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Texas high school football is fast approaching its first practices, and excitement grows as fans, players and coaches with high aspirations anticipate the return of Friday night lights in West Texas.
Despite the turnover from departing senior classes, many of the nearly 40 teams in the Standard-Times coverage area retained plenty of young talent, as well as brought in some new faces, looking to make their mark on the 2024 season.
Before the season begins, the Standard-Times will highlight the top local players at seven position groups — quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, defensive backs and linebackers.
Today, we highlight the top returning offensive linemen to watch in West Texas.
Kolden Averette, sr., Forsan
Averette was a crucial piece to the Buffaloes' offensive line in 2023. He helped the rushing attack reach 2,443 yards at 5.9 yards per carry, earned first-team all-district honors and was an All-West Texas honorable mention.
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Hudson Braden, jr., Wall
As a sophomore, Braden helped Wall dominate all the way to the Region I final against Canadian. In Houston Guy’s flex-bone scheme that prioritizes offensive line play, he entrenched himself as a starter and helped the Hawks rush for 3,776 yards at 7.8 yards per attempt. He was named to the 2023 first-team all-district.
Tu’uta Kalamafoni, sr., Central
Kalamafoni has been a staple for the Bobcats' offensive line at right tackle for the past two seasons. Now one of the most experienced players on the field, he will look to help the Bobcats improve on an offense that averaged 442.7 yards per game in 2023.
Colton Kelly, sr., Miles
Kelly was integral to the Bulldogs' offensive success over the past two seasons. As the highest-graded offensive lineman on the team, he helped Miles put up 5,400 yards in 2023 and was an All-West Texas second-team selection.
Emmett Marlatt, jr., Wall
Marlatt was another newcomer to the Wall offensive line last year and acquitted himself admirably. Guy emphasized the center position as the most crucial along the offensive line, and Marlatt was rewarded with a spot on the first-team all-district squad.
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Aven Ochoa, sr., Ballinger
Ochoa was a true disrupter in the trenches for the Bearcats in 2023, earning a spot on the second-team all-district offense and an All-West Texas honorable mention. With Ballinger’s move to Class 2A, he will likely have an even more dominant senior campaign.
Marco Ponce, sr., Junction
Ponce was part of the youth movement and resurgence of the Junction program in 2023. He gave up zero sacks in his junior season, helped the Eagles reach the postseason with a 6-5 record and was an All-West Texas honorable mention.
Demarcus Reed, jr., Brady
Reed burst onto the scene for the budding program in Brady in 2023. He finished the season with 22 pancake blocks for the Bulldogs, was a first-team all-district offensive lineman and was an All-West Texas honorable mention.
Jay Roman, jr., Lake View
Roman is the biggest body along the Chiefs' offensive line, which improved as last season progressed. As Lake View looks to rebound in 2024, he stands to be a focal point in the running game.
Rylan Todd and Chantz Reed, sr., Mason
Mason returns eight starters on offense next season with Todd and Reed leading the charge along the offensive line. The Punchers look poised to snag their 14th straight district title behind another strong running game in 2024.
Honorable Mention
Nathaniel Zarraga, sr., Big Spring; Layke Haynes, sr., San Saba.
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
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