ALL-AROUND PERFORMER: After sharing District 12-6A's Most Valuable Player award in 2020, versatile Temple running back Samari Howard – shown blocking a punt in the area-round playoff loss to Rockwall-Heath – will return for his senior season with the Wildcats in 2021. Howard rushed for 1,261 yards and 16 touchdowns, made 24 receptions for 347 yards and six TDs and ran in five 2-point conversions to score 142 total points. Howard and Temple went 7-0 in 12-6A and 10-2 overall,

CLASS 6A TEAM STATISTICS Offense Yards gained total/per game Temple 4,603/418.5 (2,401 rushing, 2,202 passing) Belton 3,688/409.8 (1,898 rushing, 1,790 passing) Defense Yards allowed total/per game Temple 3,291/299.2 (1,578 rushing, 1,713 passing) Belton 3,205/356.1 (1,839 rushing, 1,366 passing) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS OFFENSE Rushing (carries, yards, touchdowns) Samari Howard, Temple 216 1,261 16 Maurice Reed, Belton 230 1,171 10 Humberto Arizmendi, Te

WELL-EARNED HONORS: Temple junior running back Samari Howard (8) shared District 12-6A's Most Valuable Player award with Killeen Shoemaker senior wide receiver/kick returner Monaray Baldwin, while Wildcats senior Humberto Arizmendi (10) was voted as a first-team quarterback on the all-district squad. Howard, who was 12-6A's Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore in 2019, rushed for 1,261 yards and 16 touchdowns and added six TD receptions in 11 games for league champio

GOING ALL OUT: Temple junior Samari Howard stretches out and partially blocks a third-quarter punt by Rockwall-Heath's Grady Brewer during the Wildcats' 56-28 loss to the Hawks in a Class 6A Division II area-round playoff game Friday night at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco. Howard ran for 134 yards with a 16-yard touchdown, finishing the season with 1,261 yards and 22 total TDs for District 12-6A champion Temple (10-2). (Photo by Matt Corley, Temple ISD/Special to TempleBelt

FULL STEAM AHEAD: After last week's 38-0 bi-district playoff win over Waxahachie at Wildcat Stadium, junior running back Samari Howard (8) and senior quarterback Humberto Arizmendi (10) lead the District 12-6A champion Temple Wildcats (10-1) into their Class 6A Division II area-round playoff game against Rockwall-Heath (8-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco. The Hawks, 42-14 winners last week over Garland, are guided by former Temple head coach Mike Spradli

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL: Despite having only one returning starter and two new coaches, Temple's offensive line of senior left tackle Alex Rodriguez (left), senior left guard Allen Camacho, senior center Matthew Frye, senior right guard Kai Lynn and junior right tackle Colby Rice has built itself into being a productive group. Under the tutelage of first-year Temple assistants Mike Bickham and Justin Bell, the line's blocking has paved the way for the Wildcats to average 41

FAMILIAR FACE, NEW COLORS: Rockwall-Heath second-year head coach Mike Spradlin holds the gold ball trophy while speaking to his players after the host Hawks beat Garland 42-14 in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game last Friday. Spradlin coached Temple from 2011-15 and guided the Wildcats to a 44-17 record and four playoff berths, highlighted by a 5A Division I state runner-up finish in 2014. He'll face his former team when Rockwall-Heath (8-2) battles Temple (10-1

CLASS 6A (Through bi-district playoffs) TEAM STATISTICS Offense Yards gained total/per game Temple 4,100/410.0 (2,158 rushing, 1,942 passing) Belton 3,688/409.8 (1,898 rushing, 1,790 passing) Defense Yards allowed total/per game Temple 2,630/263.0 (1,363 rushing, 1,267 passing) Belton 3,205/356.1 (1,839 rushing, 1,366 passing) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS OFFENSE Rushing (carries, yards, touchdowns) Maurice Reed, Belton 230 1,171 10 Samari Howard, Temple 197 1,

GRAYS' AREA: Temple junior outside linebacker Marshall Grays (11) grabs Waxahachie senior quarterback Brandon Hawkins Jr. and tackles him for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-goal late in the first quarter as Wildcats junior safety O'Tarian Peoples (2) looks on. Grays returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown only 68 seconds into the game, helping the host Wildcats blast the Indians 38-0 in a Class 6A Division II bi-district duel Friday night at Wildcat Stadium. It was Tem

SALADO SUPERLATIVES: Running back/safety/kicker/punter Wrook Brown (right) was voted Most Valuable Player of District 9-4A Division II, and fellow Salado senior Peyton Miller, an inside linebacker, was selected Defensive MVP. They helped lead the Eagles (11-2) to an unbeaten district championship and the Region III semifinals. Also for Salado, junior tackle Gavyn Keyser was named the league's Outstanding Offensive Lineman; sophomore halfback Caden Strickland shared the Offens

