QB Cardea Collier powers Alvarado past state-ranked Glen Rose with 10 total touchdowns

Alvarado and quarterback Cardea Collier were on a mission to stay undefeated.

Collier accounted for 10 total touchdowns, leading Alvarado to a 71-50 victory in a UIL Class 4A non-district high school football game at Tiger Stadium on Friday. He had 322 rushing yards on 17 carries and 260 passing yards while completing 17 of 23 passes.

“First, he’s a great human being,” Alvarado head coach Casey Walraven said. “Next, his competitiveness is off the charts. I would put him against any quarterback in the state, on how he competes or how he works. He’s got skills, obviously, but he puts work in, not just to be a great athlete, but to be a great quarterback.”

Collier averaged 18.9 yards per carry, consistently finding holes in the Tiger defense with fake handoffs. While being a consistent threat on his own, he kept the Tiger defense on their toes by finding long completions occasionally.

On top of the elite offense, Collier also contributes on defense.

“He’s the best player on the field,” Walraven said. “You can put him anywhere, and he’s going to be the to be the best one. So, we’re lucky to have him. Hopefully these schools – they continue to follow him, and he’s going to have a bright future wherever he goes.”

The Tigers entered the game No. 3 in the Star-Telegram’s Class 4A rankings while the Indians were at No. 7. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ranks both schools in the top 10 in their respective divisions; Alvarado is a Division I school, while Glen Rose is Division II.

“Anytime you can go on a road against a team like Glen Rose and win – the talent and the coaching staff they have – I’m extremely proud of them for that,” said Walraven.

As the game started, Collier set the tone with a 68-yard completion to junior wide receiver Lance Sansom and followed it up with a three-yard scoring scamper. Sansom plays both sides of the field; he finished the game with 92 total yards on six receptions.

“He’s an extremely beneficial piece all over the field,” Walraven said of Sansom. “On defense, he’s one of the best corners I think that’s out there. He’s a very good corner. Lockdown. Offensively, we rely on him to do so many different things with his physical skill set, but also his intelligence.”

Glen Rose, without starting quarterback Canyon Evans, didn’t back down from a slug fest. Freshman quarterback Luke Males took over passing duties. Walraven said Glen Rose should be thrilled with Males’ performance.

“At the end of the day, they’re well-coached,” Walraven said. “They’re well prepared. They’re a championship program for a reason and they have kids that are ready to step up like that, and it says a lot about the program.”

Glen Rose running back Josiah Groeneweg helped carry the load, keeping the Tigers within striking distance with breakaway speed. He finished the game with 330 total yards and four total touchdowns.

Defensively, Alvarado had a slight edge on Glen Rose. Leland Hopson and Layne Woolard secured interceptions and DJ Clampitt brought the pressure with multiple sacks while also recovering a muffed kickoff.

Although both teams had consistent offense, Alvarado took a 42-24 lead into the half. On the Indians’ last drive before the break, Collier broke free for a 60 yard rushing TD on the first play of the series.

Throughout the second half, the Glen Rose offense kept scoring to keep things close. Tiger tight end Keltyn Raymond took many direct snaps, which boosted the run game. With a field goal at the start of the fourth quarter, Glen Rose made it a one-possession game.

“It’s a tough environment,” Walraven said of Tiger Stadium. “We survived some momentum surges. We got a lot of things we got to clean up. It’s frustrating, but that’s my job as a coach to get that done. But overall, couldn’t be more proud of us finding a way to win here.”

A 13 yard touchdown from Collier to wide receiver Paijton Fox made the lead near insurmountable for Glen Rose. The Tigers once again cut the lead with a 60-yard reception from Groeneweg, but soon after, Collier broke away for a 53-yard scoring scamper to put the nail in the coffin.

Glen Rose will open District 4-4A Division II play on October 11 at Godley following a bye week. Walraven said the team will work mainly on two things: Fundamentals and discipline.

Alvarado will commence District 6-4A Division I play on October 10 at Ranchview.

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