The Texas High School saw October open with a bang with some outstanding performances coming out of Week 6. Let’s take a look at some of those athletes that shined on Thursday and Friday across the Amarillo-area and South Plains.
Cooper Schilling and Gordo Estrada, Perryton, QB-WR
The dynamic duo of quarterback Cooper Schilling and receiver Gordo Estrada were back at it for the first time and in a month and it benefited big time as Perryton stunned Childress with a 35-31 home win to close out the non-district schedule. Schilling – playing in his first game since Week 2 against Hugoton, Kan., after suffering a leg injury – didn’t show signs of rust torching the Bobcat secondary by going 27-of-41 for 390 yards with four touchdowns. He also ran it eight times for 54 yards. Nobody was happier to see Schilling back than his favorite target Estrada. The explosive wide out snagged 16 passes from Schilling for a game-high 213 yards for a pair of scores.
Raymond Johnson V, Palo Duro, RB, Sr.
Palo Duro continues to cruise through the first two weeks of District 2-5A Division II play after blasting Abilene Cooper 35-7 on Thursday night. Raymond Johnson V led a devastating Dons ground attack that chewed up the Cougars for a total 337 yards. Johnson wouldn’t be denied the entire night carrying the rock 22 times for a game-best 201 yards with three trips to the endzone.
Jeb Grammer, Amarillo High, WR, Jr.
Another week and another new player making a name for Amarillo High. The Sandies handled Tascosa 45-20 to beat the arch-rival Rebels for a second year in a row during a District 2-5A Division I showdown Friday night. Grammer was significant for the Sandies on the outside hauling in five catches for 154 yards with two touchdown receptions of 68 and 57 yards.
Noah Gonzales, Frenship, WR, Jr.
Frenship picked up its first District 2-5A Division I victory with a 55-7 win against Lubbock High on Friday. Gonzales and quarterback James Ordonez had a connection working in the win. Gonzales was the go-to target for Ordonez, hauling in 12 catches for 228 yards with three scores.
Mason Lankford, Gruver, WR, Jr.
The multi-sport athlete is a huge reason the Gruver Greyhounds are playing excellent football. Behind a superb effort from Lankford, Gruver closed out the non-district portion of its schedule at 6-0 following a 45-21 pummeling of Panhandle. Lankford finished the night against the Panthers snagging five catches for 159 yards with two touchdowns. One of those TDs went for 99 yards. Lankford was equally impressive on defense registering 16 tackles with three of those coming for a loss.
Kaleb Speer, Dalhart, QB, Sr.
Speer gets on this list once again after leading his Golden Wolves to their biggest win of the season so far. Dalhart turned heads during Week 6 by handling Canadian on the road 26-7. Speer was masterful the entire way operating the offense. Through the air, the senior dual-threat signal caller went 15-of-24 for 198 yards. On the ground, Speer rushed for 51 yards on 12 carries and punched in two touchdowns.
Josue Sigala, Muleshoe, RB, Sr.
After a frustrating first five weeks, Muleshoe finally found the win column with a come-from-behind 27-23 win against Denver City on Friday. Sigala was a Swiss Army Knife in this win for the Mules. Sigala not only scored the go-ahead TD, but finished the contest with 149 yards on only 12 carries with a touchdown. Sigala then snuck out of the backfield catching five passes for 92 yards with another two scores. On defense, the linebacker tallied 13 tackles, a sack and forced a fumble.
Julian Leyva, Spearman, DL, Soph.
Leyva plugged the line and made life difficult for the Guymon, Okla., Tigers as the Lynx pulled away for a 40-27 win. Being a thorn in the Tigers paw throughout the game, the sophomore racked up a team-high 12 tackles, three of those for a loss, and had three total sacks to lead the Lynx.
Fabian Andrade, Highland Park, WR, Jr.
Highland Park’s hype man has the Hornets playing good football over the last two weeks. Following Highland Park’s first win of the season over River Road a week ago, the Hornets stayed hot by scoring 12 unanswered points to hand Vega its first loss 38-26 on Friday. Andrade was a mismatch on the outside catching four passes for 146 yards with two scores.
Dyllon Yankee, Borger, LB, Sr.
Borger has won two of its last three games thanks to a 48-7 win at River Road. The defense suffocated the Wildcats with Yankee making plays all over the field. Playing disciplined football, the senior ended the night with a team-high 16 tackles, 10 of those solo tackles, and added an interception.
