Week 1 is in the books! What does that mean for the Austin/San Antonio area? Each week I will take a look at some questions from across the Austin-San Antonio area then give you an answer to said questions. I won't always be right, but hey who is?
Question 1: Was the New Braunfels win a sign of things to come for the Unicorns?
Out of all the games, not only in Austin/San Antonio but across the state, that had the most interesting final score had to be the New Braunfels vs Denton Ryan game. The Raiders came in as favorites by many in the Texas High School Football world, but it was the Unicorns that left with the win. The Unicorns trailed by as much as 19, but stormed back to take the lead late in the 4th before an interception helped seal their victory. One of the questions I had coming into the season was how they would do after the departure of Senior quarterback Aiden Baumann. Well Leighton Adams started off his first year as the starter on a strong note going 20-31 for 312 yards and 3 touchdowns. Last year we saw a game like this from Judson against DeSoto before their 2nd half of the season woes. What about New Braunfels, is this win a sign of things to come?
What do I think?
I think if Adams can continue to develop and play at the level he did Thursday then absolutely. Their non-district schedule will definitely help get them read for Steele and Judson, 2 opponents they will face in district. Seguin comes to town this week, and then they play city rival Canyon who will be no slouch either. The Unicorns have been quietly growing something out here in the hill country and this could be the year we see them make a little playoff run.
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Question 2: Can Dripping Springs be a contender in 26-6A?
Dripping Springs came into the season with a Quarterback in Austin Novosad who has been on fire during the offseason, but with the move to 6A the question was could Dripping Springs be as much a power as they were in 5A. Well their 23-20 win over Vandegrift to start the season definitely makes it seem like the transition could be seamless. Now the question must be asked, can Dripping Springs compete for the District title in 26-6A?
What do I think?
I think the elephant in the room in this scenario is Westlake. Their first test in the district will be against Austin Bowie on the 23rd of September. Then they have the "big 2" in the district; Westlake and Lake Travis. Lake Travis may have a defensive problem to address. At least that's what it looked like against Arlington Martin Thursday. While the Cavs were without starting QB Bo Edmundson due to an injury, Lake Travis still hung in there against Martin and did have a chance to win that game. But before they even thing about Lake Travis, Westlake will be their first opponent of the 2. While they started off slow against Ridge Point, The Chaps went on a 37-0 run to close the game. While Dripping Springs may have had a hot start to their season, I think Westlake's defense is going to be to much for most teams this year.
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Question 3: What should we take away from the 3 instant classics from this weekend's Pigskin classic at the Alamodome?
5 points. That was the total point differential of the 3 games played at the Alamodome on Saturday. Smithson Valley defeated Reagan 14-13, Judson defeated Johnson 46-43 and Steele defeated Brennan 35-34. This may have been the single greatest day of San Antonio area Football in history, or at least recent memory, when you think of the powers of San Antonio High School Football. With all of these games coming down to the wire what should we take away from all of these final results?
What do I think?
I think the biggest takeaway from all of this is that 27-6A may be a fun one to watch for the top spot between Steele and Judson. Not only that, but given the results from Saturday they could be the ones to finally make that San Antonio run we mentioned earlier in the preseason. We will really get a better sense of where each team stands this week as Steele will be taking on Lake Travis and Judson takes on Westlake. A loss won't be a negative in either of these cases, but how they compete will give us so much info about the state of San Antonio football as we head toward the playoffs later in the season.
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Question 4: Which player should you keep your eye on in Week 2?
Across Austin and San Antonio there were many amazing performances during Week 1 of the season. From great offensive performances to dominant defensive showings. But of all the amazing performances which one stood out and which should we pay attention to in Week 2?
What do I think?
For me it is Ty Hawkins of San Antonio Johnson. The Sophomore quarterback was phenomenal in the Week 1 Loss to Judson, leading his team on a comeback that fell just short in overtime. In the game Hawkins threw for 317 yards and 5 touchdowns and ran for 151 yards and 1 touchdown. In easily one of the toughest games on paper for Johnson this season, the young QB showed Johnson has a bonefide star for the next 3 years. Of course the question becomes what will happen when teams start getting tape on the kid. But in a game on a grand stage, Hawkins did not blink and I can't wait to see not only what he does in Week 2, but beyond as well.
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Question 5: What is the most intriguing Week 2 Matchup?
Week 1 really delivered on some amazing football games across the Austin and San Antonio area. I don't know if Week 2 has as many intriguing matchups as Week 1 did, but that doesn't mean there are not some good games you need to pay attention to. So what is the Week 2 game that is most intriguing to me?
What do I think?
For me there are 3 that stand out. Lake Travis vs Steele, Westlake vs Judson and Liberty Hill vs Hutto. While the first two may be most picks for various reasons, but for me the most intriguing matchups is Liberty Hill vs Hutto. Hutto is coming off a dominating win against San Marcos and their passing game looks it could be the real deal for a playoff run this year. More intriguing? It was how their defense stifled the Rattler running game. That will be key this week as they are taking on the Slot T power Liberty Hill. Liberty Hill tallied up over 300 yards rushing in their win over Wagner so any hope of a win for Hutto will be on their defensive front 7. For the Panthers, a win against Hutto will go a long way in showing that their last 2 seasons, a state semi-final and state championship experience, are the norm and not the exception for Liberty Hill since moving up to 5A.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
