The ninth week of the 2025 Texas high school football season was chalk full of wild upsets, exciting comebacks and all-around dominant performances.
The Big Country’s top high school football teams returned to the gridiron this past weekend, where several of the area’s biggest stars put on dazzling displays and showed off their playmaking abilities.
Here’s a closer look at the players that shined brightest throughout the Abilene area this weekend. The following are the top performances from many of the Big Country’s best players during Week 9 of the 2025 Texas high school football season (Oct. 23-25):
Big Country high school football top performers – Week 9 (Oct. 23-25)
Players listed below in alphabetical order.
M’Aujehl Aboso, Abilene High
Aboso caught eight passes for 160 receiving yards and two touchdowns — all game-highs — to help the Eagles secure a 24-6 road victory against Amarillo Tascosa to hold onto first place in District 2-5A DI.
Jace Arnwine, Roscoe
Arnwine threw for 64 yards and a passing touchdown on 5-of-7 passing and scrambled for 72 yards and a rushing touchdown on nine carries to power the Plowboys to a dominant 42-0 victory against Winters in District 7-2A DII action. He also intercepted a pass defensively in Roscoe’s win.
Jaden Carrillo, Abilene Cooper
Carrillo threw for 106 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-15 passing and rushed for 51 yards and another touchdown on four carries to lead Abilene Cooper to a runaway 53-24 victory over Wichita Falls Legacy in District 2-5A DII action.
Clay Chapman, Albany
Chapman threw for 199 yards and touchdown on 15-of-19 passing and added 32 yards on the ground to power the Lions to a runaway 42-0 win against Cross Plains in District 7-2A DII play.
Judson Coalson, Brownwood
Coalson passed for 116 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Lions to their fourth straight win – a 38-7 victory over Burnet in District 4-4A DI play.
Lane Couch, De Leon
Couch ran for 108 yards and two rushing touchdowns on eight carries in the Bearcats’ lopsided 66-14 victory against District 5-2A DI rival Ballinger.
Eli Delgado, Merkel
Delgado caught two passes for 138 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Badgers’ 48-9 victory against Stanton in District 4-3A DII action.
Aiden Ellis, Tuscola Jim Ned
Ellis led the Indians’ relentless rushing attack in a dominant 50-0 win against San Angelo TLCA in District 3-3A DI, racking up 69 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Peyton Ewing, Abilene Cooper
Ewing rumbled for 102 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown runs on 10 carries in the Cougars’ dominant 53-24 win over Wichita Falls Legacy in District 2-5A DII play.
Kyson Gilman, Dublin
Gilman hauled in eight receptions for 139 receiving yards and four touchdown catches — all game-highs — to power Dublin to a 57-7 blowout win against Eastland in District 5-3A DII play.
CJ Guadarrama, Merkel
Guadarrama ran for 93 yards and three rushing touchdowns on just nine carries to help the Badgers secure a 48-9 win over District 4-3A DII rival Stanton.
Noaa Hernandez, Cisco
Hernandez’s power running helped the Loboes improve to 7-1 in a 29-26 comeback win against District 4-2A DI rival Hawley, rushing for a game-high 109 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
Cole Heutzenroader, Hico
Heutzenroader ran wild in the Tigers’ 28-27 win against District 5-2A DI foe Coleman, racking up 226 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Blake Howard, Goldthwaite
Howard threw for 150 yards and four passing touchdowns and also ran for 55 yards and a rushing touchdown to power Goldthwaite to a 54-0 blowout win against Wortham in District 10-2A DII action.
Adan Jergins, Stephenville
Jergins secured six receptions for a game-high 121 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches in the Yellow Jackets’ dominant 49-7 win over Lampasas in District 4-4A DI play.
Heston Jobe, De Leon
Jobe threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns on 10-of-13 passing to lead De Leon to a dominant 66-14 victory over Ballinger in District 5-2A DI play.
