SAN ANTONIO – Week six of the high school football season is approaching, which marks the regular season’s halfway point.
This week’s Big Game Coverage Game of the Week, featuring No. 1 Steele (4-1) and No. 10 East Central (4-1), is an example of how quickly the stakes rise once district competition begins, per 12′s top 12.
The Knights and Hornets opened their District 29-6A schedules last week with wins over Clemens and Judson, respectively. Johnson is the only other team in the district that remains undefeated.
“It’s been the talk since the beginning of the season to come out and win the game against Judson,” East Central senior quarterback Isaiah Mackey said.
“We can’t mess around because it’s either win or go home basically,” Steele senior wide receiver Jalen Cooper said.
Southern Methodist University (SMU) commiting Cooper is not too far off by describing every game in District 29-6A as a must-win. The district is filled with some of the best teams in the San Antonio area, and each win can go a long way.
Both programs were scheduled for tough, non-district competition to prepare for a challenging district.
“You’re able to find your weaknesses,” said Steele football head coach David Saenz. “With the district being as tough as it is, it’s good to find those weaknesses early so you can get those puzzle pieces in the right spot.”
So far this season, the Knights have been the team to beat. Outside of their loss against Austin Westlake — the Knights boast Division I talent and a high-powered offense at the hands of Chad Warner.
East Central also enters the matchup with an impressive resume. The Hornets’ lone loss came against Harlan in Week 1.
“We just got to go out and play Hornet football,” said East Central football head coach Joe Hubbard. “Block, tackle, and execute plays like we’ve done all year and take care of the football.”
What makes this Steele and East Central matchup even more intriguing is the familiarity between the players, who have grown up nearby.
“It’s definitely special being able to compete with them,” said Steele senior wide receiver Royal Cappell. “And it’s also good to go against them.”
The Knights will host the Hornets on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Lehnhoff Stadium. After the game, the highlights and postgame reaction will air on the Nightbeat.
Read more reporting and watch highlights and full games on the Big Game Coverage page.
