Preview: Players to Watch in Central Texas – Week 5
These are the players to watch across Central Texas for week five of high school football! 1. Aiden Baumann (SR-QB) – New Braunfels High School (New Braunfels, TX) 2021 Season: 825 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions Baumann has…
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Continue ReadingThese are the players to watch across Central Texas for week five of high school football!
1. Aiden Baumann (SR-QB) – New Braunfels High School (New Braunfels, TX)
2021 Season: 825 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Baumann has been an electric quarterback for New Braunfels to kick off the season but the Unicorns face arguably their toughest opponent yet against Smithson Valley. The Rangers have yet to allow more than 14 points in a game and have scored 28 or more points in each game. They have defeated teams such as Wagner, Madison and Warren in this manner. Although, New Braunfels has such a high-scoring offense backed by Baumann that the game could turn into a shootout but the senior quarterback will have to contest with strong defense from Smithson Valley.
2. Colin Page (SR-RB) – Anderson High School (Austin, TX)
2021 Season: 526 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns, 22 receptions, 389 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns
Anderson has greatly improved since last season’s woes even though the Trojans sit at 1-2 right now. The losses came at just three points or less and they defeated Westwood 45-14. A lot of that scoring has come from Page, who by the stats alone, has done a lot of work and is noticed as one of the best running backs in Central Texas. That being said, Anderson faces off against an undefeated Pflugerville. The Panthers have not allowed more than 21 points to be scored against them. That being said, the Panthers have yet to face an offense like Anderson, so an upset could be in order especially if Page has played like he has.
3. Che Nwabuko (SR-WR) – Manor High School (Manor, TX)
2021 Season: 19 receptions, 304 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns
Nwabuko has been a star player for Manor for quite a bit, including last year, and the Mustangs have enjoyed a pretty successful start to the season. Although, the challenge is leveled up as the Mustangs begin district play against Leander, who shares the same record of 2-1. Both the Manor and Leander offenses are similar in scoring and the defenses are similar in stopping. That means this game could go either way but means both teams will need to rely on star players and for Manor that is Nwabuko.
4. Alexander Franklin III (SR-RB) – Leander High School (Leander, TX)
2021 Season: 429 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns
The same could be said for Franklin, who is arguably Leander’s star player. This is not the first time Franklin will square off against a good team as he rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns against Vista Ridge on Sept. 2. With that in mind, Leander will likely lean heavily on Franklin to produce yards and points against a tough defense in Manor, much in the way the Mustangs will be leaning on Nwabuko.
5. Wesley York (JR-DB) – Bowie High School (Austin, TX)
2021 Season: 15 total tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 blocked punt
Bowie has enjoyed its undefeated streak to start the season but a new challenger approaches in Austin. Austin boasts an offense that can drive up the scoreboard if necessary, such as the game against Lehman which ended with a 38-30 win for the Maroons. With that in mind, the player to watch is one of the best defenders for the Bulldogs in York who has been impressive both on defense and special teams. The Bowie defense, York included, will need to bring its A-game to avoid an upset.