Brian Gosset: Biggest things from Week 3 of the Fort Worth-area high school football season
Week 3 has already come and gone as Fort Worth-area teams continue their march this season. A lot of action took place with impressive wins and big upsets, plus top recruits proving why they’re some of the best in the state.
Check out the best of the best from the third week of the Texas high school football season.
Best win
North Crowley 28, Lucas Lovejoy 20
The Panthers came in unranked in the Class 6A state rankings while the Leopards were No. 3 in 5A Division 2. Lovejoy came into the game with 101 points through two weeks, including a win over 5A D1 state runner-up College Station and seven-point loss against powerhouse Argyle.
However, North Crowley had other plans during a special evening where Crowley ISD officially opened its brand new CISD Multi-Purpose Stadium.
North Crowley got two picks, several tackles for losses and gave Lovejoy trouble all night long on its way to an impressive victory. The team moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2005.
Expect North Crowley to crack the 6A state rankings on Monday.
Biggest upset
Joshua 34, Fort Worth Southwest 33
The Owls scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:43 left in the game to pick up their first win of the season. They also handed the Raiders their first loss.
In the Star-Telegram Week 3 Pick ‘Em challenge, Southwest was picked to win by all 17 panelists.
Robert Brown rushed for 189 yards and two touchdowns while Ayden Groce added 60 yards and three scores on the ground. Xavier Edwards and Tevon Wilson led the defense with 18 and 15 tackles, respectively.
Top recruit
Chris Gee, Sr., RB, FW Paschal
Gee had a big night for the Panthers with 212 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning 17-yard scoring run with 21 seconds left to push Paschal past Dallas Kimball, 27-21.
Gee is a 3-star recruit and also stars at linebacker. He ranks in the Top 50 of all Class of 2023 athletes in the country, according to 247Sports. He’s also No. 65 in the Star-Telegram Top 100.
Paschal improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2015.
Number
79
Byron Nelson set a program record in points scored during its 79-20 victory over Braswell. The Bobcats’ had only scored 60 points in a game once in their 13-year history, the previous record of 63 last season.
Byron led 52-14 at half and scored on every possession except for its last one when the Bobcats took a knee.
The Bobcats had 830 yards of total offense and 38 first downs. They had 504 yards passing and 326 yards rushing.
Breakout performer
Malachi Cunningham, Fr., CB, Cleburne
It was a tough night for the Yellowjackets in their district opener, a 23-7 loss against Killeen, but Cunningham shined in just his third career varsity game.
Cunningham led the defense with two interceptions, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
486 yards passing
Jake Wilson, Sr., QB, Byron Nelson
Wilson, the 6-2, 200 pound gun-slinger for the Bobcats, threw for 486 yards on 29 of 33 passing with four touchdowns in a dominating road victory, 79-20 over Braswell. He threw for 399 yards and three scores in the first half alone.
Byron Nelson has now scored 151 points in three games. The Bobcats are 3-0 for the second straight season.
Wilson, No. 38 in the Star-Telegram Top 100, led the Fort Worth-area last season with over 3,800 yards passing and was second with 38 touchdown passes. He was also No. 1 in pass yards per game at 299.
333 yards rushing
Jayden Bridgewater, Sr., RB, Alvarado
Bridgewater nearly doubled his season total with 333 yards rushing on 42 carries and five touchdowns during the Indians’ 64-50 win over Dallas Lincoln.
Alvarado improved to 2-1, matching its win total from last year.
Bridgewater went into the game with 188 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the first two weeks. Alvarado finished with 431 yards on the ground against Lincoln and 600 yards total.
Bridgewater’s touchdown runs came from 45, 15, 5, 1 and 27 yards.
206 yards receiving
Landon Ransom-Goelz, Sr., WR, Byron Nelson
The 3-star Rice commit had a monster game for the Bobcats in their 79-20 win over Braswell. The Bobcats finished with over 500 yards through the air and LRG was the No. 1 target.
He finished with seven catches, 206 yards and two touchdowns.
LRG is No. 30 in the Star-Telegram Top 100 and is among the top receivers in the metroplex. Among Fort Worth-area returners, he was third in catches last season (75), first in yards (1,428), third in receiving yards per game (110) and second in touchdown catches (14).
Undefeated
These teams are 3-0: Paschal, Weatherford, Carter-Riverside, North Side, Boswell, Carroll, Lake Country, Arlington Heights, Wyatt, Granbury, Glen Rose, Mansfield, LD Bell, Keller, North Crowley, Byron, Argyle, Timberview, Midlothian, Burleson Centennial, Richland, Mineral Wells, Tolar, Fort Worth Christian, Weatherford Christian, Temple Christian
This story was originally published September 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
