Who are the Top 5 difference-making football players in Northeast Tarrant?

On Monday, every high school football program began the journey toward the ultimate goal: playing the week before Christmas.

If you don’t know the Texas high school football key dates by now, that is state championship week. Fall camp began for programs that had spring football. Programs that did not have spring started Aug. 7.

Work ethic and team culture are important. However, it still comes down to having difference-makers.

In Northeast Tarrant County, these types of players is no longer number just a handful. The rapid growth of the area provides a bigger pool of players. Unknowns in August will become household names in October.

As we count down to the start to the opening weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 2), we present the Top 5 known players in NET who can change a team’s fortunes.

Southlake Carroll – RJ Mickens, DB/WR, So.: Carroll’s offense went through its share of injuries in 2016. However, head coach Hal Wasson wanted to protect his budding athlete. Mickens stayed with the defense. However, that’s expected to change this fall. Mickens is a two-way player who has incredible speed, solid hands and the ability to make something happen in an instant. Many Division I schools programs know who he is. Don’t ever look for him to leave the field unless there’s a timeout or a change in quarters. He should be one of the Dragons’ primary receivers.

Collyeville Heritage – Kam Brown, WR, Jr.: The wide receiver, verbally committed to UCLA, made his name in 2016 because of what he could do running routes and with the ball after he made the catch. But because of the transfer of defensive back Marcus Mosley to Brownwood, Brown could see some more time in the secondary. Brown was a two-way player in 2016. However, head coach Joe Willis likely will ask Brown to play a little more in the secondary than was anticipated in the spring. There are other players that the Panthers will lean on, including Drew Sanders and Caleb Murphy.

Keller Timber Creek – Erik Ezukanma, WR, Sr.: Northeast Tarrant is one of the hotbeds for wide receivers in 2017. But you don’t hear about Ezukanma only because the Timber Creek football program hasn’t been on the state’s radar too much. That started to change in 2016, when the Falcons enjoyed their first winning season and playoff victory. Ezukanma charged onto the scene with nearly 1,500 receiving yards. He’s a big target at 6-3, 185 and a major Division I recruit. Of course, Timber Creek’s defense has to make a dramatic change. But should that group become more formidable, Ezukanma’s presence could turn the tide of the season.

Grapevine – Alan Bowman, QB, Sr.: Grapevine has a lot of work to do with its defensive front. However, Bowman is the most experienced quarterback in the area as he enters his fourth season as the starter. Every season has been marked with improvement and asserting himself more as a leader. Bowman, who has thrown for better than 3,000 yards in the last two seasons, has guided Grapevine to the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons. The Texas Tech verbal commit has the chance to take the Mustangs even further.

Haslet V.R. Eaton – Titus Swen, RB/DB, Jr.: In his and the Eagles’ debut varsity season in 2016, the Division I talent became a playmaker with his hands. He accounted for more than 1,700 rushing and receiving yards. Eaton coaches also moved him on defense where he flourished in the secondary, linebacker and on the defensive front. As the Eagles are a year older and understand varsity life, Swen’s role won’t change. The Division I prospect could have more to do with Eaton breaking through and making the playoffs more than anybody else on a team in our area.

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Who are the Top 5 difference-making football players in Northeast Tarrant?."