Matadors host Jaguars in battle of district unbeatens, Friday’s game to air on KWED
(Seguin) – Seguin looks to maintain its share of first place in the District 12-5A-Division I football standings Friday with a home win over Buda-Johnson in a matchup of 4-0 district teams.
The 5-2 Matadors and 7-0 Jaguars share the district lead with Dripping Springs (7-0, 4-0), with each of those teams set to face each other at some point over the final three weeks of the regular season.
Statistically, Buda-Johnson’s offense is the most prolific unit Seguin has faced this season. After last week’s 42-9 win over Harlandale, coach Steve Hoffman’s Jaguars are averaging 53.8 points and 474.1 total yards per game.
The catalyst in Johnson’s attack is junior quarterback Jesse Medina, who enters Friday with 1,754 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air to go with 405 yards and six scores on the ground. Medina has completed 67 percent of his passes with only two interceptions in 138 attempts.
“It all starts with that quarterback,” Seguin head coach Craig Dailey said. “That’s the first guy we’ve got to take away, so we’re always going to make sure we have a quarterback player and make sure someone’s on him every play. They like to run a lot of quarterback counter stuff. And then they get you with some play-action off of it. They make it look like he’s going to run the ball, and then they throw it deep, so our secondary’s got to be really disciplined with their eyes. We’ve got a few different looks into them so they don’t always see the same look, because they’re clicking pretty good, on all cylinders, on offense.”
Medina has plenty of help from receivers Ethan McAlister (19 rec., 564 yds., 6 TD) and Aiden Rodriguez (19 rec., 413 yds., 5 TD), and running-backs Devin Blackwell (287 yds., 5 TD) and Ethan Ybarra (7 TD).
Seguin’s defense is only allowing 21.7 points, 248.7 total yards, and 60.4 rushing yards per outing. The Matadors have pulled in five interceptions – two by Christian Soefje, and one apiece for R-Teston Tucy, Donovan Cray, and Allen Martinez.
Lamar commit and pre-season District Defensive MVP Ian Box anchors the front that will try to harass Medina and keep the Jaguars out of rhythm.
Seguin’s effort to control the clock and win the line of scrimmage offensively will be a critical factor in the outcome as well.
Sophomore tailback John Jackson looks for another big outing after a career-high 213 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in last Friday’s 37-14 win over McCollum. Senior quarterback Troy Falgout (57%, 1,199 yds., 10 TD, 6 Int.) and junior receiver Devin Matthews (32 rec., 721 yds., 8 TD) have provided balance to the attack when opponents load up against the run.
The Johnson defense has only shown vulnerabilty in one game, a 45-28 win over San Antonio-Veterans Memorial. The Jaguars have only allowed an average of 12 points per game, with no more than 19 surrendered to any opponent but Veterans Memorial.
Friday’s kickoff at Matador Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The game will air live on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com. Pre-game coverage starts at 6:15 with the Navarro and Marion coaches’ shows.
Navarro visits rival Wimberley in matchup with district title implications
(Wimberley) – One of the best Region IV football rivalries of the past decade resumes Friday night at Texan Stadium when Navarro visits Wimberley for a battle that will likely determine the champion and top playoff seed in District 14-4A-Division II.
Navarro is 5-1 overall with a 1-0 district mark in head coach Rod Blount’s fourth season. The Panthers opened district play with a 69-0 win over Manor-New Tech and didn’t play last week because district member Austin-Eastside Memorial elected not play a 2020 football season.
Wimberley enters Friday with a 5-2 season record and a 2-0 district ledger after a similar result against New Tech, 70-8, last week.
The Texans have become more explosive offensively as sophomore quarterback Cash McCollum has progressed in his first varsity season. McCollum enters Friday completing 68.5 percent of his passes for 1,396 yards, 18 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Blount says slowing down McCollum means slowing down the senior skill players with multiple years of experience around him like receiver Juan Olmedo (30 rec., 486 yds., 10 TD) and running-back Moses Wray (479 yds., 4 TD).
“Speed with Juan – he’s fast and he can go at any moment, and he’s got great vision – it seems like we’ve been playing against him forever, and then Mo (Wray),” Blount said. “They’re dangerous there being able to run the ball and throw it that well. He’s surrounded by some good guys that can make him look good at times, but he’s doing a good job of getting the ball and running the offense.”
Wimberley’s losses came in Week 2 to Cuero, 21-3, and Week 5 to Alamo Heights, 7-0.
Navarro’s offensive leaders going in include running-backs Brody Whitson (553 yds rushing, 8 total TD), Cole Mouser (497 yds., 11 TD), and Colton Chambers (401 yds., 3 TD), quarterback Nick Billings (671 total yds., 9 total TD), and receiver Jaxen Monkerud (4 rec., 142 yds., 2 TD).
Monkerud, Landary Blackburn, and Antoine Mebane have each collected interceptions for the Panther defense.
Friday’s kickoff in Wimberley is slated for 7:30 p.m. A complete interview with Blount can be heard during the Panther Report at 6:15 p.m. on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com.
Bulldogs look to slow Davila, Aggies, grab share of 14-3A-Division I lead
(Poteet) – Marion can move into a three-way tie for first place in the District 14-3A-Division I football standings with a road win over Poteet on Friday.
The Bulldogs are 6-1 overall with a 2-1 district record in Ryne Miller’s fourth season as head coach and had the open date in the schedule last week after a 50-14 win over Cotulla in Week 7.
The 7-1 Aggies, coached by Darby House, roll in with a 4-0 district mark after handling Cotulla 36-14 a week ago.
Poteet edged Jourdanton, the only team to beat Marion, 27-25 in Week 7. A Marion win tonight would leave the Bulldogs, Indians, and Aggies with one district loss apiece and each team holding a 1-1 record against the other two with two weeks left in the regular season.
The most prominent dilemma for Marion this week is finding a way to contain Poteet’s All-State running-back Ernest Davila. The senior has piled up 1,714 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 10.8 yards per carry through seven games, and has not been held under 100 yards in any game.
“He’s just got incredible vision,” Miller said. “He’s got some speed, but his vision, his balance – he never takes a big hit. It’s always a side hit, or he gets ankle-tackled, or something like that. So he’s a great football player, our defensive staff has put together a great game plan to stop him, our kids have had a great week of practice, and obviously we’re going to have to make sure we know where he’s at on the football field, and make sure we take away all the big plays.”
Quarterback Andrew Lockamy (1,271 yds., 18 TD, 3 Int.) and receiver Martin Ibarra (35 rec., 693 yds., 5 TD) give the Aggies other options when defenses sell out to contain Davila.
Marion looks to keep pace with an explosive and versatile offense of its own. Junior running-back Aidan Rios is putting together an impressive season on the ground with 934 yards (6.7 avg.) and 13 touchdowns.
Dual-threat quarterback Tanner Beakley is 100 percent physially after being nicked up for a few weeks. He enters Friday with 662 passing yards, 362 rushing yards, and 11 total touchdowns. Dominic Castellanos has been Marion’s most explosive receiver 416 yards and five scores on 21 catches. Castellanos also has two rushing TDs on the year.
A defense led by linebackers Kross Kelso (62 tackles, 13 TFL) and Trenton Mills (57 tackles, 10 TFL), and Eddie Rivera up front (12 TFL, 2 sacks) will try to limit Davila and the potent Poteet offense.
Friday’s kickoff at Aggie Field is set for 7:30 p.m. A complete interview with Miller can be heard during the Bulldog Report after 6:50 p.m. on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com.