LET IT FLY: Academy senior point guard Darion Franklin takes a 3-point shot over Lake Belton junior Devin Gossett during the host Bumblebees' 90-79 win against the Broncos in Friday night's Academy Basketball Tournament game at The Hive. Franklin made four 3-pointers and scored a game-best 27 points for Class 3A No. 11-ranked Academy (8-5), which got 18 points each from senior guards Quintrell Lockett and Trae Rambeau and 17 points from junior guard Cole Shackelford. The Bees

SENIOR SUCCESS: Blake Bundy produced a strong all-around senior season for Academy, helping lead the 11-2 Bumblebees to the Class 3A Division I Region III semifinals. Bundy made 105 tackles and three interceptions as a safety, caught 13 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns at receiver and kicked nine field goals and 44 extra points to finish with 89 total points. He also averaged 40.2 yards on 24 punts for head coach Chris Lancaster's team as Academy played 13 games in a s

VALIANT PERFORMANCE: A week after he tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee in Academy's area-round playoff win against Winnie East Chambers, senior Blake Bundy made eight tackles while playing the entire game on defense at safety and kicked two extra points in the Bumblebees' 37-34 loss to Diboll in a Class 3A Division I Region III semifinal at College Station High School. Competing in the third round of the playoffs for the first time in program history, Academy (11-2)

ALWAYS ON THE RUN: Academy wide receiver Scout Brazeal, shown making a 70-yard touchdown reception during the Bumblebees' bi-district playoff loss to Hallettsville in 2020, has produced a stellar junior season with 66 catches for 1,271 yards and 15 TDs along with 89 tackles and three interceptions as a safety. After close playoff victories over Yoakum and Winnie East Chambers, coach Chris Lancaster's 11-1 Academy team carries a seven-game win streak into its Class 3A Division

SENIOR SURGE: After playing his junior season at Wichita Falls City View, wide receiver Devan Williams returned to Temple for his senior year and led the Wildcats (9-3) with 37 catches for 777 yards and 11 touchdowns as they went undefeated in District 12-6A. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Temple's 28-14 bi-district playoff win over Waxahachie and caught a 7-yard TD pass from Mikal Harrison-Pilot in the Wildcats' 45-33 area-round loss to Rockwall-Heath last Friday i

KEY COMPONENT: Academy junior wide receiver/safety Scout Brazeal, shown after his team's 32-28 home win over Cameron Yoe on Oct. 8, has excelled on both sides of the ball while helping the Bumblebees (10-1) move into a Class 3A Division I area-round playoff game against Winnie East Chambers (8-3) at 7:30 tonight at Tomball ISD Stadium. Brazeal has made 59 receptions for 1,143 yards and 13 touchdowns, including a 9-yard TD catch from Kasey Mraz in overtime to give Academy a 28

OFF TO THE RACES: Temple junior wide receiver/quarterback Mikal Harrison-Pilot sprints for a long gain against Waxahachie as senior tight end KeAndre Smith (left) and other teammates block during the Wildcats' 28-14 home win over the Indians in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game last Friday at Wildcat Stadium. Harrison-Pilot has scored 14 touchdowns (eight rushing, six receiving) this season for Temple (9-2), which battles fifth-ranked Rockwall-Heath (10-1) in an

RISE AND SHINE: Temple junior receiver Mikal Harrison-Pilot jumps above Copperas Cove defender Jaylen Donnell to make a 30-yard touchdown catch from sophomore quarterback Reese Rumfield during the Wildcats' 77-12 win last Friday at Wildcat Stadium. Harrison-Pilot scored three touchdowns against Cove and has 13 TDs overall this season for District 12-6A champion Temple (8-2), which hosts Waxahachie (6-4) in a Class 6A Division II bi-disteict playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at

SURGING INTO THE PLAYOFFS: Junior wide receiver Scout Brazeal and coach Chris Lancaster's playoff-bound Academy Bumblebees (8-1, 4-1) can complete a 9-1 regular season by winning their District 11-3A Division I finale at Troy (2-7, 2-3) at 7:30 tonight. With 45 catches for 932 yards and 11 touchdowns, Brazeal has an opportunity to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the season. (File photo by Greg Wille, TempleBeltonSports.com) By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.r

BRINGING THE HEAT: Temple senior defensive tackle Tommy Torres puts pressure on Killeen sophomore quarterback Roderick Norman during the Wildcats' 44-6 victory last Friday at Leo Buckley Stadium. Torres recorded six tackles, one sack and a forced fumble as first-place Temple (7-2, 6-0) clinched at least a share of its third straight District 12-6A championship. Before they begin the Class 6A Division II playoffs at home next week, coach Scott Stewart's Wildcats seek to comple

