Convenience Big Store: Monster stats: See the top Houston high school football performances from week 1

August 28, 2023

Only one week into the season, several players look like they're in mid-season form.

Willis senior quarterback D.J. Lagway had a lot of hype surrounding him entering the 2023 season.

And for good reason. He is, after all, one of the top high school football recruits in the country.

Lagway did not disappoint in his first game against Bryan Rudder High School on Friday night, completing 21 of 23 passes for 436 yards and eight touchdowns. Willis came back from the road trip with a 52-21 non-district victory.

Lagway was one of several Houston-area players to post some monster stats during Week 1. Check out the rest here.

Three weekend takeaways

Tompkins puts on dominant performance: Tompkins was lights-out from start to finish during a non-district victory against district title contender Cypress Ranch on Saturday. The Falcons executed in all three phases of the game to open the season on a high note. Tompkins has another good test coming this week against Bridgeland. The Bears defeated a highly-ranked Cy-Fair team in the debut for coach Lonnie Madison on Friday.

Brookshire Royal off to another strong start: Brookshire Royal made an incredible turnaround last season under head coach Theadis Reagins. The Falcons continued that momentum Saturday with a road victory against Worthing. Running back Zakai Anderson was the catalyst, rushing for nearly 200 yards. Brookshire Royal has another Houston ISD opponent this week, taking on Furr.

More high-profile matchups on the docket: The Week 2 schedule is littered with more enticing non-district matchups across the Houston area. Chief among this is No. 5 state-ranked Katy traveling to play No. 10 Atascocita. Both teams enter the contest 1-0. Katy took care of business at home against Clear Springs, and Atascocita rolled up and down the field against a good Dickinson team.

Follow all our coverage at houstonchronicle.com/highschoolsports.

Note to coaches: Submit scores and stats on game nights by emailing hssports@houstonchronicle.com.

Jon Poorman, High School Sports Editor

jpoorman@houstonchronicle.com

Top stories

The Katy/Cy-Fair Classic and John Turner Classic began pool play Thursday.

Photo by: Staff Illustration

Houston high school volleyball rankings: Grand Oaks remains in top spot.

Grand Oaks won 27 matches to begin the season before suffering its first loss Saturday at the Leander Volleypalooza tournament. The Grizzlies took third place.

The Woodlands' Arden Blake (11) blocks a shot by Oak Ridge's Luvina Oguntimehin (18) during the first set of a District 13-6A high school volleyball match at Oak Ridge High School, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, in Oak Ridge North.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

Houston high school volleyball: Top performers from Week 3.

The Houston Chronicle's high school sports staff recognizes some of the area's top volleyball performers from the week ending Aug. 26. See who made this week's list and who ranks among the state leaders.

Aldine Eisenhower head coach Odell James is seen during the first half of a non-district high school football game at Rhodes Stadium, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Katy.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman

New football coach Odell James is making a quick impact at Eisenhower.

The Eagles opened the season with a come-from-behind victory against Morton Ranch on Thursday night, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with just 16 seconds remaining.

Katy Seven Lakes tight end Carter Hatten, left, celebrates with Peter Noonan after catching a 37-yard pass during the first half of a non-district high school football game at Legacy Stadium, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Katy.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

After going 1-9 last season, Seven Lakes showed resiliency in its 2023 opener.

The Spartans have shaken off the losing vibes from last year and opened the new campaign with an overtime victory against a good Memorial program.

Fort Bend Austin's Adell Murray (15) tries to hit a shot past Friendswood's Kaitlyn Gotsch (18) and Friendswood's Meghan Donoughue (9) Tuesday, Oct 11, 2022 at Friendswood High School.

Photo by: Kirk Sides, Staff Photographer

Adell Murray overcame a couple serious injuries to thrive for Fort Bend Austin.

After suffering knee and ankle injuries early in her career, the senior middle blocker has excelled and is determined to build on success with the Bulldogs.

Athlete of the Week

Football season has finally arrived, and there were plenty of opening performances worthy of nominations for Athlete of the Week. Volleyball, cross country, water polo and tennis are also going strong. Check out the nominees and vote for your favorite. The polls run through midnight Wednesday, and the winners will be recognized in Thursday's newsletter.

VOTE for Girls Athlete of the Week

VOTE for Boys Athlete of the Week

Have a nomination? Submit to hssports@houstonchronicle.com.

Shout out

Jacinto retiring: Spring ISD athletic director Armando Jacinto announced his retirement earlier this month, ending a short but impactful stint with the school district. He steps away from his post after 37 years in coaching and athletics administration. He is also the president of the Hispanic Texas High School Football Coaches Association, a role he was selected for three year ago.

Wong has big game: Pearland's Connor Wong recorded his second four-hit game of the season in Boston's 17-1 win over the Houston Astros Thursday night. The former University of Houston star went 4-for-6 with a double and two-run home runs while scoring three runs.

Stat of the day

21: The number of games played for Missouri City native Adonai Mitchell over the past two seasons as he helped Georgia win back-to-back national championships. Mitchell, who attended Ridge Point before transferring to Can Ridge High School in Tennessee as a senior, is now with the Texas Longhorns and is hoping to make an impact for the preseason Big 12 favorites.