Austin area Capital One High Yield Student Athlete of the Week award

Recognize players you think are worthyof the Capital One High Yield StudentAthlete of the Week award.

Photo by Keith Owens

Each week this fall sports season, be sure to nominate the Austin area player you think deserves the Capital One High Yield Student Athlete of the Week award.

What makes someone a "High Yield Student Athlete," you might ask. Well, it's anybody whose hard work, effort and skill produces a high yield of positives for their team and school. It can even be just one play in a game. Or overcoming an obstacle to inspire the team and student body.

Anything that brings success, inspiration or joy is eligible.

Send us an email at Playeroftheweek@maxpreps.com and explain why you think somebody you know is worthy of the Austin area Capital One High Yield Student Athlete of the Week award.



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Jake Hubenak is no Adrian Peterson, but he can relate.

And after Hubenak's remarkable 2012 season for Georgetown (Texas) High School's football season, Eagles' coach Jason Dean can relate his star quarterback to the NFL's premier running back.

"I don't know how much better he could have been or his numbers could have been," Dean said. "He did everything we could have asked."

In 2011, Georgetown was cruising to a 4-0 start when Hubenak, a 6-foot-3, 187-pound then junior, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

The Eagles went 2-4 the rest of the way and failed to make the Texas 5A playoffs.

Down in enrollment, Georgetown was reclassified to 4A and Hubenak, much like Peterson's nearly historic 2012 comeback season, came back better than ever.



He completed 264 of 427 passes for 4,091 yards and 48 touchdowns. With a stronger leg and sculpted frame, Hubenak also came back quicker and rushed for 513 yards (including sack yardage) and seven more scores.

And all those yards and all those touchdowns led Georgetown to its greatest season ever, a 15-1 campaign and spot in the Texas 4A-I state finals.

For his comeback and a terrific senior season, Hubenak was selected as the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Year.

"He's a great kid and twice was voted a team captain by the players," Dean said. "And we had a team full of leaders. He was a quiet leader. He led by example. Jake is very coachable, a great student of the game. He's just an All-American kid."

With a resounding 56 seniors on a roster of 65, the Eagles dropped their final game, 48-37 to Guyer at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Hubenak threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns, all to Randy Knightner.

Knightner was one of three 1,000-yard receivers which also included Austin Weston and Ryan Bedford.



The Eagles also had a 1,000-yard rusher in Tyler Moody and four other runners who rushed for more than 300 yards. It was a true team effort, but Hubenak led the way from his quarterback spot. He was named the state's first-team 4A quarterback by the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors.

He hasn't secured a college offer yet, but Dean said that's only because of Hubenak's untimely injury.

"Most of the kids are all recruited their junior years and Jake was out," Dean said. "They missed out on a good one. Someone is going to get a steal here late in the game."{PAGEBREAK}

What a difference a year and position change can make.

Tyler Moody, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior, moved from defensive line to running back this season.

According to the Austin Statesmen, Moody rushed 19 times for 119 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Georgetown (Texas) Eagles to a 42-14 win over Rouse in a 4A Division I semifinal game on Saturday at Gupton Stadium.



The Eagles (15-0) now face Denton Guyer (13-2) in the title game Saturday at Cowboys Stadium.

For his big game, Moody has been selected the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

Moody did most of his running on the inside and scored on runs of 1, 1 and 6 yards. He helped his team rush for 247 yards and increase their state-leading win streak to 16 games. His first touchdown of the game gave the Eagles a 14-7 lead it would never relinquish.

"All I work for is first downs," Moody told the Statesmen after the game. "If touchdowns come with that, I'm happy. Four yards, and anything more that that is a bonus."

It was a major bonus getting Moody in the backfield this season and he led a very balanced running attack during the regular campaign with 98 carries for 682 yards and three touchdowns.

His 6.9 yards per carry were a lot better than the 4.0 he was happy with.



His surprising season coincided with that of the Eagles, who last year didn't even make the playoffs in 2011.

They finished 6-4 but missed out on one of the four playoff berths in District 16-5A.

Now Moody and his teammates will be headed to the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

"I've only seen it in dreams," Georgetown senior offensive lineman Bryan Boatright told the Statesmen.{PAGEBREAK}


It must have seem like light years ago for Derek Cohen.

