The Austin High Maroons held off a late surge by the Bowie Bulldogs to seize the fourth and final playoff spot out of District 26-6A with a clutch 35-32 victory Friday (11/1) at House Park in the VYPE/ESPN Austin Central Texas High School Football Game of the Week.
Senior running back Bryson Batts (13-77, 2 TDs) and junior running back Reid Childers (11-27, 2 TDs) did most of their damage on the ground, with each rushing for two touchdowns. Senior quarterback John Latham (12-16, 147 Yds., TD) also connected with Batts on a 25-yard touchdown pass that gave the Maroons a 28-14 lead late in the first half. A late Bulldogs field goal trimmed the halftime lead to 28-17.
After a scoreless third quarter, Bowie’s senior quarterback Cruz Tello pulled the Bulldogs to within three points before Childers’ second rushing touchdown pushed the Maroons’ advantage back to 10. The Dawgs stormed back again, however, with Tello tossing another scoring strike with under a minute remaining.
Austin High appeared to be in good shape after Childers recovered the onside kick, but the Maroons were unable to run out the clock. Tello’s last-gasp heave ultimately fell harmlessly to the carpet, and with it, Bowie’s post-season hopes. The Bulldogs finished their 2024 campaign at 6-4 overall and 2-4 in district play.
The Maroons (2-3, 5-4) face consecutive tall tasks, facing Lake Travis to close out the regular season then traveling to Vandegrift to open their first playoff appearance since 2020.
There are plenty of marquee football matchups this week in the Austin area. Plenty of folks will be curious to see how Cedar Ridge holds up against Lake Travis or just exactly how many points Cedar Park and Hutto are going to score between them in their battle for 24-6A lead.
But the vast majority of games each week slip under the radar, largely unnoticed by anyone except the teams themselves and their fans. That doesn’t make those games any less important. And this week’s VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week between McNeil and Stony Point at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex is a perfect example.
There are similarities between these two longtime Round Rock ISD rivals. Both are operating under new head coaches. And both are trying to build new cultures around those coaches and return to playoff form.
McNeil’s journey has been the most harrowing of the two. The Mavericks (0-2, 0-6) returned to the playoffs in 2024 and were one freakish play away from repeating that accomplishment last season under former head coach Scott Hermes. The program then went through the process of replacing Hermes twice, ultimately landing Jerry Gardner from Wylie East late in the summer.
Between the late change and seriously rebuilding after losing a ton of talent to graduation, the Mavericks have gotten off to a slow start. Senior quarterback Orion Covault has worked through the air (52-100, 646 Yds., 5 TD, 3 INT – stats through 5 games) while tacking on 261 rushing yards with a touchdown. Senior Zylen Hall (48-255, 9.5 YPC, 4 TD) has provided a spark on the ground with young receivers Quincy Sampson (13-194, 14.9 YPC, 2 TD) and sophomore Jeremy Powell (12-143, 11.9 YPC, TD) emerging as his favorite targets.
It’s a similar, if more conventional story at Stony Point (1-1, 2-4). Former Hutto offensive coordinator Dustin Pleasant travelled west along Hwy. 79 to land in Tigerland, taking over from legendary head coach Craig Cheshire. Unlike McNeil’s recent playoff appearance, the Tigers haven’t been to the postseason in a minute or two. And while the path to postseason is difficult in a district with Lake Travis, Westlake, and Round Rock, the path potentially exists with a win over Cedar Ridge (or a huge upset of either “Lake” team.)
Senior quarterbacks Brady Davis (49-89, 670 yds., 5 TD, 2 INT) and sophomore Kadin Smith (29-55, 324, 2 TD, INT) have both seen time behind center while junior Aiden Lloyd (98-475, 4.8 YPC, 8 TDs) anchors the running attack. Senior Olamide Aroworade (28-456, 16.3 YPC, 3 TD) has been the Tigers’ leading receiver.
It’s easy to hype the drama between two powerhouse teams. These two – McNeil and Stony Point – each have their own goals and agendas. At the most basic level, McNeil is simply looking for their first win of the season and of the Coach Gardner era; a chance to reap the rewards after months of hard work.
The Tigers’ slender playoff path relies on winning all their game against the rest of the district while punching one of the favorites in the nose down the road.
But mostly, it’s just one of the 10 nights these kids get to experience the thrill and joy of playing Texas High School Football. The fact that it’s our VYPE Austin CenTex Game of the Week is just icing on the cake.