ROOM TO ROAM: Temple senior Tr'Darius Taylor (18) sprints past Killeen Shoemaker players for a 62-yard punt return during the Wildcats' 60-15 win over the Grey Wolves in District 12-6A action last Friday night at Wildcat Stadium. Taylor and Temple (6-2, 5-0) seek to clinch at least a share of the 12-6A championship when they travel to battle the Killeen Kangaroos (2-6, 0-5) at 7:30 Friday night at Leo Buckley Stadium. (Photo by Mike Lefner, Temple ISD/Special to TempleBeltonS

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com SALADO – The Salado Eagles are the defending champions of District 9-4A Division II and have won eight straight league games dating to 2019. The China Spring Cougars are undefeated, have outscored opponents 345-73 and are ranked No. 5 in the state in 4A D-II. Something’s got to give when China Spring (7-0, 2-0) hosts Salado (5-2, 2-0) in a showdown of district co-leaders tonight at 7:30 at Cougar Stadium. It’s a rematch

HE CAN PICK IT: Temple senior linebacker Faylin Lee (12) intercepts a Belton pass as junior defensive end Jaylon Jackson (27) looks on during the Wildcats' 50-15 win over the host Tigers last Friday night. Lee also made nine tackles in the Bell County rivalry game and has 40 stops this season for District 12-6A leader Temple (5-2, 4-0), which hosts Killeen Shoemaker (3-3, 2-2) at 7:30 Friday night on homecoming at Wildcat Stadium. (Photo by Matt Corley, Temple ISD/Special to

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com SALADO – Next Friday, defending District 9-4A Division II champion Salado will travel to fifth-ranked China Spring for a highly anticipated league showdown. But for the Eagles (4-2, 1-0) to carry un unbeaten district record into that battle, first they must get past the Waco Connally Cadets (2-3, 1-0) at 7:30 tonight at Eagle Stadium. It’s a rematch of Salado’s 20-15 road win a year ago. Coach Alan Haire’s Salado team be

CAN'T GET AWAY: Temple junior safety Zion Moore (9) makes one of his team-leading eight tackles during the Wildcats' 56-27 victory over Killeen Ellison last Thursday at Leo Buckley Stadium. Junior linebacker Taurean York also made eight stops and has a team-high 66 tackles this season for District 12-6A leader Temple (4-2, 3-0), which plays rival Belton (3-3, 2-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tiger Field. (Photo by Matt Corley, Temple ISD/Special to TempleBeltonSports.com) CLASS 6A

CLUTCH PERFORMER: Academy trailed Cameron Yoe 28-17 with 7 minutes remaining Friday night at John Glover Stadium, but sophomore quarterback Kasey Mraz threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Zane Clark, a 2-point pass to senior Darion Franklin and a go-ahead 25-yard TD pass to junior Scout Brazeal to help lift the Bumblebees to a 32-28 homecoming victory over the Yoemen. Mraz was 18-of-24 passing for 251 yards and ran for a game-high 68 yards with a 3-yard score in the fi

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com BELTON – One week before their rivalry showdown with Temple, the Belton Tigers seek to make it a 3-0 start in District 12-6A when they battle Harker Heights at 7:30 tonight at Leo Buckley Stadium in Killeen. Belton (3-2, 2-0) remained unbeaten in 12-6A last Friday when they edged winless Bryan 21-14 in overtime at Tiger Field. Javier Luna gave the Tigers the lead with an 18-yard touchdown run in overtime, then Tanner Con

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com BELTON – A second-half surge propelled Belton to a 41-14 win at Copperas Cove in last Friday’s District 12-6A opener, and the Tigers seek to make it a 2-0 start in league play when they host the winless Bryan Vikings at 7:30 tonight on homecoming at Tiger Field. Belton (2-2, 1-0) led winless Cove 17-14 at halftime, then outscored the winless Bulldawgs 24-0 in the final two quarters to run away with the district-opening v

Temple senior running back Samari Howard makes a reception against Bryan senior linebacker Nic Caraway during the visiting Wildcats' 49-7 win over the Vikings in last Friday's District 12-6A opener at Merrill Green Stadium. One day after he verbally committed to Air Force, Howard recorded touchdown runs of 28, 18 and 30 yards as Temple began defense of its district championship. The Wildcats (2-2) host Harker Heights (4-0, 1-0) in a key 12-6A showdown at 7:30 p.m. Friday at W

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com BELTON – The momentum Belton gained in its season-opening win at Georgetown was slowed by back-to-back home losses to Round Rock and Pflugerville Hendrickson. However, the Tigers have an opportunity to get back on the proverbial horse when they begin District 12-6A competition against winless Copperas Cove at 7:30 tonight at Bulldawg Stadium. Both Belton (1-2) and Cove (0-3) had their open dates last week. The Bulldawgs