Demetrio Teniente / The Dallas Morning News
Stats alone don’t lead to success in Texas High School football, though piling up the yards and collecting touchdown catches certainly helps.
Last year was last year, and it is hard to predict what will happen based on the previous season’s failures or successes. Still, it’s nice to know which playmakers, game-changers and record-breakers will once again play under the Friday night lights.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at the top returning players in terms of passing yards, rushing yards and receiving yards in the 6A, 5A, 4A/others and private school classifications.
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Below are the top returning rushers at 5A schools, based on The Dallas Morning News’ top 20 rushing leaders from a season ago (listed in descending order of yards).
SaRod Baker, DeSoto
Stats: 342 carries for 3,096 yards (9.33 average) and 45 TDs
Notable: Baker is ranked 4th overall in The Dallas Morning News’ top 100 recruits for the Class of 2027 and is the No. 1 overall RB. Baker had a season for the ages last year, running for 3,096 yards and 45 touchdowns as DeSoto won its third Class 6A Division II state title in four years. Baker, rated the fifth-best running back in the nation in the Class of 2027, could break the area’s single-season rushing record of 3,522 yards that was set by Mansfield’s Kennedy Brooks in 2015. Baker made a bid for that last year by rushing for 1,557 yards and 20 touchdowns in six playoff games while averaging 259.5 yards per game.
Jayson Gibson, Richland
Stats: 246 carries for 2,321 yards (9.43 average) and 41 TDs
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Notable: Gibson is ranked 24th overall in The Dallas Morning News’ top 100 recruits for the Class of 2027 and is the No. 2 overall RB.
Trey Wright, Frisco Lone Star
Stats: 166 carries for 1,694 yards (10.20 average) and 16 TDs
Damarian Robinson, West Mesquite
Stats: 190 carries for 1,473 yards (7.75 average) and 17 TDs
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Julian Ashley, Terrell
Stats: 139 carries for 1,448 yards (10.42 average) and 21 TDs
Darrik Ward, Crandall
Stats: 200 carries for 1,246 yards (6.23 average) and 18 TDs
Evan Koehne, Celina
Stats: 150 carries for 1,044 yards (6.96 average) and 15 TDs
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Terrence Collins, North Mesquite
Stats: 125 carries for 1,022 yards (8.18 average) and 17 TDs
More stat leaders