High School football rewind: Miles, Wall with statement wins; Sterling City, Lake View make comebacks

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It was a hectic first week of games for high school football programs around West Texas .

Many games were postponed multiple hours or to the next day with lightning from scattered thunderstorms in the area. It was unusual for late August, but not an unwelcome sight after almost a full month of 100-degree temperatures.

West Texas teams finished two games below .500 with a record of 16-18-1 in Week 1. Lightning played a significant role in a few outcomes, forcing a 14-14 tie in Menard at Blanket and pushing the Mason and Wall start to 8 p.m. Despite more than half the teams in West Texas finishing on the wrong side of the win-loss column in Week 1, there were still plenty of exciting matchups and interesting outcomes.

Upsets and blowouts came in bunches, which is not unusual for the first slate of games. Here are some of the most interesting outcomes and takeaways from opening weekend in West Texas.

Standout Games

Sterling City 41, Odessa Compass Academy 38

It wasn't perfect, but the Eagles (1-0) and coach DJ Howell pulled off a double-digit comeback against the Cougars (0-1) for his first win leading the program. Trailing 38-25 going into the fourth quarter, Sterling City scored two touchdowns and converted a two-point attempt to take a three-point lead with two minutes left in the game. It was the only two minutes they led in the game, but it was the most important two minutes of the Eagles' season so far.

The Eagles leaned heavily on running back Seth Turner, who finished with five touchdowns and 229 yards rushing. The Eagles swapped between Nano Turner and Marquis Johnson under center, with both providing different playmaking skills.

"I thought we got some dynamic plays from a lot of different people," Howell said. "It always starts up front and I thought, especially in the second half, we were able to really start running the football and imposing our will up front."

The Eagles are on the road again next week as they travel to No. 16 Miles on Friday, Sep. 6.

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Miles 32, Sonora 14

It is important to make statements in Texas high school football. And the No. 16 Bulldogs (1-0) made quite the proclamation, taking down the Broncos (0-1) on the road Friday night.

After taking an 8-0 deficit into the second quarter, Miles responded with 18 unanswered points in the second quarter. Then it outscored the Broncos 14-6 in the second half.

Down to one healthy running back for the game, Miles looked to All-West Texas honorable mention Tevin Meade to carry the load, and he put the team on his back. He finished with 19 carries for 145 yards and four touchdowns against one of the best teams against the run in 2023.

Liam Yancy also debuted at quarterback for the Bulldogs, completing 8-of-15 passing attempts for 116 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions, but coach Jayson Wilhem was proud of how the young quarterback responded to adversity.

"(Yancy) had a good night," Wilhelm said. "A sophomore quarterback making his first start on the road in Sonora, that's not an easy task. He did enough to keep us balanced and helped us come away with a good victory."

A Week 1 loss is not the end of the world for the Broncos. They had the task of replacing most of their starters on offense and defense while hosting a top 25 team in Class 2A D-II. But they have a tall task again next week as they travel to Johnson City, coming off a 34-22 win over Granger.

Miles hosts Sterling City next week in what has been a rivalry game for the past couple of years on Friday, Sep. 6.

Wall 28, Mason 6

In a battle between two ranked teams, the Class 3A D-II No. 9 Hawks (1-0) prevailed with an impressive defensive performance against the Class 2A D-I No. 9 Punchers (0-1) on the road.

Wall stymied Mason through three quarters and scored in each quarter, eventually leading 28-0 before Mason put points on the board to prevent a shutout. Last year, Wall held its opponents to nine points a game and looks to be headed in that direction again this season.

Last year, Mason handed Wall its first loss of the season 14-7, while the Punchers finished the regular season undefeated.

The offseason focus was on Wall's offense and how they would adjust to a new scheme. Many of those questions were answered against a tough Mason defense that surrendered 14 points per game last year.

Wide receiver Briggs Jones finished with three receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns as a big-play engine for Wall, while Landon York debuted at quarterback and finished with 148 yards and two touchdowns passing.