Following a season win over Cedar Park, his Westlake (Austin, Texas) Chaparrals lost three straight, the last one a most humbling 35-10 defeat at home to Steele.



But Cohen and the Chaps have rallied in a big way, winning nine of the next 10, including a 42-35 thriller over Plano West in the Texas 5A Division 2 quarterfinals on Saturday.

In the victory, Cohen finished off the win with his second interception of the game, two of four for Westlake, which now takes on Cedar Hill (10-4) in a semifinal game Saturday at Wasco ISD Stadium.

For his heroics, Cohen has been selected the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

"We play exactly like we practice," Cohen told Rick Cantu of the Austin American-Statesman. "These (turnovers) are just a reaction to what we always do."

What the Chaps have done lately is cause turnovers — 15 of them the last four games, according to the Statesmen.

Cohen's first pick was a leaping grab in the back of the end zone. His final one was a diving effort in the final minute of the game after Plano West had rallied from a 35-21 deficit.



Cohen's twin brother Alec Cohen, along with Jack Meredith, John Dodd and Tate Shaw limited Plano West passers to just seven completions in 19 attempts. Dodd and Shaw also had interceptions.

"We didn't create turnovers in big numbers today, but we got them when we needed them," Westlake coach Darren Allman told Cantu.

This will be the first time since 2009 that Westlake has reached the semifinals. The Chaps also lost a heartbreaking game to cross-town rival Lake Travis 14-11 on Nov. 2.

But Westlake responded to that loss with five straight wins.{PAGEBREAK} 

They're calling Rouse (Leander, Texas) High School's football season a miracle, which might be a little strong.

But most will admit that the team is certainly the best kept secret in central Texas.



Those who watch Rouse on a consistent basis, will point to middle linebacker Tim Lapaglia as one of the biggest reasons why the Raiders are where they are — in the quarterfinals of the Texas 4A Division I playoffs.

He leads a rugged defense with 147 tackles, a whopping 102 of those are solo. He consistently flies up and down the field, North and South, East and West, hunting down ball carries.

Against one of the state's leading rushing attacks in Gregory-Portland in a playoff game last week, Lapaglia recorded another 13 tackles and led a defense that held that gave up 205 yards in a 44-7 win.

See Texas playoff bracket

For his performance against Gregory and all season, Lapaglia was selected as the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

Rouse not only almost shut out Gregory, but the Raiders gave up a scant 205 total yards. Gregory scored in the final two minutes when Lapaglia and all of his starters had left the field.



Not bad, considering Gregory was averaging 56 points per game in its last three contests.

Lapaglia brothers played across town at district rival Leander. But Tim went to the new school and has proved to be a big, physical presence for the last three seasons.

He helped the Raiders to a great turnaround season after seasons of 2-7-1 and 0-10. They are now 9-4 heading into quarterfinal play against Corpus Christi Flour Bluff at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday.

Tim's leadership and strong play have helped turned this understandably struggling program to the promised land.

Besides all those tackles he's second on the team with seven sacks, three interceptions and he's caused four fumbles. {PAGEBREAK}


Vista Ridge (Cedar Park, Texas) senior Adrian Duncan didn't win his last high school game. But anyone who watched him score all four of his team's touchdowns in a 31-28 Class 4A Division II area loss to Brennan would only call him a winner.



According to the Austin Statesmen, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior was just coming off an injury. He had not played since the end of October due to a high ankle strain.

He wasn't going to watch his final game from the sideline.

Duncan did everything humanely possible, scoring on touchdown catches of 39 and 55 yards and crossing the line on TD runs of 20 and 6 yards, the latter giving his team a 28-24 lead late in the fourth quarter.

For his efforts, he was selected as the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

Duncan rushed for 82 yards and caught three passes for 96 yards and showed little effect from his severe ankle sprain.

Vista Ridge tried to become just the second team in its school history to win nine games. The squad finished 8-4.



It could have easily been 9-3 after Duncan's final touchdown. But  Brennan scored late thanks to a gritty fourth down play call, a fake punt near midfield that was converted on a 22-yard run by running back Stedman Mayberry. {PAGEBREAK}


Statistics can sometimes be a little deceiving.

