Football is king in Texas, but lately, track and field has caught the attention of most in the state.
A dynamic dual-threat quarterback and multi-sport standout is in the middle of the track attention.
Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City, Texas) junior
Malik Hornsby will try to help his track team's 4x100-meter relay team not only win a state crown, but also set a national record.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder was part of the team that ran a national season best of 39.99 seconds at the Texas Regional III-5A meet April 27 in Webster. It was just off the national mark of 39.76 set in 1998 by another Texas school, Wyatt (Fort Worth).
Fort Bend Marshall ran its season best during the regional preliminaries. It came back the next day and won the regional finals in in another impressive time of 40.08.
Video: Ultimate Highlights Malik Hornsby Watch the four-star quarterback sprint through defenses on the gridiron.
The scary part is that the entire Marshall relay team is comprised of all juniors, including
Syl LaBome,
Devon Achane and Bryson Stubblefield.
The team will be a part of the state meet on Friday and Saturday at the University of Texas in Austin.
LaBorne, a 5-9, 165-pound defensive back, and 5-9, 170-pound running back Achane played with Hornsby on the football team that went 15-1 in the fall. The Buffalos lost to 55-21 in the state Class 5A-Division II final against Aledo.
Hornsby threw for 1,969 yards and 23 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He piled up another 772 yards and 13 scores on the ground.
Those numbers are part of the reason why he's rated the fifth-best dual-threat quarterback from the Class of 2020, according to
247Sports. Alabama, Oregon and Texas are among his 24 college offers.
Ranked the 10th best quarterback overall from the Class of 2020, Hornsby is just scratching the surface, says MaxPreps football editor Zack Poff.
"This gifted quarterback still isn't close to reaching his potential, which is scary because he is already one of the best players in the country," Poff said.
Hornsby and Achane (2,003 yards from scrimmage, 42 touchdowns) were the gamebreakers for the football team and now they hope to key a record-breaking relay run.
The Marshall relay team is not the only ultra-fast bunch everyone will be watching in Austin.
Matthew Boling of
Strake Jesuit (Houston) recently ran the fastest all-conditions 100 meters in prep history, going 9.98 seconds at the same regional in Webster. The time was wind aided, so it didn't count toward any record. But he's capable of breaking the wind-legal national mark of 10.0.
Malik Hornsby carries the ball against Aledo in the Class 5A-Division II state championship game in December.
Photo by: Robbie Rakestraw
