high point the football and make big plays. Unfortunately, James did suffer a fumble early in the game after being upended but was able to make up for it with a receiving touchdown later in the game. The junior wideout finished the game with four catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.
For San Marcos, the running game was absolutely rampant as the Rattlers rushed for a stunning total of 473 yards. Leading the way for San Marcos on the ground was junior running back Jaidyn Brown, who rushed for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns, and junior quarterback Isaiah DeLeon, who also rushed for a pair of touchdowns and 162 yards.
When watching the game from the sidelines, it was almost amazing to see how similar John Walsh’s offensive setup at San Marcos has been compared to his days at Denton Guyer. For example, one cornerstone of a John Walsh offense is his implementation of designed quarterback draw plays. Against Del Valle, DeLeon’s timing and movement on these designed runs exactly mirrored that of Walsh’s former quarterback, Eli Stowers, who was able to lead Denton Guyer to the title game in 2019.
Isaiah DeLeon’s ability to run the football against the Cardinals opened up plenty of opportunities for Jaidyn Brown to run free, which Brown certainly was able to do against a team which has allowed opponents to score 45.5 points per game. Even junior running back Jake Rodriguez-Scholz was able to rush for 112 yards and 3 touchdowns as well.
Despite Del Valle’s ability to take a 28-7 lead at one point in the second quarter, San Marcos was eventually able to claw their way back and secure a sizable 49-35 victory.
Game 2:
I had been meaning to cover the LBJ Jaguars at some point in the season and was finally able to do that on Friday. One thing is for sure, I got my steps in on Friday night as Austin LBJ and Lampasas traded quick touchdown blows in a first half that ended with the Jaguars leading 41-28.
Ironically enough, this year’s LBJ team feels like the antithesis of last year’s squad, which was able to make it all the way to the state semifinals, yet the 2021 Jaguars team arguably has a higher ceiling. Last year’s team prided itself on gritty play and defense, led by Andrew Mukuba and Latrell McCutchin in the secondary. But, starting in November of last year’s playoffs, the Jaguars were able to flip a switch offensively and have not lost a step since.
Against Lampasas, junior quarterback Gharion Hawthorne was tasked with making his first start at the varsity level due to an injury to typical starter, Oscar Gordon. Furthermore, the Jaguars backup quarterback continued to have the team firing on all cylinders, throwing for 5 touchdown passes and running for another score.
Additionally, senior wide receiver Trent Leary was a consistent threat for the Jaguars on offense, along with sophomore wide receiver Fatu Mukuba, who made several highlight-worthy catches as well.
Lastly, the player that might have stood out the most for the Jaguars was senior defensive back Jaybreon Riggins, who tallied a trifecta of 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Moreover, Jaybreon’s interception came in the form of a pick-six and was visual evidence of LBJ’s complete domination in the second half.
By the time the game clock struck zero, the Jaguars had amassed a school record of 88 points, cruising to an 88-42 victory over Lampasas.
Extra Point:
Despite Del Valle’s first-year struggles under Bobby Acosta, it was clear to me being on the sideline that Acosta has the qualities of a great leader, always providing the team with positive energy. I am looking forward to seeing whether he can turn around the Cardinals football program in the years to come.
Lastly, Del Valle senior athlete LJ Martin has difference-maker speed and showcased it on a punt return touchdown against the Rattlers. On defense, Martin was also able to tally an interception off of a tipped pass. I’d be interested to see a collegiate program at any level take an extra look at Martin.
Miles Logged:
33 (Total)
