GAMES
RANKINGS
VYPE SATX Football Game of the Week: Harlan vs. Taft (Week 9)
Picking up right where they left off a year ago, the Hawks have enjoyed yet another remarkable campaign throughout this Fall.
While Harlan did drop their lone loss of the season in the district opener against Brennan, they continued to beat up on their remaining opponents, most recently ousting Stevens 49-14 last Friday to bring their record to 6-1.
Coach Eddie Salas' offense, which is averaging nearly 40 points a game, has made it nearly impossible for opposing teams to keep up entering the ninth week of the season.
Dual-threat junior QB Aldric Trotter is playing some clean football, having thrown for roughly 1,200 yards with 10 TDs to just one interception, while rushing for 361 more and has scored four times on the ground.
Joining him in the backfield is senior Adrien McDade, who's put some impressive numbers (464 yards, 6 TDs) of his own.
Regarding the wide receiver room, 2023 first-teamer and Rice-commit Payton Matthews (18 receptions, 376 yards, 5 TDs) and Caelan Grbic-Schultz (20 rec, 364 yds, 4 TDs) are Carter's top targets. Furthermore, Matthews also contributes in the run game, while Grbic-Schultz plays a key role on special teams.
On defense, the heavy-hitters for the Hawks are Brock Potter (Sr. LB), Craig Sanders (Sr. LB/DB), Dwayne Wingfield (Sr. DB), Robert Gonzales (Jr. LB), and Alexander Ciccarello (Sr. DL).
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Meanwhile, the Raiders (5-2) are coming off a tough loss against Sotomayor and will look to get back in the win column this week.
Under the direction of coach Ricky Stade, this team has shown flashes of greatness and have to proven their ability to win the close games.
Taft's offense (34 ppg) is led by Tucker Vogel (Jr. QB), who is even deadlier with his legs (652 rushing yards, 11 TDs) than he is with his arm (1018 passing yards, 9 TDs).
Vogel has spread the wealth through the air, with Isiah Delgado (Jr. RB), Raymond Foster-Davis (Sr. WR), Kenyen Skelton (Sr. WR), and David Aguirre (Jr. WR) each sharing touches.
The rushing attack is unquestionably this squad's strong-suit, as senior RB Prometheus Elmore (656 all-purpose yards, 7 TDs) adds another dynamic behind a tough Raiders O-Line.
Defensively, there are still some kinks that need to be ironed out (about 25 points allowed per game), but the veterans of the unit are likely to keep Taft in the game.
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There are several playoff-implications surrounding this district matchup, so this is one fans won't want to miss when the two face off Thursday night (7:00 pm) at Greyhound Stadium.
THE HIERARCHY: VYPE SATX Week 9 Football Rankings; Harlan beginning to soar
Following another series of contests this past week, there still hasn't been too much movement regarding who falls into the city's top-10.
While Cibolo Steele rested up on a bye week, Brennan, Pieper, and Alamo Heights kept cooking, with the latter-two remaining undefeated throughout this Fall.
The Harlan Hawks climbed the ladder after a one-sided victory over Stevens last Friday, bringing their record to 6-1 on the year, while Canyon re-enters the top-10 after a hard-fought win against East Central.
One of the more intriguing matchups taking place in Week 9 will be between the aforementioned Harlan and district counterpart Taft.
As we near the final moments of the 2024 regular season, it's still anyone's title to win. Look below to see how everyone is shaping up.
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VYPE San Antonio Combined (6A-4A) Top-20 Rankings
*Last parentheses indicates most recent game result
1. Cibolo Steele Knights (6A) -- 6-1 (Bye) // Next Matchup: 10/25 vs. San Marcos
2. Brennan Bears (6A) -- 6-1 (72-7 W v. Holmes) // Next Matchup: 10/25 @ Stevens
3. Pieper Warriors (5A) -- 7-0 (49-35 W v. New Braunfels) // Next Matchup: 10/26 @ MacArthur
4. Alamo Heights Mules (5A) -- 8-0 (37-26 W v. Veterans Memorial) // Next Matchup: 10/25 vs. McCollum
5. Smithson Valley Rangers (5A) -- 5-2 (47-7 W v. Seguin) // Next Matchup: 10/25 @ New Braunfels
6. SA Johnson Jaguars (6A) -- 6-1 (41-28 W v. Madison) // Next Matchup: 10/26 vs. LEE
7. Davenport Wolves (4A) -- 7-1 (55-14 W v. Somerset) // Next Matchup: 10/25 vs. Uvalde
8. Harlan Hawks (6A) -- 6-1 (49-14 W v. Stevens) // Next Matchup: 10/24 @ Taft***
9. New Braunfels Unicorns (5A) -- 5-2 (35-49 L v. Pieper) // Next Matchup: 10/25 vs. Smithson Valley
10. Canyon Cougars (6A) -- 5-2 (43-40 W v. East Central) // Next Matchup: 10/24 @ Judson
11. East Central Hornets (6A) -- 5-3 (40-43 L v. Canyon) // Next Matchup: 10/25 vs. Buda Johnson
12. Reagan Rattlers (6A) -- 4-3 (54-0 W v. LEE) // Next Matchup: 10/25 vs. Churchill
13. Churchill Chargers (6A) -- 5-2 (28-14 W v. SA Roosevelt) // Next Matchup: 10/25 @ Reagan
14. Taft Raiders (6A) -- 5-2 (16-34 L v. Sotomayor) // Next Matchup: 10/24 vs. Harlan
15. Tivy Antlers (5A) -- 6-2 (55-20 W v. McCollum) // Next Matchup: (Bye) 11/1 vs. Alamo Heights
16. SA Wagner Thunderbirds (5A) -- 3-3 (42-28 W v. Victoria East) // Next Matchup: 10/25 @ Seguin
17. Boerne-Champion Chargers (5A) -- 4-3 (58-13 W v. MacArthur) // Next Matchup: 10/25 @ Victoria East
18. Clark Cougars (6A) -- 4-3 (17-7 W v. Brandeis) // Next Matchup: 10/25 @ SA Roosevelt
19. Brandeis Broncos (6A) -- 4-3 (7-17 L v. Clark) // Next Matchup: 10/26 vs. Madison)
20. Seguin Matadors (5A) -- 3-4 (7-47 L v. Smithson Valley) // Next Matchup: 10/25 vs. SA Wagner