Take Round Rock Westwood (Austin, Texas) senior running back/receiver Ty Marshall for instance.

In last week's 31-10 first-round 5A Division I playoff win over Del Valle, the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder had 11 carries for 30 yards. He also averaged just 7.4 yards per reception, though he did secure nine of them.

Those are pedestrian numbers. Certainly nothing to get too excited about.

Unless you're excited about scoring three touchdowns, two rushing. Marshall seemed more exciting about his team advancing into the playoffs than his three scores.



It's largely why he was selected as the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

"We've been saying this since day one of the off-season, we've got unfinished business," Marshall told the Austin Statesmen after the game. "We're getting a second chance and we're going to take advantage of that."

Marshall certainly did, scoring on a pair of 5-yard runs while adding the icing on the cake with a 23-yard touchdown reception.

}It was Marshall's 108th catch of the season, but only for 889 yards (8.23 per catch) and six touchdowns.

He's also rushed just 53 times for 227 yards and five more scores.

With at least 161 touches on the year, coach Anthony Wood loves to get Marshall the ball.



At least that's the plan.

He's caught at least 10 passes in seven of the 11 games and nine in two other games.

Round Rock Westwood (8-3) takes on The Woodlands (8-3) Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT). {PAGEBREAK}


All at once, Tyrone Owens was gone. And so was his Manor (Texas) football team.

Held scoreless the first half, Owens busted off touchdown runs of 88 and 51 yards, leading Manor to a 20-17 comeback win over Connally on Friday night.

Owens finished with a career-high 254 rushing yards on 21 carries, but he didn't hit pay dirt until he broke off his 88-yarder on the final play of the third quarter.



His 51-yarder with 3:53 left, proved to the be game winner.

For his efforts, Owens was selected as the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound junior continued his late-season assault on Central Texas competition with his fourth straight 100-yard-plus contest.

He now has 1,181 yards on just 113 carriers (10.5 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns. He's also done a superb job catching the ball with 21 catches for 243 yards and three scores.

Since a midseason slump, Owens has rushed 823 yards in the last combined four games (205.7).

He had 194 yards and two scores versus Cedar Creek.



Owens added 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-7 win over Hutto.

And the week before Friday against Pflugerville, Owens picked up up 229 yards and a score in a 20-17 victory last week.{PAGEBREAK}


Grant Foster, like most sophomores, was used in spots. Sparingly. Until he picked up the speed of the game.

Foster, a superb all-around athlete, picked his spot all right when Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) High School's football team needed him most.

The athletic receiver caught five balls for 161 yards and two touchdowns, the latter that will be talked about in the hearty history of Lake Travis for years to come.

According to the Austin Statesmen, Foster hauled in a 96-yarder from Baker Mayfield with 3 minutes, 40 seconds to go in a 14-11 win over arch-rival and cross-town foe Westlake on Friday night.



For it, Foster was chosen as the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

"I think (Mayfield) feels more comfortable throwing to me now," Foster told reporters the previous week. "I think he trusts me more."

Indeed, Foster had just 11 catches for 125 yards heading into week No. 9, when he had a breakout game with six catches and 114 yards and two scores during a 31-6 win over Del Valle.

Then, with a district 15-5A trophy at stake, the five-time defending state champion caught a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter to cut Westlake's advantage to 11-7.

Westlake was driving to what would have likely been a clinching touchdown at the Lake Travis 5. On fourth down, Westlake decided to go for it, but was stopped. A couple of plays later, Mayfield heaved a ball 60 yards down field and Foster caught it at the Westlake 40 and ran it in from there.

It was a stunning turn of events for Lake Travis, which improved to 9-1. {PAGEBREAK}

Ryan Bedford touched the ball seven times against Hutto Friday night. He scored five times.



That's not easy when you're not a quarterback or running back.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Georgetown (Texas) senior is a receiver and big-play specialist for the Eagles.

Bedford caught six balls for 134 yards and four touchdowns and he carried the ball one time for a 13-yard touchdown.

For his dominating performance in a 58-7 victory, Bedford was chosen as the Austin area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

Bedford now has 34 catches for 658 yards (19.35 average) and nine touchdowns on the season for the 8-0 Eagles.

