HIGH S CHOOL FOOTBALL PRES EAS ON TOP 10 In Central Texas, August means scorching days and heated preseason debates about the area's top high school football teams. Leading up to the season's klckoff Aug. 29, we unveil our Top JO, as selected by our high school reporting staff. No. 10 Regents Regents quaterback Wilson Long, left, has led the Knights to back•to•batk title games in his two years as a starter. The senior returns after amassing 5,200 yards passing, 2.080 yards rushing and TT total touchdowns In two seasons. [STEPHE'N SPILLMAN/ FOR AMERICAN-SIATESMANJ Coach: Beck Brydon (185-60. FEEDING THE BEAST OUR TAKE 20th season) 2018: ll·2, TAPPS Division II There will be plenty of new Why has Regents been able to state finalist faces in front of QB Long, but sustain its success for so long? Hello: QB Wilson Long, OU one familiar face remains to Rick cantu: Itstarts with the DL Charlie Stone. LB Thomas anchor the offensive line. Senior coach. Beck Brydon established Scully Charlie Stone returns for his a culture many years ago and his Goodbye: OL Noah Bryce, WR/ final year. Brydon touts Stone's players have bought in. A37-4 DB Will Tyler Brydon, RB/OB tenacity, calling the 270-pounder record over the last three years as Zach Smith apancake machine. phenomenal. Returning starters: 5 offense, 7 Thomas Jones: Iagree. Brydon defense DUALTHREAT BACK has been at the school since 1997 2018 stats: Averaged 34.8 ppg, and he's made Regents an attrac­ allowed 14.4 ppg. Versatile RB Andrew Adams tive place to play. He's a primary returns to keep defenses from reason a talented kid like Wilson QUESTIONS TO focusing solely on Long. Adams Long plays at Regents and not at PONDER amassed 900 yards of total awes-.e. t- rlra • Of'Bowie. offense, scored 12 touchdowns Four multi-year start­ and averaged 6.0 yards per cany. PASTTHREESEASONS 1■ ers graduated from the offensive line. How quickly can 010 YOU KN OW? 2018 (U·2): Mother charnpl• the new starters Jell to key the onship meeting with Trinity Knights' high-powered offense. Regents has reached the TAPPS Christian. Knights close the gap, Is Regents becoming a state championship game in but not enough, falling 49-24. 2 ■ quarterback hotbed? each of the last three seasons 2017 (13-1): second straight Senior dual-threat passer only to come up :short. Since unbeaten start sees Knights Wilson Lang hOlds multiple Brydon took over, it's the school's reach the pinnacle against FBS offers, and coach Brydon second instance of bac,k·to-back­ talented Trinity Christian, who says sophomore Drew Dickey to-back state championship sprint to a 62·30 win. has the potential to play on game appearances. The Knights 2016 (1H): The bid for the Saturdays as well. reached the pinnacle each year school's first perfect season After three consecutive from 2001-03-amd brought home since 2006 comes up a hair 3 ■ losses in the state cham· the crown each time. Since 2001, short Grapevine Faith Christian pionship game, can the Knights the Knights have reached 10 title wins a double-overtime thriller reach their fourth straight title games, winning five. Three of 30·29. joust and prevail? the losses, including the last two, have come at the hands of Cedar - Ja;y Plotkin, AA·S Hill Trinity Christian. correspondent Four-star safety Xavion Alford is Ille No. 15 prospect on the Statesman's Fabulous 55. He could play cornerback. safety or nickel baclt for the Longhorns. !MIKECRAVEN/ AMERICAN·STATESMA NI Versatile Alford is UT's 16th pledge for 2020 Dy Mike Craven up for grabs opposite lllcr'JVell@ Sta.lt.'Slnm..eom Caden Sterns in 2020; Alford wants to make an TeX.ts and Texas A&M impactas a freshman like no longer face each other the one Sterns made last onthefootball field. That year. hasn't ended the rivalry, Texas uses multiple however, especially on safeties,andAlfordwants the state's recruiting to be a part ofthosespe­ trails. cinlty packages. He also The Longhorns scored canhelp on specialteams. a major victory Friday He chose UT because when Xavion Alford, a of how be fits within the four-star safety and the program. Alford likes the 15th-best prospect in the scheme that's deployed state on the American­ by defensive coordinator Statesman's Fabulous 55, ToddOrlando because it's pickedTexasoverA&M. a safety-centric system. "Ilove Texas' defense,• Alford can play nil over Alford said. "It is simi­ the field, and that's the lar to what we do at our kindofversatilityUT likes high school. It's safety­ indefensive backs. oriented, and that'sa fun Alford