With new Austin-area high schools seemingly popping up as fast as Starbucks in that old episode of The Simpsons, you wouldn’t think it would take teams from the Bryan/College Station area to fill out an Austin-centric 5A district. Yet, here we are, as the Anderson Trojans head into their District 12-5A-1 opener Friday (9/12) vs. College Station in the VYPE Central Texas Game of the Week from venerable House Park.
Anderson has stormed out of the gates. Coach Donald Hatcher’s Trojans are 2-0 on the young season, following up a 37-2 wipeout of McCallum in the “Shoal Creek Showdown” (né the “Taco Shack Bowl”) with a 42-0 blanking of Elgin.
Junior quarterback Cove Darbyshire (13-19, 289 Yds., 3 TDs) leads a balanced offense that features senior running back Caleb Crenshaw (24-297, 12.4 YPC, 4 TDs). Seniors Pierce Miller and Alex Longoria pace a Trojans defense that has yet to allow a score in two games.
College Station doesn’t look all that imposing on paper. After a 2024 campaign that saw the Cougars bow out in the regional semifinals at 11-2 after placing second in the district at 7-1 behind A&M Consolidated, Coach Stoney Pryor’s club is off to a 0-2 start.
But look closer. Those two losses were both highly competitive games against 6A powers Klein Collins and Magnolia. The Cougars are hungry for a breakthrough win. To get it, they’ll rely on the arm (24-44, 357 Yds., 4 TD, 2 INT) and legs (26-128, 4.9 YPC, 4 rushing TD) of senior quarterback Keaton Johnson and his favorite target, senior Zac Cosser (10-154, 15.4 YPC, 3 TD). Both will test the Trojans defense.
Anderson is the sole City of Austin team in a sprawling District 12-5A-1 that spans Pflugerville’s Hendrickson and Weiss to the north; Bastrop and Cedar Creek to the south and further down IH-35 to Hays and Lehman. After all those teams chased the interlopers from Aggieland – College Sation and A&M Consolidated – last year, Anderson in particular hopes to clamber over them and climb atop the district standings.
The Trojans will get their first chance Friday night.
What: Anderson vs. College StationWhen: 7:15 Pregame, 7:30 Kickoff
Where: House Park
Who: Patrick “Wheels” Smith, David Roy
Watch: https://www.vype.com/7pm-football-anderson-vs-college-station OR http://vypelive.com/web/g/16021