PARTY AT THE PILE: Temple defenders Eric Shorter (left), Jayven Taylor (95), O'Tarian Peoples (2) and Johnny Donoso (22) converge on Killeen Shoemaker's Devin Brown during the visiting Wildcats' 27-24 win over the Grey Wolves on Nov. 19 at Leo Buckley Stadium. District 12-6A champion Temple (9-1) hosts the Waxahachie Indians (5-4) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game at Wildcat Stadium. Coach Scott Stewart's Wildcats are seeking their first p

MAN IN MOTION: Junior defensive end Eric Shorter has produced an outstanding season for the District 12-6A champion Temple Wildcats (9-1), who host the Waxahachie Indians (5-4) in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium. The 5-foot-8½, 216-pound Shorter ranks second on the Wildcats' defense with 54 tackles, including 12 for losses and a team-best five sacks along with two fumble recoveries. In 2019 he made 57 tackles and was a se

CLASS 6A (Through end of regular season) TEAM STATISTICS Offense Yards gained total/per game Temple 3,694/410.4 (1,861 rushing, 1,833 passing) Belton 3,688/409.8 (1,898 rushing, 1,790 passing) Defense Yards allowed total/per game Temple 2,397/275.3 (1,227 rushing, 1,251 passing) Belton 3,205/356.1 (1,839 rushing, 1,366 passing) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS OFFENSE Rushing (carries, yards, touchdowns) Maurice Reed, Belton 230 1,171 10 Samari Howard, Temple 180 1,0

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE: Harker Heights quarterback Terrance Carter, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound junior, rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries to help the Knights beat host Belton 42-20 on Thursday night at Tiger Field. Heights sophomore running back Re'Shaun Sanford exploded for 327 yards on 35 carries, highlighted by a 75-yard TD sprint, as the Knights (7-3, 5-2) pulled away from Belton (3-7, 3-4) in a clash that determined District 12-6A's fourth and final berth in

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com HARKER HEIGHTS (6-3, 4-2) at BELTON TIGERS (3-6, 3-3) 7 p.m. Thursday, Tiger Field Last week: Harker Heights 42, Copperas Cove 20; Killeen Shoemaker 27, Belton 21 (OT) Last year: Belton 21, Harker Heights 14 Game notes: Harker Heights has won twice as many games this season as Belton has, but that won't matter much if the host Tigers beat the Knights in tonight's win-or-stay-home showdown. The winner will seize District

2020 ALL-DISTRICT 11-3A DIVISION I TEAM As voted on by the district's head coaches: SUPERLATIVES Most Valuable Player – Zach Hrbacek, Troy, running back, senior Offensive MVP – Cam'ron Valdez, Rockdale, running back, senior Defensive MVP – Eduardo Gil, Cameron Yoe, lineman, senior Offensive Newcomer of the Year – Jadon Porter, Lorena, wide receiver, freshman Defensive Newcomer of the Year – Joe Gutshall, Lorena, lineman, sophomore Outstanding Offensive Lineman – Zach Westbroo

WINNING MOMENT: Temple players celebrate their District 12-6A championship after they defeated Killeen Shoemaker 27-24 at Leo Buckley Stadium two weeks ago. Having won at outright district title in the state's largest classification for the first time since 2007, the Wildcats (9-1) will host a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game against Waxahachie (5-4) at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Wildcat Stadium. (File photo by Matt Corley, Temple ISD/Special to TempleBeltonSports.

CLASS 6A (Through Week 10 of regular season) TEAM STATISTICS Offense Yards gained total/per game Belton 3,365/420.6 (1,806 rushing, 1,559 passing) Temple 3,694/410.4 (1,861 rushing, 1,833 passing) Defense Yards allowed total/per game Temple 2,397/275.3 (1,227 rushing, 1,251 passing) Belton 2,662/332.8 (1,350 rushing, 1,312 passing) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS OFFENSE Rushing (carries, yards, touchdowns) Maurice Reed, Belton 208 1,090 9 Samari Howard, Temple 180

WACO – Rogers pushed Buffalo until the end in a District 13-3A Division II rematch Friday night, but the Eagles didn't have quite enough firepower as the Bison prevailed 37-35 in a Class 3A Division II Region IV semifinal Friday night at Waco ISD Stadium. Two months after Rogers lost 46-28 at Buffalo, coach Charlie Roten's Eagles (7-6) played the Bison (12-1) closer the second time around in the teams' third meeting in the last 12½ months. In 2019, Rogers rallied late to defe

TEMPLE TAKEAWAY: Temple junior defensive end Eric Shorter (13) celebrates after forcing and recovering a second-quarter fumble deep in Killeen territory as teammates Taurean York (left) and Tommy Torres run off the field with him during the Wildcats' 49-6 victory over the Kangaroos on Friday night at Wildcat Stadium. Shorter's play set up a 5-yard touchdown run by junior Samari Howard, and playoff-bound Temple finished its regular season 9-1 overall and 7-0 in District 12-6A.