Maybe the biggest story in Texas high school football this year is taking place in the small West Texas town of Ozona, where senior running back Christian Villarreal is on pace to make history.
For those unaware, Villarreal is nearing the Texas high school football all-time single-season rushing record of 4,045 yards set by Sugar Land’s Kenneth Hall in 1953. At the end of the regular season, he had 3,505 yards rushing and 52 touchdowns, averaging 350.5 yards per game. That average would put him on track to break the record in the second round of the playoffs, which is the same number of games Hall set it in.
Villarreal’s success first broke into the public consciousness after he won the Texas Built Ford Tough 2A Player of the Week in the opening week win against McCamey, when he had 371 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.
Breaking the state record became a possibility for the senior running back after he had 450 yards rushing against Harper — his highest total in a game this season.
If Villarreal did not gain another year this season, he would be 12th all-time on the Texas high school rushing leaders list.
Here are the players he trails:
4,045 – Kenneth Hall, Sugar Land, 1953
3,890 – Trey Williams, Spring DeKaney, 2011
3,888 – Johnathan Gray, Aledo, 2011
3,887 – Joseph Salder, Devine, 2011
3,701 –Rodney Thomas, Groveton, 1990
3,569 – Wes Danaher, Calallen, 1995
3,542 – John Herbert (jr.), Houston Strake Jesuit, 2024
3,530 – Jonathan Brooks, Hallettsville, 2020
3,526 – Cedric Benson, Midland Lee, 1999
3,522 – Kennedy Brooks, Mansfield, 2015
3,515 – Robert Strait, Cuero, 1987
It’s safe to say Villarreal’s 2025 year has been a breakout on the state level. However, he has been a force to reckon with in the West Texas area since his sophomore season, when he was the All-West Texas Newcomer of the Year with 1,262 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns.
Through his three seasons on varsity, Villarreal stands at 6,205 yards rushing, which puts him at 109th in the Texas high school football career rushing yards rankings. He trails Cayuga’s Gary Turner’s 6,206 yards.
Villarreal had a few more opportunities to tack on more yards this season, but ran into some tough luck. A lightning delay against Colorado City cut a 380-yard rushing performance two quarters short, and a cold limited him in a 280-yard performance against Christoval. Now, in a win-or-go-home situation, it would be safe to expect he sees more opportunities.
It won’t be an easy road for Villareal to surpass the 540 yards rushing he needs to match Hall’s record. The undefeated Lions face a battle-tested Anson squad in the bi-district round at Big Spring’s Memorial Stadium on Friday. If they can get past the Tigers, they will face the winner of New Deal and Spearman.
What can be certain is that neither team will want to be mentioned in the footnotes of history as Villarreal breaks the 72-year record.
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X @Paul_Witwer, Instagram and TikTok at pwitwer_sast.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Can Ozona running back Christian Villarreal break the Texas single-season rushing record?
Reporting by Paul Witwer, San Angelo Standard-Times / San Angelo Standard-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
