When the final whistle blows on Saturday night, we will have officially reached the halfway mark of the 2021 high school football season, and there are several matchups in Week 5 that will significantly alter the area landscape. Big Game Coverage (BGC) kicks off on Thursday night with a wild game between undefeated teams at Ranger Stadium, and then ramps up on Friday night with another battle of unbeaten squads at Heroes Stadium.
Before the action gets underway, the KSAT 12 sports team breaks it all down on the weekly Big Game Coverage Preview show.
Recommended Videos
Instant Replay producer Daniel P. Villanueva gets Sports Director Greg Simmons and Anchor Larry Ramirez together in studio every Thursday to discuss the week’s matchups, 12′s Top 12 rankings and which players stand out from the rest. A new guest appears this week, and Larry gives a big shoutout to Carrizo Springs, who is 4-0 this season!
>> WATCH THE BGC PREVIEW SHOW HERE <<
Our Game of the Week features a classic rivalry:
BRANDEIS VS. JOHNSON
Over the course of the past decade, Brandeis and Johnson traditionally met in the first week of the season. In 2016, the matchup was officially dubbed the Peanut Butter Bowl, a community-based food drive that now expands to 10 different games and two cities. Last year, the two squads became district rivals due to UIL realignment, and their rivalry was reserved for Week 4.
This year, the two meet once again at Heroes Stadium -- this time in Week 5 -- as undefeated teams looking to make their marks on the season.
Johnson (4-0, 2-0) enters this matchup with a ton of momentum after scoring 45 of more points in three straight games. Their closest victory came in Week 1 against a hard-nosed Wagner squad, 21-13. Running back Benjamin McCreary has been the focal point of the Jaguars’ offense, scoring three touchdowns in back-to-back contests, but don’t overlook wide receiver Canaan Fairley who has three touchdowns to his name. Johnson has certainly earned their spot as the No. 4 team in KSAT 12′s Top 12.
Brandeis (4-0, 2-0) rallied to survive an upset against Clark last week, and their offense has been red hot, scoring 45 or more points in consecutive weeks. Christopher Rodriguez has topped 100 yards rushing in victories over MacArthur and Clark, while Julian Yzaguirre leads a dynamic wide receiver corps with 218 yards and two TDs.
Since 2011, Brandeis owns a 6-4 edge against Johnson in their 10 regular-season meetings, and the Broncos have won two of their three playoff games against the Jaguars over that span. In 2020, Johnson defeated Brandeis 19-7, the most recent example of how tightly-contested this series has been. Their 13 combined meetings have been decided by an average of five points per game.
Will the Jaguars top the Broncos for the second straight year and improve to 5-0? Or will Brandeis seize control of District 28-6A? We’ll find out when these two meet on the gridiron at Heroes Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday.
Thursday night’s MeTV Game of the Week features a big District 27-6A showdown between a pair of undefeated teams: Smithson Valley vs. New Braunfels! To hear from the teams prior to kickoff on Thursday night, click here!
Anchor Larry Ramirez and photographer Adam Higgins hitch a ride to the northeast, where they’ll visit games in Dripping Springs, Wimberley and Blanco!
Here’s the list of games they are covering in order:
- McCollum (2-2, 0-1) vs. Dripping Springs (4-0, 1-0) - This will be the Cowboys’ first game against Dripping Springs in District 12-5A Division I. The two were scheduled to play last year, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19.
- Alamo Heights (4-0) vs. Wimberley (3-1) - The undefeated Mules play an impressive Texans squad before both teams start district play next week.
- Three Rivers (3-1) vs. Blanco (1-3) - The Panthers look for their second win of the season at home against a Three Rivers team that has scored 40 or more points in back-to-back games.
Be sure to keep up with the latest updates by visiting our Scores & Schedules page! There, you can find every game’s date, kickoff time and location. It will be updated with live scores throughout the night so you can track every game in progress.
>> You can find the full Week 5 Schedule and Scores right here! <<
What do the experts have to say about Week 5′s schedule?
COVER 2
We are at the halfway mark of the season, and we have some great games to look forward to in Week 5. No. 3 Smithson Valley vs. No. 9 New Braunfels on Thursday night in a battle of the unbeatens in District 27-6A. The Unicorns have already upset Judson in Converse to drop the Rockets to 1-3 while the Rangers roughed up Wagner.
Then on Friday night, it’s another battle of the unbeatens when No. 4 Johnson faces off against No. 8 Brandeis in District 28-6A at Heroes Stadium. It happens to be the “Big Game” in our Big Game Coverage on Friday night.
This week’s BGC Road Trip is one I don’t recall doing before! It has McCollum at Dripping Springs, Alamo Heights at Wimberley and Three Rivers at Blanco. Alamo Heights (District 15-5A-II) is ranked number 6 in 12′s top 12 and will surely get a tough test from Wimberley (14-4A-II). Heights starting quarterback James Sobey works with local quarterback coach Yale Vannoy, so I know this young man can play ball.
McCollum started the season 2-0, which included the program’s first win since October 2018, snapping a 17-game skid. These young men play hard and feel head coach Carl Klann has them heading in the right direction. Coach Klann told us Dripping Springs has more numbers, as in more players, but his guys will do the best they can to offset that. Coach also said he’s proud of the effort of his team. During their two-game slide, they’ve made some mistakes, but he said the effort and desire to win has never wavered. At the end of the day, that’s what every football coach truly wants.
Here’s some of the latest high school sports headlines that you might have missed:
Watch Instant Replay on KSAT 12 Sunday nights at 11
Remember, Greg and Larry will recap all of the best highlights from Week 4 in the Best of BGC and reveal the updated rankings in KSAT 12′s Top 12 this Sunday night on Instant Replay. Catch you then!
Andrew Cely, KSAT 12 Sports Producer and Reporter
If you have any questions about this newsletter or story ideas for the season ahead, feel free to reach me via email at acely@ksat.com.