He's one reception back of team leader Randy Knightner (35 catches, 595 yards, seven touchdowns) and 13 ahead of Austin Weston (21-426-9), giving senior quarterback Jake Hubenak (114 of 168, 1,891 yards, 27 touchdowns, 4 interceptions) three lethal receiving threats.



With 1,423 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, Georgetown indeed can beat you many ways. In fact, Bedford, Knightner and Weston all carry the ball on great occasion with great efficiency.

Bedford has carried three times for 38 yards and two scores, Knightner 21 times for 158 yards and two scores and Weston 32 times for 237 yards and six touchdowns.

Weston leads the team with 15 scores and Bedford has 11.

Bedford is long and athletic and versatile. He also returns kick and is the team's holder on kicks. With a 35-inch vertical jump and 4.63 speed in the 40 he's a definite college prospect.

He qualified for regional track and field meets as both a sophomore and junior and he's been a varsity starter since he was a 10th-grader.

Before the season started, he was selected Friday Night Fanstand third team All-CanTex wide receiver.



He's helped his team earn the top 4A ranking among 4A Austin area schools. The Eagles have outscored opponents 390-71 and they've scored at least 40 points six of their eight games, four times breaking 50, including a 73-0 win over Cedar Creek two weeks ago.

Bedford is much more than a football player. He's a scholar, member of the National Honor Society and devotes loads of volunteer time not only to his community and church but also local youth football teams.

"I really enjoy teaching helping youngsters," he wrote in a berecruited.com profile. "And it makes me feel good to help people who may not have it as good as I do. It also makes me appreciate the gifts I have been granted."

Judging from how he performs on the field, he has many. {PAGEBREAK}


A.J. Herrera proves several theories.

Good things come to those who wait.



The best prizes come in small packages.

And can't judge a book by its 5-foot-8, 160-pound frame.

So, the last one is slightly embellished. You get the picture.

After rushing for just 69 yards all of last season while waiting in the wings, the smallish McCallum (Austin, Texas) High School running back has been superb all season, topped off with a 26-carry, 202-yard, three-touchdown performance last week in a key 28-14 win over rival Travis.

With the score tied at 14 midway through the third, Herrera responded with touchdown runs of 15 yards and 9 yards to keep the bell in the hands of McCallum in this rivalry game.

For his efforts, Herrera has been selected the Austin Area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.



"He's not real big and he's not real fast," McCallum coach Jason Cecil told Rick Cantu of the Austin American-Statesman. "But he's physical, and he's got great vision on the field."

He's also modest.

With Travis trying to clog up the middle, Herrera constantly hit the edge while rushing for a career high. His previous best was 121 yards.

He's now the team's leading rusher with 519 yards on 86 carries and six touchdowns.

"Once I (broke outside), our guys did a great job of blocking," Herrera told the newspaper.

Herrera and the Knights (5-3, 3-0) now play LBJ in a vital District 26-4A matchup.{PAGEBREAK}




The move up from 4A to 5A has been a challenge for Hendrickson (Pflugerville, Texas) volleyball team.

But with 5-foot-9 senior Casey Friesen running the show, the Hawks are in good hands.

Friesen had two big matches last week, combing for 64 assists, leading Hendrickson (24-11) into a tie with district cousin Pflugerville with 6-2 district records.

For her strong play and team success, Friesen has been selected the Austin Area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

In a surprising 25-19, 28-26, 25-18 sweep at highly-ranked Round Rock, Friesen had 23 assists and nine digs, helping not only spread the ball to a host of hitters but also leading a stellar defensive effort.

Anna Lee Koester, Katelyn Lochner and Zoey Hanrahan combined for 29 kills.



"This is an amazing win – one of the biggest we have ever had," Hendrickson coach Carrie Sulak told the Pflugerville Flag. "To come in here and sweep the Dragons is just crazy."

Crazier still was a 27-25, 20-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-13 win over Round Rock Westwood two nights later.

Friesen had a season high 41 assists in that match as sophomore Koester had 16 kills and Hanrahan added 12 and Anna Koscielniak and Lauren Muska added eight kills apiece.

Mariah Carlin had a team-high 15 digs and Taylor Padgett and Kelsey Robinson added 10 apiece.