"I wish we would have found a little more steady offensive production, but Mason's defense is no joke," Wall coach Craig Slaughter said. "We definitely hit some home runs ... but our special teams was awesome. They went 4 for 4 for extra points and twice downed punts inside the Mason 10-yard line. That really helped us and forced Mason to play uphill all night."

An undefeated regular season is officially out of the question for the Punchers this year, but a non-district Week 1 loss to Wall is far from a death sentence for their season.

Wall hosts Brownwood for the Lions' first game of the season after their Week 1 matchup against Abilene Wylie was canceled by lightning. Mason hits the road next week, traveling up Highway 87 to face off against Brady.

San Angelo ISD Schools

Abilene High 60, San Angelo Central 36

The 5A D-I No. 8 Eagles (1-0) took on the Bobcats (0-1), reviving one of the oldest rivalries in Texas high school football history after a two-year sabbatical.

Under new leadership, the Bobcats did not shy away from stiff competition in Week 1, but Abilene was prepared to show they belong with Class 5A's best.

A bevy of different mistakes plagued any chance the Bobcats had of winning the game. Whether it was high snaps, uncharacteristic fumbles or untimely false starts, Central seemed unable to shake off the early-season rust until it was too late and the game was out of hand.

There were bright spots for Central, though. Running back Elijah Allen had a breakout game with 22 carries for 110 yards, wide receivers Colton Hill and Jimmy Edwards both eclipsed 90 yards and scored touchdowns and quarterback Christian English completed 22 of 36 passes for 273 yards and had five total touchdowns.

FULL STORY: Abilene High, Ryland Bradford spoil season opener for Central football

Fort Stockton 30, Lake View 27

Nothing seemed to be going the Chiefs' (0-1) way at the start of their game against Fort Stockton (1-0) on the road Friday night. After trailing 30-7 and losing quarterback Auston Perez, Lake View made an improbable comeback, almost stealing the game away from the Panthers.

Sophomore quarterback Chris Alvizo replaced Perez and completed 13 of 18 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, leading multiple scoring drives in the second half and outscoring Fort Stockton 20-9.

Wide receivers Braylon White and Francisco Ramirez were the main engines of Lake View's comeback. White finished with a game-high 12 receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown, while Ramirez was not far behind with 11 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown.

Despite a valiant effort, the Panthers held onto the ball for the last four minutes of the game after Lake View's final touchdown.

"I think we showed some resiliency," coach Hector Guevara said. "We put ourselves into some bad spots throughout the game, but they adapted well to adversity and were able to work together. Overall, I thought we played well, but we had plenty of first-game mistakes that we need to clean up."

The Chiefs take on Snyder in their home opener next week at 7 p.m. Friday, Sep. 6.

Other West Texas Scores

El Paso Riverside 49, Big Spring 21

Tahoka 54, TLCA San Angelo 0

San Saba 14, Grape Creek 2

Brady 27, San Antonio YMLA 0

Coahoma 34, Forsan 28

Eldorado 20, Christoval 13

Ballinger 28, Merkel 10

Seymour 58, Colorado City 35

Junction 40, Goldthwaite 6

Ozona 60, McCamey 0

Reagan County 32, Olney 0

Winters 28, Frost 27

Eden 58, Paint Rock 12

Buena Vista 59, Irion County 14

Menard 14, Blanket 14

Robert Lee 78, Loraine 28

Zephyr 22, Veribest 14

Water Valley 54, Grandfalls-Royalty 6

Jayton 66, Westbrook 16

Rochelle 76, Medina 28

Aspermont 64, Blackwell 44

Santa Anna 42, Bronte 22

Lohn 57, Olfen 6

Richland Springs 56, Leaky Big Spring Charter 0

Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com . Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer .

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: High School football rewind: Miles, Wall with statement wins; Sterling City, Lake View make comebacks