Four weeks remain in the 2022 high school football regular season, and every game counts a little more as teams battle tooth and nail for playoff positioning. No matchup is bigger this Friday night than a showdown featuring two undefeated teams in KSAT 12′s Top 12 with a potential district title riding in the balance. It was an easy choice for our Game of the Week for Week 8 of our Big Game Coverage (BGC):
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BGC Game of the Week: No. 9 Harlandale vs. No. 4 Alamo Heights, Orem Stadium, 7 p.m.
The Indians and Mules will face each other on the gridiron for the first time since 2014. That meeting was a Bi-District playoff game that Alamo Heights won 48-17. Similar stakes are on the line this week at Orem Stadium, as both Alamo Heights and Harlandale enter Orem Stadium with matching 5-0 records in District 14-5A Division II and high-flying offenses.
Harlandale (5-1, 5-0) has scored 100 combined points in their most recent victories over Highlands and Brackenridge. Quarterback Jacob Saucedo has the Indians’ offense humming with nearly 1,300 passing yards and 19 total touchdowns to his name. Saxon Langenberg, Joseph Esparza and Pedro Valenzuela have proven to be dynamic weapons for Saucedo in the passing game, while Zion Molina keeps the ground game steady.
Meanwhile, Alamo Heights (5-1, 5-0) has scored 49 points or more in five straight games, all resounding victories. Wide receiver Rett Andersen is still the most dangerous man on the field, accounting for eight receiving touchdowns this season. When Andersen isn’t burning secondaries, quarterback Conley McKenna gets Michael Terry III involved either in the passing game or ground game. The offense is impressive, but the defense has been just as good. The Mules have only allowed 13 total points over their last three games.
Friday night’s showdown will be crucial towards deciding the eventual district champion. Expect some real offensive fireworks from both squads.
Bastrop vs. Veterans Memorial, Rutledge Stadium, 7 p.m.
Last Friday night, the Patriots (4-2, 1-1) walked off the field on the wrong end of a wild game against traditional Class 5A power Liberty Hill 56-49. As tough as that loss was, it proved that Veterans Memorial can compete with the best teams in the state.
The Patriots’ offense has lit gridirons across Texas on fire throughout the first seven weeks of the season, scoring at least 31 points or more in every game they’ve played. They’ve also scored 49 points in back-to-back games against Liberty Hill and Lockhart. Running back James Peoples has been the primary catalyst with 14 touchdowns to his name. It seems like you can pencil him in for a run of 60 or more yards every week. Quarterback CJ Irving has kept defenses honest with his arm and his legs, accounting for 11 total touchdowns.
Bastop (2-5, 2-1) comes into Rutledge stadium with a worse overall record than the Patriots, but they’ve just reeled off two straight wins in District 13-5A Division II play. Friday night’s matchup is a huge opportunity for Veterans Memorial to get themselves on the right side of the district standings before facing Pieper and Kerrville Tivy over the final weeks of the regular season.
Somerset vs. Fredericksburg, Battlin’ Billie Stadium, 7 p.m.
Playoff positioning in District 14-4A Division II is up for grabs at Battlin’ Billie Stadium Friday night. Three teams are currently undefeated in district play: Boerne, Somerset and Fredericksburg. The Greyhounds improved to 2-0 Thursday night with a victory over Memorial, so the Bulldogs and Billies will square off in a matchup that could ultimately determine who finishes second in the district standings.
Both squads enter this matchup after posting dominant shutout victories in Week 7. Somerset (5-1, 1-0) crushed Kennedy 53-0, the most recent example of an explosive offense that has scored 23 points or more in every game this season. Fredericksburg (3-3, 1-0) cruised past Memorial 36-0, their second straight shutout victory. Both teams love ground-and-pound style offenses. Jacob Alcorta and Josiah Lugo headline Somerset’s rushing attack, while Jesse Leija is averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game for Fredericksburg.
Friday night’s meeting should be classic matchup of strength vs. strength. Which of these two will win the battle in the trenches?