Under the Lone Star Lights: Houston-area matchups headline week 3 of TXHSFB

The first two weeks of the season have been nothing short of exciting and compelling. Big wins, surprising upsets, and breakout performances have stood out in the early stages of this season.

Some of the highlights from week two of the 2021 Texas high school football season included Austin Westlake defeating yet another quality DFW team, Denton Guyer outlasting Denton Ryan in an overtime battle, Southlake Carroll rallying back to knock off Rockwall Heath in a top-10 battle, and Atascocita shocking many and handing Allen its first regular season loss since 2012.

Week three offers another intriguing slate of games. There are a pair of highly interesting games in the Houston area, an Austin power takes on an undefeated DFW squad, and two 4A powers take the field for battle. Below, you can see the five games that have my interest this week, in no order.

Friday, Sep. 10 – 7:30 p.m. – Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium (Rockwall, TX)

Another week, another game that includes Lake Travis making this article. The Cavaliers are set to take on the Rockwall Yellowjackets on the road in week three of the season after beating both Arlington Martin and Converse Judson to open the year. Lake Travis continues their competitive non-district schedule with a matchup with a quality Rockwall squad.

Rockwall is led by three-star Mississippi State quarterback commit Braedyn Locke. Locke and Rockwall have beaten Cedar Hill and Dallas Jesuit to kickoff its 2021 season. Last week, Locke threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns in a 75-28 victory. This week will undoubtedly be the toughest battle yet for Locke and the Yellowjackets.

Bo Edmundson is off to a terrific start to his junior season, as Kansas became the latest team to offer the Lake Travis passer. The connection between he and Ohio State wide receiver commit Caleb Burton has been something that has the ability to strike fear into any defense in the state.

Friday, Sep. 10 – 7:30 p.m. – Eagle Stadium (Argyle, TX)

Two 4A state powers are set to battle on Friday night, as Argyle hosts Celina in one of the more interesting matchups of week three. Both squads are off to 2-0 starts to the season, with the Eagles coming off a 62-21 victory over Pleasant Grove.

Texas A&M defensive line commit Jadon Scarlett is the biggest name on the Argyle team. The four-star defender is a big reason why the Eagles have a legitimate chance to win another state title. Junior offensive lineman Wes Tucker was recently offered by Baylor. Running back Landon Farris and two-way standout Riley Van Poppel are two more names of note for Arygle.

Celina is seemingly always a threat to take home the state title. This year is no different, as the Bobcats have beaten Melissa and Paris ahead of week three’s battle with Argyle. Collin Urich and Brower Nickel form one of the better wide receiver duos around – the two combine for 347 yards and four touchdowns through two games. A well-coached squad, Celina provides Argyle with a real threat early in the season in what should be a highly competitive game.

Friday, Sep. 10 – 7:00 p.m. – Globe Life Park (Arlington, TX)

Arlington Martin takes on Midland Legacy at Globe Life Park, the home of the Texas Rangers, on Friday night in Arlington. Martin dropped a week one road contest to Lake Travis, but the Warriors bounced back beat Hebron last week. Texas commit Trevell Johnson will not be suiting up for the remainder of the season, but the Warriors are not lacking talent.

4-star Stanford commit RJ Cooper is a force on the defensive line. 2023 athlete Javien Toviano is a playmaker on both sides of the ball and is ranked as a top-15 player in his class. Those two have the ability to take over games and win tons of games for Martin.

On the other side, Midland Legacy enters the matchup with Martin at 2-0 after wins over Amarillo and Tascosa to begin the year. Martin will certainly provide a step up in competition, but the Rebels have been able to take care of business up to this point. The Rebels are led by 2022 FAU wide receiver commit Chris Brazzell and 2023 cornerback Canyon Moses – who holds offers from Arizona and K-State.

This has a chance to be one of the better games of the week.

Friday, Sep. 10 – 7:00 p.m. – Planet Ford Stadium (Spring, TX)

Moving down to the Houston area, Spring Westfield hosts Galena Park North Shore in what should be a great game. Both teams enter the matchup at 2-0 and are looking for an early season statement win. The two squads are loaded with defensive talent, which makes the battle even more interesting.

2022 Virginia defensive line commit Anthony Holmes headlines a talent Westfield team, a program that is always loaded with prospects. Kiemond Emilien is a versatile defender that plays some linebacker and some safety. Quarterback Cardell Williams and running back Rodney Smith create a dangerous backfield duo that is bound to give defenses fits.

As for North Shore, the Mustangs are legit threats to win state in 2021. 5-star cornerback and major Texas target Denver Harris patrols the secondary, while Texas defensive line commit Kristopher Ross sets the tone in the trenches. With those two, North Shore has given up just 17 points through two games.

The matchups between these two programs are always noteworthy, and this Friday has a chance to be another great battle.

Friday, Sep. 10 – 7:00 p.m. – Sam Vitanza Stadium (Dickinson, TX)

Katy is the standard in Houston and Gary Joseph has the Tigers 2-0 after outscoring their first two opponents 82-14. The Tigers are loaded with talent, as always. Texas A&M commits Malik Sylla and Bobby Taylor are the two headliners on defense for Joseph’s squad. Junior running back Seth Davis is a very talented ball carrier on the offensive side.

Dickinson, meanwhile, also has plenty of talent. A&M commit Donovan Green is the biggest prospect on the Gators, while fellow A&M commit PJ Williams is a blue-chip offensive lineman. Texas 2023 target Vernon Glover is a promising prospect on the defensive side and is very high on the Longhorns.

Both of the Houston area matchups highlighted will have plenty of talent all over the field.