Tuesday, September 23, 1997

Players of the Week

By BILL HART

Senior Staff Writer

The area high school football players of the week as selected by the Abilene Reporter-News:

-- Offensive player of the week: Ranger fullback J.D. Wilson rushed for 126 yards on 17 carries and scored three rushing touchdowns (11, 33 and 1 yard) and caught a pass for another score in a 34-32 loss to Gorman. He also passed for a two-point conversion and ran for another.

-- Honorable mention: Quarterback Jarad Richards of Cross Plains completed 11 of 16 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns in a 39-6 win over Miles. Roby back Wesley Pullig scored touchdowns on runs of 6, 11, 18 and 60 yards while gaining 176 yards on 16 attempts in a 29-14 win over Bronte. Goldthwaite quarterback Steven Miles scored four touchdowns (1, 41, 19 and 6 yards) in a 40-0 win over Wall. He gained 139 yards on 13 carries. Sweetwater backs Moses Brown and Willie Amos had a 1-2 punch in a 42-20 win over Frenship. Brown gained 155 yards on 14 carries, while Amos had 116 on 11 attempts, including touchdowns of 5, 34, 7 and 32 yards. Brownwood quarterback Colby Freeman completed 11 of 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 93 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown run, in a 29-7 win over Belton. Stamford back Clarence Whitfield ran 34, 37, 9 and 2 yards for scores in the 34-19 win over Haskell. He had 123 yards on 14 carries.

-- Defensive player of the week: Cross Plains defensive back Joseph Turner intercepted three passes, batted down another, had five unassisted tackles and assisted on two others.

-- Honorable mention: Rising Star's Korey Morris (in on 20 tackles and intercepted a pass) and Jason Rutledge (20 tackles and a sack) combined to the Wildcatts beat Throckmorton 14-10. Breckenridge received stellar performances from linebackers Jared Sanderson (9 solo tackles, 10 assisted tackles) and Cody Wimberly (7 solo tackles, 9 assisted tackles, broke up one pass and had a sack) in a 21-9 win over Graham.

-- Six-Man player of the week: Moran back Michael Stewart threw five TD passes and ran for another in a 56-28 win over Vernon Northside. He passed for 222 yards and ran for 118.

-- Honorable mention: Hermleigh back Andy Luna returned three kickoffs 69, 74 and 62 yards for touchdowns in a 52-24 win over Klondike. Brookesmith's Phillipe Pitts had five touchdowns in a 76-30 win over Lohn, while Strawn's Aaron Orsini rushed for 209 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 47-32 loss to Trinidad.