Houston high school football: Week 6 takeaways and top performers
· Yahoo Sports
Randle's star running back is passing Texas high school football legends in the record book, Friendswood is off to its best start in 16 years, Bridgeland is surging toward another district title run, and Katy Taylor has put itself firmly in the playoff conversation after an 0-10 season. Plus, a handful of Houston-area quarterbacks and playmakers delivered monster performances in Week 6. Here are some key takeaways.
Williams-Callis passes Cedric Benson
Randle running back Landen Williams-Callis has been chasing history this season and continued to move up the state's all-time rushing list during the Lions' 78-0 victory against South Houston on Thursday.
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Williams-Callis rushed for 334 yards and five touchdowns on just 15 carries, averaging 22.3 yards per attempt. He also threw a 25-yard touchdown pass, the second of his illustrious career. With that performance, the five-star Texas commit now has 8,727 career rushing yards and 150 touchdowns scored. During the win over the Trojans, he passed Cuero's Robert Strait (8,411), Midland Lee's Cedric Benson (8,423) and Groveton's Rodney Thomas (8,439).
Perhaps the most significant connection of those three is Benson, but not just because both players were recruited to play for the Texas Longhorns. Benson, who died in 2019 at just 36 years old, was the last high school player to be featured solo on the cover of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine until Williams-Callis - who is averaging 234.6 yards per game with 17 touchdowns this season - followed in his footsteps this past summer. Benson, who led Midland Lee to three consecutive state championships (1998-2000), was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
Friendswood offense on fire
Friendswood has started its season 6-0 for the first time since 2019 after the Mustangs picked up a significant district victory Friday. Friendswood (6-0, 4-0) pulled out a 48-42 home win over Iowa Colony, setting the stage for what could be a very entertaining finish to the District 11-5A Division I schedule. Friendswood, Randle (5-0, 3-0) and Angleton (6-0, 4-0) are the remaining unbeaten teams in the district, and they all play each other over the final few weeks of the regular season.
Senior quarterback Josh Brister has been excellent for Friendswood this season. He's putting up huge numbers, and his performance against Iowa Colony was one of his best. Brister, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect, passed for 447 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 48 yards and another score.
After making the playoffs the past two years and finishing with six victories last season, Friendswood has already matched that win total under fourth-year head coach and 2009 graduate Jordan Johnson. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Clint Toon has the Mustangs averaging 57 points per game.
Schwab has Bridgeland rolling
After securing back-to-back wins over Cypress Ranch and Cypress Springs, Bridgeland is just one of two teams still unbeaten in District 23-6A action. The Bears' only blemish this season came against Ridge Point in non-district play, and the Panthers are looking like one of the best teams in the state. Bridgeland (4-1, 2-0) is gaining steam with a key road matchup against Fulshear (5-0, 2-0) coming up on Oct. 16.
The Bears won district titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024 before finishing as the runner-up to Cy Ranch last season. Senior running back Kash Schwab has been the catalyst for much of that success since he first arrived on the scene as the All-Greater Houston Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore. Schwab - who has piled up more than 4,000 total yards and more than 50 touchdowns during his career - rushed for 328 yards and four scores during the Bears' 37-21 victory against Cy Springs on Saturday night.
Katy Taylor scores key win
After recording just the second 0-10 season in program history and the first since its inaugural campaign in 1980, Katy Taylor bolstered its playoff chances with a significant win on Thursday. Led by second-year head coach Chris Babin - formerly the defensive coordinator at Jordan - the Mustangs earned a 36-13 victory against Cinco Ranch that has them firmly in the race for the postseason out of District 22-6A.
Taylor hasn't made the playoffs since 2023 and has only qualified 13 times in its 46 varsity seasons. This year's Mustangs (4-2, 2-2) certainly have a chance to make it happen with Seven Lakes, Morton Ranch, Paetow and the still unbeaten Katy Tigers remaining on their regular-season schedule.
Taylor scored 22 points in a pivotal second quarter against Cinco Ranch with junior quarterback Logan Broome leading the charge. Broome was an efficient 13-for-17 passing (76.5%) for 107 yards and a touchdown, but he also did a lot of damage with his legs. He rushed for a team-high 136 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, good for a 9.1 average.
While Taylor boosted its playoff chances with the win, the result could also have a significant impact elsewhere. Looking toward the postseason picture, Taylor making the cut could push Katy into the Division I bracket, depending on how things play out. Katy has a larger enrollment than both Tompkins and Taylor.
Top performers
S.J. Battle, QB, Madison:Battle and the rest of the Marlins' offense had a field day against Sharpstown during their 55-20 district victory on Thursday. Battle, a junior, completed 8-of-13 passes for 378 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. He averaged 47.3 yards per completion and included plays of 97 and 91 yards. Senior receiver Juel Peterson had five catches for 244 yards and three touchdowns.
Luke Babin, QB, Barbers Hill:Babin had another standout performance for the Eagles during a 72-11 district victory against Clear Brook on Thursday. He completed 11-of-14 passes (78.6%) for 235 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per attempt and 21.4 yards per completion.
Curtis Zeno, RB, Paetow:Zeno was the catalyst for the Panthers' offense during their 28-16 district win over Morton Ranch on Thursday. The Arizona commit rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt on a night where Paetow rushed for 335 as a team.
Thomas Eugate, QB, Jordan: Eugate was lights-out during the Warriors' 44-8 district victory against Mayde Creek. He completed 20-of-27 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns and added 58 yards and another score on the ground.
Zander Hoover, QB, Strake Jesuit: Hoover had a big game while helping the Crusaders secure their first win of the season, a 45-14 triumph over Clements on Friday. He rushed for 187 yards and four touchdowns on just 12 carries, averaging 15.6 yards per attempt.
Christian Ndujiuba, QB, Cypress Falls: Coming off a game-winning touchdown pass against Cy-Fair, Ndujiuba impressed again during the Golden Eagles' 56-7 district win over Cypress Creek. He completed 8-of-10 passes (80%) for 189 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 23.6 yards per completion.
Jamarcus Nickerson, DB, Montgomery: Nickerson made a huge impact on defense and special teams during the Bears' 54-0 district win over Kingwood Park. He returned a blocked punt 7 yards for a touchdown and returned an interception 28 yards for another score.
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