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VYPE SATX Football Game of the Week: Harlan vs. East Central (Week 1)
Saturday, August 30 – 7:00 PM / Dub Farris Stadium, San Antonio
The start of a new season often brings a mix of anticipation and potential — clean slates, a different combination of lineups, and early tests that hint at what’s to come. But when Harlan and East Central meet Saturday night under the lights at Dub Farris Stadium, there’s a deeper current running beneath the surface.
For Harlan, the game marks more than just the beginning of another campaign.
It also marks the emotional return of head coach Eddie Salas, who will be back on the sidelines after a months-long battle with Stage 4 Large B cell lymphoma. Declared cancer-free in July, Salas’s comeback is already a galvanizing force for a Hawks team still riding momentum from a landmark 2024 season.
East Central arrives with its own sense of unfinished business. After a strong showing last year and a deep playoff run, the Hornets return a battle-tested core — especially on the perimeter — and are looking to prove they can reload despite key departures.
The season opener sets up a compelling clash between two San Antonio-area contenders who not only share postseason aspirations, but also a reputation for resilience and grit.
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Harlan finished last season 12–2, securing second place in District 28-6A before advancing four rounds deep into the playoffs.
Their run ultimately ended in the 6A Division II Region IV Final against eventual state champion Vandegrift, but the Hawks return enough firepower to suggest another deep run isn’t out of reach.
Senior QB Aldric Trotter remains the focal point of the offense. A unanimous first-team, all-district selection in 2024, Trotter threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns, while adding 935 rushing yards and 14 more scores on the ground.
With top wideout Payton Matthews now at Rice, fellow senior Jordan Grady — a second-team, all-district honoree — steps into a leading role in the passing game. Senior running back G’Ivori Graham, a three-star TCU commit, is also expected to take on a larger share of the offensive load.
Defensively, the Hawks return several core contributors, including first-team, all-district defensive back Taveion Ford, senior linebacker Robert Gonzales III, and junior DB Addon Palmer. Maddox Berantuo adds another experienced presence to a linebacker unit that will be key against East Central’s playmakers.
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For the Hornets, replacing 29-6A Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Mackey at quarterback is no small task — but head coach Joe Hubbard has consistently found ways to maximize his talent. Last season, East Central went 9–4 and reached the 6A Division I Regional Semifinals before falling to Lake Travis.
The offense will lean heavily on its senior wide receiver duo: Joseph Kelley and Deirionn Smith-Cline. Both earned first-team, all-district honors and combined for over 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. Their speed and chemistry should make them a constant threat regardless of who’s under center.
On defense, senior linebacker Braylon Blair (first-team) anchors the front seven after posting 87 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and three sacks in 2024. Junior Gabriel Chavarria, who added 50 tackles and 11 TFLs, gives East Central another disruptive force in the middle of the field.
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With talent spread across both rosters — and the added emotional weight of Salas’s return — Saturday night’s game promises more than just an early measuring stick. It’s a matchup with meaning, and one that could set the tone for two teams aiming to make noise in 2025.
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VYPE SATX Football Game of the Week: Harlan vs. Sotomayor (Week 11)
Entering the final week of the regular season, Harlan is currently tied with Sotomayor for the No.2 spot in the district, behind only Brennan - the one district opponent both teams have fallen to this Fall.
As we touched on in their Week 9 preview against Taft, the Hawks (8-1) feature one of the most efficient offenses in the Alamo City, having scored roughly 43 points per contest throughout the season, under the direction of coach Eddie Salas.
In terms of star-power, look no further than junior signal-caller Aldric Trotter, whose dual-threat capability has put the district on notice. As it stands, Trotter is averaging just under 200 passing yards a game with 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions, in addition to his notable contributions (488 yards, 8 TDs) to the ground-game.
The duo of Rice-commit Payton Matthews (Sr. WR) and Caelan Grbic-Schultz (Sr. WR) continues to cause trouble for opposing secondaries, as the two have combined for nearly 1,100 yards and 16 scores through the air.
Matthews also plays a role in the rushing attack, with 306 yards (23 carries) and three more touchdowns to his name.
The go-to guy in the backfield remains senior Adrien McDade, however, who has accumulated well over 500 yards and 6 TDs.
Meanwhile, Brock Potter (Sr. LB), Craig Sanders (Sr. LB/DB), Robert Gonzales (Jr. LB), Alexander Ciccarello (Sr. DL), Dwayne Wingfield (Sr. DB), Kody Brown (Sr. DB), and Addon Palmer (So. DB) cover each phase of the defense.
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On the other side of the ball, Sotomayor is enjoying their best season to date, since becoming a varsity program in 2022.
Most recently, the Juan Morales-led Wildcats throttled Warren 41-0 at the end of October, improving their record to 7-2, which secured their first-ever playoff-berth, and sky-rocketed their standing in our weekly SATX rankings.
Similar to Harlan, they have a 6-1 record in the district, making this game all the more crucial.
Despite the team's relative youth, the offense has had no trouble moving the ball down-field.
Sophomore running back Cameron Grady surpassed the 1,000-yard mark against Warren (Oct. 26th) and is currently averaging 116 per contest, with 11 combined scores in 2024.
Sotomayor's quarterback, Chauncey Moon (So.) has been just as vital to the rushing attack, with 732 yards (81.3 average) and 8 TDs thus far, in addition to a respectable 10-2 TD-INT passing ratio.
The primary targets for Moon have been seniors McKell Johnekins (10 rec, 197 yds, 5 TDs) and Carl Little (14 rec, 131 yds, 3 TDs), which compels defenses to not key in on the run as much.
The greatest asset for the Wildcats, however, is arguably their defense, which has limited opponents to a mere 17 points per game and has forced 16 turnovers throughout this Fall.
Senior LB Shawn Wasley has been an absolute monster. His decisive range across the field has resulted in 101 tackles and two interceptions. This should undoubtedly garner him a first-team, all-district selection after he was named to the second-team a year ago.
Wasley is aided in the defensive effort by Aaron Adejobi (Jr. DB), Manny Gutierrez (Fr. LB), Tristin Woodruff (Sr. DL), Michael Inweh (Sr. DB), Tyce Washington (Jr. DL), and Isaiah Espinoza (Sr. DB).
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It all comes down to this. In the final week of the regular season, Harlan (8-1) and Sotomayor (7-2) battle for silver in District 28-6A, at Gustafson Stadium on Thursday (7:00 pm).