2007 Top Twelve Playoff Games

Our Txprepsfootball.com
2007 Top Twelve Playoff Games
has been released, and we start out with games from classes 2A, 4A and 5A. We'll be releasing three games per day through New Year's.

Lone Star State Signal-Callers Sprouting Up

Good article from ESPN today on the success of quarterbacks from the Lone Star State.

With the spread offense being the weapon of choice among Texas high schools, this looks like it will be a continuing trend.

Top Ranked Texas QBs
(Per Rivals)
Andrew Luck, Stratford Stanford
Tommy Dorman, Birdville Texas A&M
Seth Doege, Frenship Texas Tech
Robert Griffin, Copperas Cove Baylor
Darron Thomas, Aldine Oregon
Taylor Cook, Altair Rice Miami
Jerome Tiller, SA Lee Iowa State

Txprepsfootball.com All Texas Team Released

Our Txprepsfootball.com All Texas Team offense is littered with record breakers, including a pass catching duo from Class 4A Division II State Champion Lake Travis, and a quartet of running backs who either broke state records or moved into prominent positons on the all-time rushing lists.

On the defensive side, safeties Aaron Williams of Round Rock McNeil and Blake Gideon of Leander continue the Central Texas theme as they lead a defense capable of stopping any offense assembled.

Weslaco's Mishak Rivas is our offensive player of the year, and it is an honor well deserved. The AP left Rivas off the top two class 5A all-state teams, and there was some talk of him facing inferior competition in the Valley, but make no mistake, Rivas would excel no matter where he played. No less an authority than San Antonio Madison head coach Jim Streety said "Rivas gave us a tougher time than any back we faced all year", after he totaled 356 all-purpose yards and scored three touchdowns against the Mavericks in the playoffs; and don't forget that Madison's district included the Marcus Wright (who also made our team) led San Antonio Reagan Rattlers.

Round Rock McNeil's Aaron Williams, our defensive player of the year, is the type of player that you could put just about anywhere on the field and get excellent results. He had a mind-boggling 27 tackles in a game against Round Rock and also excelled on offense and special teams.

The team consists of the following:
6 Class 1A Players
5 Class 2A Players
7 Class 3A Players
7 Class 4A Players
12 Class 5A Players
24 seniors, 6 juniors and 1 sophomore

Celina's 8th Title Breaks Record

With their 21-14 win over China Spring, the Celina Bobcats broke a tie with Southlake Carroll, Brownwood, and Plano, and now is the sole owner for the most state championships won by a high school football program in the state of Texas.

Celina's Previous State Championships
Year Opponent Score
2007 China Spring, 21-14
2005 Omaha Prewitt, 28-12
2001 Garrison, 41-35
2000 Mart, 21-17
1999 Elysian Fields, 38-7
1998 Elysian Fields, 21-0
1995 Alto, 32-28
1974 Big Sandy 0-0*
*Co-Champions

This just in ..... these Tigers are good

They began the season ranked as the #2 class 5A team in the state by the Associated Press and #6 in the nation by PrepNation. They ended the season #1 in the state and #3 in the nation. Much was expected from the 2007 Katy Tigers, and they delivered the goods by awaking from a first half slumber to close the door on the Pflugerville Panthers, 28-7.

The 07' Katy Tigers made a strong case for being the best class 5A team this decade, and the numbers bear that out; they outscored their opponents 701-132, while averaging 43.81 points on offense and holding the opposition to 8.25 points per game.

No doubt Southlake Carroll could make a case that their recent state championship teams are as good or better than this year's Katy version, but I don't recall a Dragon team as well rounded as this year's Tiger team. Offense, defense, special teams; they had it all.

Congratulations to what is probably the best Katy team in their proud history.

HP Receiver Looks Big-Time to Me

While attending the Highland Park/Everman game at Mesquite's Memorial Stadium last week, I spent part of the time chasing my beloved UT cap around the field due to intermittent wind gusts of 30-40 mph, and salivating over the other media members winter attire (yes I was poorly prepared).

When I did find time to take in the game, one player clearly stood out to me. Highland Park wide receiver Seth Gardner looks to be one of the best at his position I have seen this season, and why the state's best football minds have not beat a path to his front door is puzzling to me.

Gardner stands 6'4, weighs 185, and runs a reported 4.4 forty. Forty times can be a deceptive tool in football, but I found out all I need to know about Gardner's speed when he caught a short pass and turned it into a 66-yard score. The Everman defender nipping at his heels was made to look as if his football shoes were instead two twenty-pound weights.

Gardner is without a doubt an excellent athlete, as he has signed a baseball scholarship with Arkansas. Maybe he prefers sacrifice bunts to sacrificing his body, as he seems to indicate in this article, but Scots' coach Randy Allen also seems to wonder why Gardner hasn't received more interest in football.

College coaches; if your looking for one of the state's top wide receivers next year, it shouldn't be hard to find him. He'll be roaming the outfield for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Gardner's Season Stats: 69 catches for 1,431 yards and 21 touchdowns