Darwin Barlow

The early signing period has come and gone, but there is still plenty of action around the state. There have been new commitments, and there are certainly top prospects still available. Let’s jump into the latest from the recruiting front.

First of all, what a wild and crazy end to what is one of my favorite football weekends of the year. I felt bad for Duncanville, but could not be happier for North Shore. No one deserved to lose that game. It was a fight to the end, and lived up to every bit of the hype. The crazy thing is both of these team are favorites to return next fall.Now let's jump into the whole weekendTop PerformanceATH Jordan Whittington, CueroWhittington was a man on a mission Friday morning. He started the game off hot and he did not let off the gas all day long. He impacted every facet of the game and he broke long standing records. His 28 carries for 334 yards and 5 TDs was a thing of beauty. He tacked on 3 receptions for 47 yards and a TD and he led the team with 8 tackles. He broke Eric Dickerson's 4A State Title game rushing record and tied Dwight Smith's record of 5 rushing TDs in a 4A Title game. He also tied Jonathan Gray's record for rushing yards in a State Title game. He dominated on the big stage and sealed the game with a 20-yard TD run with 2:54 to go in the fourth. He was named Offensive and Defensive of Cuero's 40-28 4A Division I State Championship win over Texarkana Pleasant Grove.Best Game of the Weekend6A Division I State Championship Game - North Shore vs DuncanvilleNorth Shore's 41-36 over Duncanville for the 6A D1 State Championship gets the nod. While we are at it Dematrius Davis' 45-yard Hail Mary TD to AJ Carter as time expired is the play of the game too. This game had it all. There was so much P5 talent on the field. So many big plays. There was back and forth drama. It was a knock down drag out from beginning to end with North Shore making the first big play Ashton Reynold's fumble recovery and TD and the and the last one. What a tremendous effort by everyone involved.Best Play - I just mentioned the North Shore's hail mary. No need to rehash it. It was greatness.Five who improved their ranking (in my mind anyway)ATH Shadrach Banks, GP North Shore - Banks is built like a running back, a big one, but he runs routes and makes catches like a receiver. That is one smooth, fast, and physical guy I have seen in a while. He was a big play waiting to happen. His 9 receptions for 179 yards and 2 TDs and 5 kickoff returns for 138 yards simply does not do the effort justice. I saw a top 5 type of athlete on the field last night.RB Jase McClellan, Aledo - McClellan arrived at AT&T Stadium in a bad mood. He looked upset in warm-ups and he ran that way throughout the game. He ran with anger on Friday night. He shredded the Fort Bend Marshall defense to the tune of 149 yards and 3 TDs on 21 carries. He also had a 22-yard TD reception. McClellan does not have far to move up, but he deserves a bit of a bump after what I saw. He earned offensive player of the game in Aledo's 5 Division 2 Championship win over Fort Bend Marshall.QB Haynes King, Longview - Someone made a play to be named the top 2020 QB in Texas this weekend, his name is Haynes King and he came through in a big way for Longview. It was not perfect, but he showed the full skillset. The arm, the ability to throw with touch and accuracy, toughness, decision making, and he makes big plays in big moments. King completed 16 of 27 passes for 423 yards and 2 TDs. It should also be said, he has performed like this all year. He earned offensive player of the game in Longview's 6A Division 2 Championship win over Beaumont West Brook.RB Darwin Barlow, Newton - The TCU commit rushed for 106 yards and 2 TDs on 24 carries and he had 2 receptions for 35 yards. It was not all about the numbers though. He showed speed, balance, burst and came through with some key gains. He is no. 60 on the 2019 list right now, but he made a case for top 50 in my mind. He took Offensive MVP honors in Newton's 3A Division 2 Championship win over Canadian.ATH Ja'Quinden Jackson, Duncanville - Like I said last week, I am not sure where I play him, but he is the kind of guy you want on your team. He laid it all out there and when Duncanville needed a score in the final minutes he punched it in for his only score of the night. He finished with 18 carries for 226 yards on the ground. He is currently just outside the top 10, but I'll be pushing for him to make that move into the top 10.Welcome to the radarLB Patrick Turner, Dallas Highland Park - The 2021 linebacker finished with 7 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. He made plays all over the field and is a multi-sport athlete. The college attention has not yet arrived for the 6-2, 215-pound backer, but I have a feeling he will attract a few looks.TE/DE Dametrious Crownover, Grandview - At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds I see Crownover becoming another athletic OL in the stacked class of 2021. He had the game clinching touchdown as a TE and he had some nice pressure off the edge at DE. The college attention has not come yet, but he is definitely a prospect to watch.OL Savion Byrd, Duncanville - At 6-4, 250, he has the frame to build on and he moves really well. He is physical in the trenches and he plays a key role on one of the top teams in the state. He holds offers from Baylor, Illinois, and SMU.Other Top PerformancesQB Chandler Morris, Highland Park (2020) - 23 of 35 passing, 262 yards, 1 INT, 3 TDs (5A D1 Championship Game Offensive MVP)QB Dematrius Davis, GP North Shore (2021) - 19 of 28 passing, 333 yards, 5 TDs, 8 carries for 89 yards (6A D1 Championship Game Offensive MVP)RB Zach Evans, Galena Park North Shore (2020) - 21 carries for 96 yards and 2 receptions for 14DE Prince Dorbah, Highland Park (2020) - 6 tackles, 4 TFLs, 4 sacks (5A D1 Championship Game Defensive MVP)DE Alec Bryant, Shadow Creek (2020) - 6 tacklesS Xavion Alford, Shadow Creek (2020) - 8 tackles, 1 INTS Chris Thompson, Duncanville (2020) - 7 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1 QB hurryATH Josh Foster, Newton - Newton's leading tackler with 9.5 tackles and 2 PBUs. He also played QB. ATH JoJo Earle, Aledo (2021) - 7 carries for 63 yards and 6 receptions for 79 yards and a TD.ATH Devon Achane, Fort Bend Marshall (2020) - 13 carries for 95 yards and 2 receptions for 55 yards and a TD.Closing ThoughtIt was a great weekend all the way around. I saw a lot of heart and soul and all out effort laid out there on that turf. Even when it looked like things might be over for one team or another, a play was made or at the very least attempted. The crowds were loud and the atmosphere was rowdy. All in all it was about as perfect a way to end the 2018 high school football season as one could hope for. For more info, follow the link to UIL's State Championship page. All the stats and scores are there.

The first high school football games have finally been played. With the new season officially underway, Jason Howell takes a look at the news concerning top recruits throughout the state of Texas.