Quietly amassing yard after yard during his four-year career at tiny Cayuga (Texas), Traylon Shead has placed himself in a position to threaten one of the oldest and most coveted national records in the history of high school football. 
Traylon Shead, Cayuga
Courtesy photo
Last weekend, the powerful 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior running back gained 182 yards on 21 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns during a 43-36 overtime victory against Alto. That gave him a career total of 8,988 yards – No. 2 in Texas and No. 10 in U.S. history.
To become the Texas record-holder, however, he’ll also have to beat the national standard, which is held by Texan Kenny Hall, who ran for an incredible 11,232 yards for Sugar Land from 1950-53.
"What separates him is his combination of size and speed. He can run over or around people," coach Tommy Allison said. "He’s got great hands and does a good job of pass protection. He’s a complete back."
Allison said Shead finally is 100-percent healthy after playing through several games with a high ankle sprain. The Class A Wildcats have lost just once this year and could reach the state finals during a long playoff series, potentially giving him at least seven more games.
Don’t discount Shead’s numbers because he plays for a small school (180 students in grades 9-12), Allison stressed. The rural town of less than 1,000 may be best known for its five prisons, but Shead would like to change that.
Allison believes "a kid can grow up at a small school and be just as good as someone at a big school. He’s going to be an outstanding running back at the next level."
Shead has made a commitment to the University of Texas. That should end any further discussion.
* Russellville senior Zach Hocker tied the Arkansas single-season record by kicking his 16th field goal during a 31-17 victory over Conway. The national record is 22.
* Federal Way (Wash.) senior Trenton Pinson (6-0, 185) ran for a South Puget Sound League-record seven touchdowns during the first half of a 69-21 victory over Jefferson. He carried 13 times for 177 yards.
* Shattuck (Okla.) posted its national-record 91st consecutive eight-man football victory, 40-14, over Goodwell.
* Lancaster Catholic senior quarterback Kyle Smith fired five touchdown passes (13-of-17 for 242 yards) during a 49-7 rout of Annville-Cleona and now holds the Pennsylvania record with 99 career scoring strikes.
* He’s only a freshman, but Eric Ragas threw seven touchdown passes (11-of-17 for 188 yards) as South Plaquemines (Port Sulphur, La.) routed Lutheran, 53-0.
* In Austin (Texas), Westlake edged Austin, 49-42, despite a huge night by quarterback Jacob Morgan, who completed 39-of-55 passes for 541 yards and six touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Cayleb Jones had 17 catches for 282 yards and two touchdowns.
* Fort Knox snapped the longest current losing streak in Tennessee (40 games) with a 27-17 victory over Bardstown.
* In West Virginia, Parkersburg South outlasted Wheeling Park, 77-71, in overtime.
* In their 118th meeting, McKinley (Canton, Ohio) defeated Massillon, 35-21, before a crowd of 15,555 at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.
* Upper Marlboro Wise (9-0) defeated Bowie, 35-0, to set a Maryland public school state record with its eighth consecutive shutout.
* Vic Paternostro became New Jersey’s all-time winningest football coach with victory No. 362 as Sparta Pope John defeated Mendham, 34-8. Unfortunately, the 65-year-old was coaching with a 104-degree temperature and had to be taken to the hospital at halftime and kept overnight for observation.
* Don Shows posted his 300th coaching victory when West Monroe (Monroe, La.) rolled past Shreveport Byrd, 51-9.
* Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Lakeland (Fla.) both have forfeited six games this year due to the use of an ineligible player. Both were unbeaten and headed for state playoffs at the time rulings were made.
* Crossland (Temple Hills, Md.) cancelled its final two games due to unsportsmanlike conduct during a 53-0 loss to Potomac. Eric Knight, who coached the game despite a seizure the previous night, also resigned but will continue as athletic director.
Volleyball coaches reach 1,000
Gwenn Pike of Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) and Fred Rakers of Mater Dei (Breese, Ill.) both recently coached their 1,000th volleyball victories.
* Despite having just three seniors, Daphne Bayside Academy won its Alabama-record eighth consecutive volleyball state championship with a victory over Montgomery Academy in four games. Coach Ann Schilling (1,006-314 in her career) employed two eighth-graders and two freshmen in her rotation.
* In Connecticut, Southington (16-1) ended Coventry’s 84-match winning streak with a 25-23, 25-27, 25-21, 32-30 victory. Coventry has won the last three and five of the last six Class S state titles and had not lost since 2005.
AJGA honors Spieth, Tanco
Jordan Spieth and Victoria Tanco have been named Rolex Junior Players of the Year by the American Junior Golf Association. Spieth is a junior at Jesuit in Dallas, Texas, while Tanco is a sophomore at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Tanco is only the fourth girl to win back-to-back honors.
Edina continues dominance
Called "the most successful high school athletic program in the state" by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Edina (Minn.) girls tennis team notched its 13th consecutive state title with a 6-1 rout of Elk River. The Hornets also have won 248 of their last 249 dual meets. At the center is Steve Paulsen, who has a spectacular coaching record of 389-10 with 14 state titles in 17 years.
Camarena, Owens sparkle
The underclass-dominated Braves Scout Team defeated the Orange County Boxers 7-1 to win the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in Jupiter, Fla. Eighty-five teams competed.
Danny Camarena, a junior outfielder-pitcher at Cathedral (San Diego), was named MVP after compiling a 2-0 pitching record with a 0.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. Henry Owens, a 6-5 junior left-hander from Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), was named most valuable pitcher. Owens hurled nine shutout innings, striking out 13 and allowing just four hits.
Saad sets state record
Dearborn senior soccer star Soony Saad (5-9, 160) finished his brilliant career with 172 goals – a Michigan state record – following a tough 2-1 loss to Plymouth Salem in the Division I regional semifinals. His total of 76 goals this year also is a state record.
Coach Sean Gordon calls the University of Michigan recruit "a natural goal scorer. He has one of the most powerful and quick shots I’ve ever seen. He made two goals from 60 yards this year. He can unleash a shot at any moment – like a cannon."
Potpourri
World-class swimmer Elizabeth Beisel, a senior at North Kingstown (R.I.), has made a commitment to the University of Florida. ... Highly-recruited Richa Jackson, a 6-1 senior forward from Midwest City (Okla.), has made a commitment to Duke.
