Under the Lone Star Lights: Battle of Rockwall headlines week five

It is already week five of the Texas high school football season. We are nearing the end of September, and some teams around the state have already grabbed statement wins, while players are emerging in big ways.

Some of the notable week four results include Duncanville knocking off DeSoto, Highland Park surprising Rockwall after the Yellowjackets defeated Lake Travis the week prior, and Denton Guyer beating Humble Atascocita at UNT’s Apogee Stadium.

Week five sees some top programs off this week, including Allen, Lake Travis, Highland Park, and Argyle, to name just a few. That said, there are still some interesting games on the slate that have a chance to provide some entertaining contests. Here are five week five games that have my attention.

Friday, Sep. 24 – 7:00 p.m. – Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium (Rockwall, TX)

Perhaps the game of week is a rivalry in Rockwall between the Rockwall Yellowjackets and the Rockwall-Heath Hawks. Both teams will be looking to make an early season statement and avoid losing a game to their hated rival.

The matchup between the two will see some impressive passing attacks. Rockwall is led by Mississippi State quarterback commit Braedyn Locke, while Heath has Indiana pledge Josh Hoover leading the charge. Locke recently threw for 506 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Lake Travis. Hoover has already thrown for 1,219 yards this season.

At receiver, Rockwall has emerging 2023 wideout Noble Johnson – who has torched defenses so far this season. Heath features Auburn commit Jay Fair and Baylor pledge Jordan Nabors. The Hawks also feature Minnesota running back commit Zach Evans in the backfield.This has a chance to be one of the more thrilling games of the 2021 regular season. Expect video game numbers to be put up in this one.

Friday, Sep. 24 – 7:00 p.m. – McKinney ISD Stadium (McKinney, TX)

In one of the more underrated games of the week, 3-1 McKinney High hosts undefeated Denton Guyer in a district matchup. Guyer holds signature wins over Atascocita and Denton Ryan, while McKinney features some intriguing talent all over the field.

Louisiana commit Damon Youngblood has been a baller for the Lions this season, making an impact on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and in the secondary. 2024 talents such as receiver Xavier Filsaime and running back Bryan Jackson both hold multiple FBS offers and are drawing interest from big programs.

Guyer is headlined by 2023 Texas defensive back targets Ryan Yaites and Peyton Bowen. The two form one of the better defensive back tandems in the state and have the talent to change any game. Quarterback Jackson Arnold holds offers from Arkansas, Notre Dame, and Ole Miss. UNT commit Vincent Paige is a force on the defensive side of the ball, too.

Friday, Sep. 24 – 7:00 p.m. – Williams Stadium (Garland, TX)

Another matchup between two teams from the city is Garland Naaman Forest taking on Garland on Friday night. Both teams are undefeated, albeit Naaman Forest has played just one game in 2021. Garland, though, sits at 4-0 through four games.

Naaman Forest is headlined by 2023 talent Markis Deal, a four-star offensive lineman that Texas has offered. Deal plays both ways and is a big-time player. On the other side, Garland features four-star wideout Jordan Hudson, who is currently committed to SMU but is still being pursued by the Longhorns.

Other players of note in this game include four-star SMU commit Chace Biddle, running back Jayshon Powers, and offensive lineman Justus Perales. Both squads will be looking to avoid suffering their first loss of the season.

Friday, Sep. 24 – 7:00 p.m. – Art Keller Field (Carthage, TX)

Carthage takes on Gilmer this Friday in a matchup between the top two ranked teams in 4A Division II, per Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. For that alone, this battle between two impressive programs is one of the more interesting games of week five.

There is talent on both sides of the ball that is drawing FBS interest, too. Oklahoma commit Kip Lewis is a big-time player at linebacker, and he is the headliner for top-ranked Carthage. Joining him include 2023 wide receiver Montrel Hatten, who holds offers from Arkansas and Baylor, and 2023 athlete KD Bell.

Gilmer is led by UTSA quarterback commit Brandon Tennison, who will be looking to lead his team to a key road win on Friday evening. Tennison gets to throw to ball to weapons such as wide receiver Jay Rockwell, who has been offered by Kansas, Nebraska, and UTSA.

Friday, Sep. 24 – 7:00 p.m. – Marcus Marauder Stadium (Flower Mound, TX)

Finally, Flower Mound Marcus takes on Flower Mound in yet another important rivalry game that features a ton of talent.

Marcus is led by 2024 four-star quarterback Cole Welliver – who splits reps with Jaxxon Warren – and speedster Ashton Cozart, a 2023 four-star prospect that Texas and many others are after. Dallas Dudley is a big play waiting to happen out wide for the Marauders.

As for Flower Mound, Florida quarterback commit Nick Evers leads the charge. Evers is one of the top quarterbacks in the Lone Star State and is always putting up big numbers. 2023 receiver Walker Mulkey has emerged as the go-to target for the future Gators signal caller.

The Jaguars have had a difficult schedule to this point, but Evers gives them a chance to pull off the win on Friday.