By GREG WILLE
TempleBeltonSports.com
gwille2@hot.rr.com
– NON-DISTRICT –
TEMPLE WILDCATS (1-0) at MAGNOLIA WEST MUSTANGS (1-0)
7 p.m. Friday, Mustang Stadium, Magnolia
Last week: Temple 40, Class 5A Division I No. 3-ranked Longview 13; Magnolia West 48, Brenham 28
Last meeting: 2017 – Temple 41, Magnolia West 13 in 5A Division I area-round playoff game at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco
Game notes: Temple answered the bell in its season-opening showdown with state-ranked power Longview a week ago at Arlington's AT&T Stadium, overcoming a 13-10 halftime deficit by outscoring the mistake-plagued Lobos 30-0 in the second half and pulling away for a statement-making 27-point victory. . . . Coach Scott Stewart's Wildcats are set for another big test away from home when they travel to meet Magnolia West tonight. The Mustangs, whose second-year head coach Blake Joseph was a Temple assistant from 2013-15, scored three first-quarter touchdowns at Brenham en route to a season-opening 20-point road win. . . . Wildcats senior quarterback Humberto Arizmendi was stellar in his first career varsity start, going 21-for-28 passing against Longview for 213 yards and TD connections with Tr'Darius Taylor, AJ McDuffy, Luke Allen and Samari Howard. . . . Sophomore Mikal Harrison-Pilot, who competed with Arizmendi for the starting QB role during preseason camp, started at receiver vs. Longview and made five receptions. . . . Sophomore linebacker Taurean York led Temple with 13 tackles vs. Longview, senior tackle Jayven Taylor forced a safety, junior satey/linebacker Marshall Grays had an interception and junior free safety O'Tarian Peoples returned a fourth-quarter fumble 28 yards for the Wildcats' final touchdown. . . . Against Brenham, Magnolia West got 228 passing yards and two TDs (to Marcus Collins and Jeff Krop) from junior QB Brock Dalton and 149 rushing yards and four TDs from junior RB Hunter Bilbo. . . . Free safety JT Phillips and end Hayden Jansky are among the Mustangs' defensive leaders. . . . Temple's home opener and non-district finale is against Arlington Martin (0-1) at 7 p.m. next Friday at Wildcat Stadium.
BELTON TIGERS (0-1) at ROUND ROCK DRAGONS (0-0)
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dragon Stadium
Last week: Georgetown 36, Belton 27; Round Rock, idle
Last year: Round Rock 42, Belton 30
Game notes: Playing the first of three consecutive road games after last Friday's season-opening home loss to Georgetown, Belton seeks its first win with first-year head coach Brett Sniffin. . . . The Tigers make the long road trip to Midland Lee next Friday before they begin District 12-6A play Oct. 15 at Killeen. . . . Belton quarterback Ruben Jimenez rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns against Georgetown and threw a TD pass to fellow senior Scott Gurnett, but Jimenez completed only seven of 24 passes. . . . Junior safety Trent West led the Tigers with seven tackles and had a 38-yard return after making an interception. . . . Jeff Cheatham is 61-53 with seven playoff berths in 11 seasons as Round Rock's head coach after going 57-51 with five postseason trips in 10 years as Salado's head coach from 2000-09. . . . The Dragons, who had an open date last week, have a pair of dynamic offensive weapons returning in burly QB Seth Ford (2,197 passing yards with 18 TDs; 499 rushing yards and seven TDs in 2019) and fleet-footed RB Israel Morgan (1,386 rushing yards with 18 TDs). . . . Defensive back Trey McCarty (77 tackles last year) and end Travien Brown (five sacks) are among Round Rock's leading defenders.
– DISTRICT 9-4A DIVISION II –
GATESVILLE HORNETS (1-2) at SALADO EAGLES (4-1)
7:30 p.m. Friday, Eagle Stadium
Last week: Gatesville, idle; Salado 49, Taylor 3
Game notes: Salado spent half of its regular season moving through a five-game non-district schedule, and tonight coach Alan Haire's Eagles finally move into a more important segment when they begin their five-game District 9-4A Division II slate by hosting Gatesville in Salado's homecoming game. The Hornets beat Hillsboro 22-18 two weeks ago for their first win with second-year head coach Luke Howard, but Gatesville's game against Lampasas last week was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns, the same reason its game with Lorena was wiped out. . . . The Salado offense's Slot-T rushing attack has worked to the tune of 409.6 rushing yards per game. Noah Mescher has run for 793 yards and 10 touchdowns, fellow senior Reid Vincent has 660 yards and four scores on the ground and sophomore Caden Strickland has 343 yards and five TDs. . . . Salado has averaged 49 points per game in its four wins. The Eagles' lone defeat was 21-7 at home to two-time defending Class 3A Division I state champion Grandview. . . . Kofi Stoglin leads Salado with 45 tackles, and Wrook Brown and Lucas Morvant have 37 stops each. . . . Gatesville's leading performers on offense are running back Jason Delong (356 rushing yards, three TDs) and QB Luke Mullins (524 passing yards, six TDs).