Harlandale faces Burbank in key district showdown
Alamo Heights has virtually locked up the District 14-5A-II championship, but there’s plenty to be decided with three weeks remaining in the regular season. The biggest thing is the battle for the league’s No. 2 spot that takes place on Thursday with Harlandale and Burbank.
Here’s a preview of that game and others in Week 9.
Top games
Harlandale vs. Burbank, 7 p.m. Thursday, SAISD Sports Complex: Harlandale and Burbank (both 6-1, 5-1 14-5A-II) hold the distinction of playing frontrunner Alamo Heights the closest this season.
While that doesn’t mean anything in the standings, it’s not a bad way to measure this match up.
Burbank junior quarterback Keven Hernandez has passed for 1,392 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions and has rushed for a team-best 633 yards and 10 scores. Hernandez passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 76 yards and a score in the Bulldogs’ 55-20 loss against Alamo Heights.
Harlandale led Alamo Heights, 20-19, until the final minute of the second half before the Mules pulled away for a 60-34 win. Harlandale piled 451 total yards, the most the Mules have given up in league play.
Smithson Valley vs. Boerne Champion, 7 p.m., Boerne ISD Stadium: Smithson Valley (6-1, 4-0 12-5A-I), No. 1 in the Express-news Sub-6a rankings, can lock up the district’s top playoff seed with a win and a Seguin loss. The Rangers haven’t allowed a point in six quarters, which includes last week’s 63-0 victory against Macarthur. Running back/linebacker Cade Spradling is the team’s leading rusher (80-469 yards, 8 TDS) and fourth-leading tackler (41).
Sixth-ranked Champion (6-1, 3-1) suffered a tough loss against No. 4 Wagner, 34-21, last week. Regardless of the outcome, the Chargers are in good position for a postseason spot Kyle Lehman and Macarthur, both winless in district, remaining on the schedule.
Pieper vs. San Antonio Veterans Memorial, 7 p.m. Friday, Rutledge Stadium: Veterans Memorial (4-3, 2-1 13-5A-II) has received a boost since the return of Ohio State-pledge and senior running back James Peoples, who missed the first half of the season with injury. Peoples has rushed for 408 yards and five touchdowns in his two games this season.
Ninth-ranked Pieper (6-1, 3-0) is led by senior quarterback Jake South, who has passed for 2,021 yards and 23 touchdowns. Senior receiver Nathan Doss has caught 42 catches for 791 yards and 12 TDS.
New Braunfels vs. Clemens, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Lehnhoff Stadium: New Braunfels (3-4, 1-1 27-6A), ranked seventh, received a monster game from senior running back Tyree Johnson, who had 335 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-10 win against East Central. He also rushed for 234 yards and two scores in a 38-21 win against Brenham three weeks ago.
Clemens (4-3, 2-0), ranked No. 9, hasn’t won five games since 2019 when they were 10-2.
Under the radar game
Judson at San Marcos, 7:30 p.m. Friday:
This game holds a lot of intrigue that has nothing to do with competition.
Judson’s Mark Soto heads back to where he had his first head-coaching job from 2012-19. Then, it gets interesting.
San Marcos (1-6, 0-2 27-6A) is not eligible for the postseason because of recruiting violations with several athletes from San Antonio, including several slated to go to Judson, enrolling at San Marcos last year.
In July, the UIL cleared Soto of wrongdoing after San Marcos CISD accused him of several rules violations, including fabricating evidence, in relation to the case involving the recruiting infractions.
On the field, Judson (2-5, 1-1) is looking to bounce back from a 24-17 loss against Clemens. The Rockets finish with Steele (6-1, 2-0) and New Braunfels (3-4, 1-1), so a win against the struggling Rattlers is a must.