It was a total team victory for the Hawks and Friesen, as usual, distributed the ball around beautifully.

Also a competitive water skier, Friesen missed some games earlier in the season with a sprained ankle. She hopes to play volleyball in college, a game she's played since the sixth grade.



"I really love the competition of the sport and playing together with my teammates," she told the newspaper. "It's is a lot of fun and really exciting. We don't always start fast but we play hard and never quit."

That was definitely the case against Round Rock Westwood.

Even with the jump up in classification, Friesen thinks the Hawks can compete at the highest level.

"We have a core of seniors and several new to varsity players but if we can play as a team, we can make the playoffs," she told the newspaper early in the season.

Judging by how Hendrickson has fared, she's proved to be a prophet.

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Pflugerville (Texas) senior running back Adrian Dilworth isn't into trash talk.

"I just try to let my play on the field speak for me," he told the Austin Statesmen before the season.

Dilworth continues to "speak" loud and clear. After the speedy 6-foot, 180-pounder rushed for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, leading the Panthers to a playoff win, Dilworth is at it again helping his team to a 4-1 start.

On Friday, he rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-13 win over Round Rock.

For his performance and overall excellence, Dilworth was selected as the Austin Area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

Dilworth follows in a long line of outstanding Pflugerville running backs, a fact the humble standout is well aware of.



He doesn't put himself necessarily in that category. He lets others decide.

"I know we've always had a lot of talent," he said. "But now (with 15 starters back from last year), I know we have the experience to back it up."

The Panthers also have an outstanding line and balance on offense. And Dilworth loves it when the Panthers run the ball.

"I love the physical nature of the game," he said. "I like the contact."

The victory was huge for the Panthers, who were coming off a 20-0 loss to Leander.

The team opened with three easy wins over Bowie (42-14), Austin (34-14) and Reagan (34-7), but Leander brought the team back to earth.



On Friday, however, the Panthers got on track. After Round Rock took a 3-0 lead, Dilworth responded with the first of two 3-yard touchdown runs. After Round Rock took a 10-7 lead, Josh Ianno booted a 26-yard field goal and then Dilworth gave his team the lead for good with another touchdown run. A 49-yard pass play off a fake punt set up the score and the Panthers were on their way.
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The No. 1 question facing the Leander (Texas) football team entering the 2012 season was how in the world would they replace District 16-5A Offensive MVP Andres Barrera.

With 15 starters returning, coach Clint Harper said it would be by committee.

Boy has Caleb Woodward been some committee.

The versatile 6-foot-1, 190-pound (fill-in-the-blank) played receiver, defensive back, running back and backup quarterback last season for the Lions, when they finished 8-4 in Harper's first season.

This year, Harper has put his most talented player in utter control — at quarterback — and the Texas Tech-bound standout has led the Lions to a 4-1 start.

For his dominating start, Woodward has been selected the Austin Area Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.



Not a natural passer, he's completed almost 60 percent of his passes (22 of 37) for 360 yards including three touchdowns and one interception.

Most of his damage has been done on the ground with 822 yards on 139 carries (164 yards per game) and 11 touchdowns.

Even in defeat — a 14-10 setback to Cedar Park — Woodward played well last week completing 7 of 11 passes and rushing for 171 yards and the team's lone touchdown.

He started the season with a 164-yard, 3-touchdown performance against Pflugerville Connally and followed up with 136 more rushing yards and two scores in a 35-0 victory over Hendrickson.

But where he really raised some eyebrows was with a remarkable 44-carry, 307-yard effort in a 28-7 win over Manor.

"That was for my grandpa," he told reporters after the game. "He's been having some heart problems so I played for him. Thankfully my offensive line gave me plenty of holes to run through."



Considering Woodward wasn't a proven commodity coming into the season — he had less than 300 yards rushing and six touchdowns — Texas Tech might have been taking a big chance.

Not so, Harper said.

"Caleb has played every position we have asked him to since he's been playing for us," he told the Austin Statesmen. "And he hasn't only played them; he's played them well.

"They definitely recruited him because of his athleticism."

While some young athletes would see playing multiple positions as a disadvantage, Woodward said playing all the positions has helped him with reads and coverages.

"I really have an understanding of the entire game and not just one position's viewpoint," he told the Statesmen.



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