The fourth week of the 2025 Texas high school football season was chock full of wild upsets, exciting comebacks and all-around dominant performances.
The Big Country’s top high school football teams returned to the gridiron this weekend, where several of the area’s biggest stars put on dazzling displays and showed off their playmaking abilities.
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Here’s a closer look at the players that shined brightest throughout the Abilene area this weekend. The following are the top performances from many of the Big Country’s best players during Week 4 of the 2025 Texas high school football season (Sept. 18-20):
Players listed below in alphabetical order.
Big Country high school football top performers – Week 4 (Sept. 18-20)
Nick Avila, Sweetwater
Avila accounted for 102 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown runs in the Mustangs’ 44-21 loss to Lubbock Estacado.
Tristan Beal, Abilene High
Beal threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-23 passing in the Eagles’ 48-24 road loss to Midland Legacy.
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Breylon Billington, Albany
Billington totaled 91 yards and a touchdown on the ground off 11 carries in the Lions’ 15-12 loss to Coahoma.
Kaden Blubaugh, Merkel
Blubaugh caught four passes for 122 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the Badgers’ blowout 66-6 win over Cross Plains. He also had a fumble recovery for Merkel defensively.
Lane Couch, De Leon
Couch averaged more than 11 yards per carry for De Leon in a 52-34 win against Hawley, finishing with 133 rushing yards and four touchdown runs on 12 carries.
Jaime Cruz, Breckenridge
Cruz rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns to lead the way offensively in the Buckaroos’ 35-6 victory over Eastland.
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More: Big Country high school football Week 4 schedule, scores (Sept. 18-20)
More: Week 4 Texas High School Football Rankings by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football
More: Texas high school football: Joslin steps in at QB after injury, guides Coahoma past Roscoe
Peyton Ewing, