Friday Night Rewind: Best Games, Biggest Wins and Top Performers From Last Week

Here are the biggest wins and top performers from last week’s high school football action in West Texas:

Best Game: San Angelo Central-Odessa Permian

The Central Bobcats battled Permian from start to finish Friday in Odessa and nearly pulled off a district-changing upset before falling 35-27. Central held leads of 14-7 and 21-7, and the Bobcats only trailed 28-27 midway through the fourth quarter before Permian scored and made a late defensive stand to seal the win. It was another exciting chapter in the storied rivalry between these programs, and it was another tough loss for Central. The Bobcats continue to play the teams in their district close, but they have to break through with a win soon if they hope to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Biggest Win: Menard

The Menard Yellowjackets faced their toughest test of the season Friday on the road against Medina. For only the second time this year, Menard didn’t run away with a 45-point win and had to fight for a 62-40 victory. Menard has a perfect 8-0 record and moved up to No. 8 in this week’s state rankings. The win was a big step toward the district title for the Yellowjackets, but they still have games against Nueces Canyon and longtime rival Eden to finish the regular season. 

Biggest Surprise: Ozona

We know Ozona is ranked No. 6 in the state, and they boast an incredible offensive line paving the way for superstar running back Christian Villarreal, who had already surpassed the 2,000-yard mark heading into last week. But with a road trip to play a one-loss Sonora team, it seemed like Villarreal might finally run into some resistance. Instead, he ran wild with 410 yards for his second-best mark of the season, and Ozona ran away with a 57-12 win. Villarreal now has a ridiculous 2,478 yards and 35 touchdowns through seven games. We are fortunate to be witnessing a season for the ages. He’ll continue to chase the state’s single-season record (4,045 yards, set by Sugar Land’s Kenneth Hall in 1953) when Ozona hosts Colorado City this week.

Case for the Defense: Wall

The Wall Hawks posted their third shutout of the year Friday with a 58-0 win at Coahoma. Jager Thompson returned an interception 70 yards for a TD to highlight the performance. The Hawks forced two other turnovers — an INT by Levi King and a fumble that was forced by Tayson Stucker and recovered by Braylon Nelson. Wall had 12 tackles for loss, two sacks and eight pass breakups in a thoroughly dominant effort.

Strong in Defeat: Sterling City

The Sterling City Eagles look as if they’re preparing to drop back to the six-man ranks next year, but they continue to fight in 11-man. After earning their first win of the season against Van Horn, Sterling City gave Eldorado a scare last week before falling 20-14. If the Eagles can find another win over the next three weeks, they’ll likely punch their ticket to the playoffs for the 16th straight year. The feat would be even more impressive considering the streak has remained alive whether they were playing six-man or 11-man.

Top Performers

Christian Villarreal, Ozona: Had 34 carries for 410 yards and six touchdowns, along with a two-point conversion in a win over Sonora

Darrell West, Grape Creek: Had 11 carries for 213 yards and three TDs, along with a 15-yard TD catch and an 82-yard punt return for a TD in a win over Stanton

Sire Garcia, Grape Creek: Had 15 carries for 121 yards and a TD in a win over Stanton

Anthony Saavedra, Grape Creek: Had 15 carries for 100 yards, along with a 34-yard TD catch in a win over Stanton

Lawson Thiers, Grape Creek: Had seven tackles, including five tackles for loss in a win over Stanton

Hayden Simpson, Grape Creek: Had three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in a win over Stanton

Ty DeBusk, Christoval: Had 18 carries for 111 yards and two TDs, along with three two-point conversions in a win over Reagan County

Haiden Davis, Christoval: Had 14 carries for 85 yards and two TDs in a win over Reagan County

Israel Bogs, Christoval: Had nine tackles and three pass breakups in a win over Reagan County

Colt Floyd, Christoval: Had seven tackles, including four tackles for loss in a win over Reagan County

Ryder Satepauhoodle, Miles: Had 24 carries for 105 yards and two TDs, along with an interception on defense in a loss to Cross Plains

Ashton Taylor, Brady: Had 18 carries for 132 yards and three TDs in a win over Eastland

Alijah Stark, Brady: Had four carries for 106 yards and a TD in a win over Eastland

Sean Jacoby, Brady: Had nine carries for 93 yards and two TDs in a win over Eastland

Demarcus Reed, Brady: Had 11 tackles and three tackles for loss in a win over Eastland

Johnny Roque, Brady: Had eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack, along with a TD run in a win over Eastland

Zey Johnson, San Angelo Central: Had 26 carries for 138 yards and a TD in a loss to Odessa Permian

Jimmy Edwards, San Angelo Central: Had five catches for 140 yards and a TD in a loss to Odessa Permian

Mason Van Sickle, San Angelo Central: Had 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, fumble recovery and pass breakup in a loss to Odessa Permian

Landon York, Wall: Threw for 333 yards and two TDs on 17-of-24 passing in a win over Coahoma

Reid Robertson, Wall: Had six catches for 154 yards and two TDs in a win over Coahoma

Brady Neal, Wall: Had 14 carries for 107 yards and three TDs in a win over Coahoma

Jager Thompson, Wall: Had three catches for 56 yards, along with a 70-yard interception return for a TD in a win over Coahoma

Acea Gomez, Sonora: Had 10 carries for 117 yards and a TD in a loss to Ozona

Garrett Walling, Eldorado: Had six catches for 61 yards and a TD, along with eight tackles and two tackles for loss in a win over Sterling City

James Proffitt, Eldorado: Had 11 tackles, including eight solo stops, a tackle for loss, forced fumble and fumble recovery in a win over Sterling City