already knows defensetoplayinbecause most of the Houston­ it's all aboutspeed." areaprospectsTexas bas Alford is Texas' 16th signed over the past few pledge of the 2020 class seasons and should fit in and its second safety1 easily, especially sincebis joining fellow four-star high school runs a defense prospect Jerrin Thompson similartotheLonghorns'. ofLufkin. Alford, though, Texas appears to is the most versatile be standing pat at defensive back prospect safety with Alford and in the state. He can play Thompson committed. cornerback, safety or The Longhorns also bold nickel back. pledges from comerbacks The6-foot, 182-pound KitanCrawford and Ethan prospect was a first-team Pouncey. Thenextprior­ all-district selection last ity for the secondary is year after recording 61 rangy comerback Joshua tackles and six intercep­ Eaton, who plays select tions. He helped lead seven-on-seven with Shadow Creek to a state Alford. championship game Texas, with16commit­ appearance in Class 5A ments, heldon to its No. Division I. 6 national class ranking, He wants to play right per247Sports'composite away, and he'll be in line ratings. The Longhorns for snaps as a fresh­ trail No. 1 Clemson, No. man with Brandon Jones 2 Alabama, No. 3 Ohio entering bis final season. State, No. 4 LSU andNo. So there should be a spot 5Georgia. AMEIUCAN·STATESMAN 2020 FABULOUS 55 The Ametican-Statesman's updated Fabulous 55 list of the state's top recruits for 2020. oom1>11ed bystaff writer Mike Craven. Rank in parentheses was that prospect's rank in our last updated list in June. The fist will be updated again in December. Rank Player SChoaj (Class) Ht, wt. COiiege not• L(l) RB Zachary Evans Galena Park North Sl1ore (6A) 5-11, 200 SeYera~ ind. Alabama. Georgia. LSU, OU 2.(3) -WR Demond Demas Tomball (SA) 6-3, 182 Committed to Texas A&M 3.(5) C8 JaylonJones Cibolo Steele (6A) 6-1, 190 Committed to Texas A&M 4.(2) ATH Ja'Quinden Jackson Duncanville (6A) 6-2, 219 Committed to Texas 5.(6) ATH DrewSanders Denton Ryan CSA) 6-5, 222 Committed to Alabama 1.(4) OT Chad Lindberg Hou Clear Creek (6A) 6-2. 327 Committed to Georgia 7.(8) OT Vernon Broughton Hou. Cypress Ridge (6A) 6-5,296 Committed toTexas 8.(15) QB Hudson Card Cinm:..:il (6A) 6-2, 179 committed to Texas 9.(7) RB Jase MCCieiian Aledo(SA) s-10. 201 committed to 04dahoma 10.(18) QB Haynes King Lmgvicw(6A) 6-2, 185 committed to TexasA&M 11 (10) s RI Mickens Sooth....Carroll(6A) 6-0, 197 Committed to Clemson 12(39) WR Quentin Johl1Soo Temple(6A) 6-4, 180 Several, ind. TCU. Baylor. Duke. Houston 13 (11) OT Jaylen Garth POrt Neches-Gro,;es (SA) 6-5,285 committed to Texas 14.(13) DE Alfred COiiins Bastropcedar Creek (SA) 6-5,247 severa, Ind. Texas, Texas A&M. LSU. OU 15.01) s xavion Alford Alvin Shadow Ottk (SA) 6-0, 188 committed to Texas 11.(9) WR TroyOmeire F<>rt Bend Austin (6A) 6-3, 217 Committed toTexas A&M 17.(25) OT Nate Anderson Frisco Reedy (SA) 6-5,262 Committed to Oklahoma 18. (14) CB JalenKimber Mansfield Timberliew (!W 6-0, 170 committed to Geomia 19.(19) Ol8 Prince oorball Highland Park (SA) 6-2, 208 committed to Texas 20.(29) WR Jaxon SmittrNjiba Rockwall (6A) 6-1, 188 Committed to Ohio State 21.(21) DE AlecBtyant Alvin ShadowCreek CSA) 6-3, 230 Committed to LSU 22.(28) DE Princely umanmielen Manor(SA) 6-4, 256 committed toTexas 23.(20) RB EJSmith Dallas Jesuit C6A) 5-11.198 Severa, ind. Stanford. Ohio State 24.(U) s Chris ThomPSOO Jr. Duncanville (6A) 6-2, 195 committed to Auburn 25.(16) 08 Malik Hornsby l'ori 8cnd Marshall (SA) G-2,l'IS SC¥Cral incl. Texas A&M, North Carolina 21.(23) RB Seth McGowan MCS<l\lite Poteet(SA) 5-11, 215 Committed to Oklahoma 27.(24) G Logan Parr San Antonio O'Connor (6A) 6-3, 280 Committed toTexas 28.(22) OT COUrtland Ford Cedar Hill (6A) ~.305 5everaL Ind. LSU. Baylor. Florida State 29.(17) CB Dwight McGlothcm Kleinoak(6A) 6-1, 180 SeveraL ind. Geo<gi,1. lSU, IJT. Alabama. ore. 30.(2n C JakeMajo<s Prosper(6A) 6-3,283 Coolmitted toTe,cas 31.(26) CB LOtando Johnson Dallas Lancaster (6A) 5-11.183 Committed to LSU 32.(32) CB Jahari Rogers Arlington (6AJ 6-0, 170 Committed to Florida 33.(34) WR COiiin Sullivan Round Rock (6A) 6-2, 190 Committed to Purdue 34. (45) s Jenin ThomPSOO Lufkin (6A) 6-0, 183 Committed toTexas 35.(40) WR OcwnAd\ane fort Bend Marshall CSA) 5-9, 170 S,.,,ral. ind. Florida State, North Carolina 36.(37) s Darius Snow Lewisville Hebron (6A) 6-0, 215 Coolmitted to Michigan State 37.(35) DE James Sytvesrer l'lewton(2A) 6-4, 225 Committed to TCU 38.(30) s 81'/SOO washlngton Houston C.E.