Opening-night sights
It’s an annual ritual in Central Texas as another season begins.
Look online, too, for our blitz of preseason coverage, including an in-depth story about two super-powered districts — 25-6A and 13-4A, Division I — and capsule previews of all the Austin-area teams and their districts.
Finally, find a recap of the season openers played Thursday night on
Senior Andre Blakemore rushed for 256 yards and McCallum held off Anderson for an opening victory Thursday night at House Park.
The triumph snapped the Knights’ two-game losing streak against Anderson in the Taco Shack Bowl series. The win also brought some affirmation to McCallum after the Knights missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2001.
“We’re not laying down like we did last year,” McCallum junior quarterback Max Perez said. “Last year, it was tough; it was rough. Now seeing we can play against a team like Anderson and fight like we did on the field, I feel very confident in our team.”
McCallum never trailed Thursday, and the Knights took control with a quick start on offense. McCallum scored on five of its six first-half possessions as Luke Whitefield’s two field goals, Blakemore’s 50-yard run and Perez’s two touchdown passes added up to a 27-7 lead at halftime.
Down but not out, Anderson responded with two touchdowns — Jacob Graves’ 16-yard reception and Robert Abernathy’s 27-yard interception return — within a 56-second span in the third quarter. The Trojans then appeared to convert a fourth down in McCallum territory in the fourth quarter, but a holding penalty forced a punt.
Anderson pinned McCallum at its 7-yard line with 7:14 to go, but the Knights killed more than six minutes. Blakemore picked up three first downs on a 13-play drive that finally stalled at the Anderson 20.
Blakemore finished with 76 more yards rushing than Anderson gained in total offense, and he had 32 carries behind a rebuilt offensive line that returned only tackles Carter Tims and Judah Copeland. An all-district linebacker in 2015, Blakemore never rushed for more than 45 yards during his junior season.
“Andre was one of our secret weapons that we wanted to show off this year,” Perez said. — DANNY DAVIS
TOP PERFORMERS Andre Blakemore, RB, McCallum: Piled up 256 yards rushing, including a 50-yard TD run, in a win over Anderson. Demarcus Cabezas, QB, Akins: Rushed for three touchdowns and completed TD passes of 24 and 43 yards as the Eagles topped Crockett. Cabezas finished with 179 yards rushing, scoring on carries of 21, 21 and 70 yards. Keon Franklin, WR, Crockett: Gained 103 yards receiving on six catches in his team’s loss to Akins. Dom Williams, WR, Stony Point: Grabbed five receptions for 88 yards and scored on a 29-yard run as the Tigers lost to Killeen. Luke Whitefield, K, McCallum: Converted field goals of 27 and 30 yards — plus two PATs — in the Knights’ sixpoint victory over Anderson.
ADD IT UP
4 — Fumbles by Stony Point in its season-opening loss to Killeen. The Tigers lost three of them.
8.0 — Average yards per carry for McCallum’s Andre Blakemore, who had 256 yards rushing against Anderson on 32 attempts.
373 — Combined yards rushing or passing for Akins quarterback Demarcus Cabezas against Crockett.