Brauny's Best: Highlighting top high school performances from Week 9

We are inching closer to playoff time on the high school football gridiron. As district races are winding down, some of the top players in the state and region are putting their stamps on outcomes in a big way. Here is this week's version of Brauny's Best.

Texas A&M’s Class

Phenix City (AL) Central WR Cameron Coleman‍

• 9 receptions, 294 yards, 4 receiving touchdowns

Before we go into this insane night from Coleman, I want to give a tip of the hat to A&M commits QB Miles O'Neill‍ (16-of-21, 285 yards, four touchdowns), WR Debron Gatling‍ (nine receptions, 155 yards, three touchdowns) and do-it-all athlete Terry Bussey‍ (395 total yards, four touchdowns, six tackles, one interception) for outstanding weeks. Re-read that stat line from Bussey. It's pretty remarkable, and it seemingly happens every week.

However, I went with Coleman this week because the five-star pass-catcher averaged 32.67 yards per reception in one of the biggest high school games in the state of Alabama last weekend as Phenix City Central surged past Auburn High, 41-20. The craziest part of what Coleman is doing — and has done this season — is that opposing defenses know where the ball is going, and they can't stop it. They can't stop him from getting the football, and they can't stop him once he's got it. We all knew about Coleman's physical traits entering the season, but they're exploding off the screen on tape this fall. Just a sensational prospect and player.

The State of Texas 

2026 Mt. Enterprise RB Kaegan Ash‍

• 35 rushes, 508 yards, 8 rushing touchdowns

I love small-town East Texas football games, especially ones that end with 134 combined points scored. That is exactly what went down last Friday when Mt. Enterprise beat Carlisle, 74-60, behind an absolutely heroic effort from sophomore Kaegan Ash. Not included in the ridiculous stat line above is the fact that he also scored five times on two-point conversions. He ran roughshod out of the Mt. Enterprise wing-T attack and flashed a skillset that would be impressive on any level of high school football. Ash shows good power, contact balance and toughness.

My Coverage 

2025 Houston Heights QB Reggie McNeal Jr‍

• 14-of-19, 258 yards, 4 passing touchdowns

The most impressive aspect of Reggie McNeal Jr's stat line is that he did it all in a little over a quarter-and-a-half of play. He landed funny after a first down run where he hit his head on the turf, and the Houston Heights coaching staff thought it was best to keep him out in the remainder of a 62-0 win over Houston Westbury. You can imagine what the numbers would have looked like if he had played through the third quarter, as is typical in most blowouts. Still, I thought he had some moments where he looked like his old man, stretching the field from the pocket while also causing problems with his legs.

His recruiting stock is slowly but surely building. I'll be keeping an eye on his offer list to see if the first Power 5 program to offer him will get that ball rolling for more, as it often does.