Zaylon Johnson, Abilene Cooper
Johnson secured five catches for 45 receiving yards and a touchdown grab and also scored on a 10-yard touchdown run in Cooper’s blowout 53-24 win against Wichita Falls Legacy in District 2-5A DII play.
Max Jones, De Leon
Jones caught five passes for 126 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Bearcats’ 66-14 blowout win over Ballinger in District 5-2A DI action.
Trot Jordan, Stephenville
Jordan threw for 276 yards and five touchdowns on 14-of-18 passing and added 44 yards on the ground in Stephenville’s runaway 49-7 victory against District 4-4A DI rival Lampasas.
Hudson Joslin, Dublin
Joslin recorded four receptions for 133 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Lions’ runaway 57-7 win over Eastland in District 5-3A DII action. He also snagged an interception on defense.
Shawn Keen, Albany
Keen rumbled for 99 yards and three rushing touchdowns on just seven carries in Albany’s 42-0 blowout victory against Cross Plains in District 7-2A DII action.
Alex Lozano, Anson
Lozano secured four catches for 136 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown grabs in the Tigers’ 54-15 blowout win over District 4-2A DI rival Olney.
Easton Malone, Merkel
Malone threw for 253 yards and four touchdowns on 8-of-13 passing to lift Merkel to a dominant 48-9 victory over Stanton in District 4-3A DII action.
Zyler McClendon, Stephenville
McClendon ran for 87 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns on 14 carries in the Yellow Jackets’ 49-7 rout of Lampasas in District 4-4A DI action.
Colby McIlroy, Cisco
McIlroy ran for 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 12 carries and he also threw for 75 yards on 5-of-9 passing in the Loboes’ 29-26 comeback victory against Hawley in District 4-2A DI play.
Levi Pearson, Brownwood
Pearson ran for 63 yards and a rushing touchdown in Brownwood’s 38-7 win against District 4-4A DI rival Burnet.
Jose Quintero, Sweetwater
Quintero shined in the Mustangs’ bitterly close 27-20 loss to District 3-3A DI rival Clyde, hauling in 10 catches for 210 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown grabs.
Aiden Romo, Hawley
Romo threw for 209 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-20 passing and he also scrambled for 91 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns on 25 carries in Hawley’s 29-26 loss to District 4-2A DI rival Cisco.
Hudson Smith, Hamlin
Smith powered the Pied Pipers’ rushing attack in a 28-0 win against District 7-2A DII rival Miles, racking up 71 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Jayden Smith, Coleman
Smith recorded 98 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches in the Bluecats’ 28-27 loss to Hico in District 5-2A DI play.
Malachi St. John, Anson
St. John tallied a game-high seven catches for 114 yards and two receiving touchdowns in Anson’s runaway 54-15 victory against Olney in District 4-2A DI action.
Hunter Teichelman, Anson
Teichelman passed for 334 yards and five touchdowns and picked up a sixth touchdown on the ground to power the Tigers to a 54-15 blowout win over Olney in District 4-2A DI play.
Alex Teten, Dublin
Teten threw for 371 yards and six touchdowns on 19-of-24 passing to lead the Lions to their first win of the year in District 5-3A DII via a 57-7 rout of Eastland.
Jeffrey Watson, Clyde
Watson recovered a critical fumble and then scored on a 100-yard fumble return touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 27-20 victory against Sweetwater in District 3-3A DI action.
Braylen Williams, Hawley
Williams caught four passes for 49 receiving yards and a touchdown grab and also scored on an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown in the Bearcats’ 29-26 loss to Cisco in District 4-2A DI action.
Devan Wright, Clyde
Wright ran for 104 yards and a rushing touchdown on 18 carries and he also threw for 79 yards and another touchdown on 5-of-9 passing in Clyde’s 27-20 win over Sweetwater in District 3-3A DI play.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Week 9 Texas Big Country high school football top performers (Oct. 23-25)
Reporting by Andrew McCulloch, Abilene Reporter-News / Abilene Reporter-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

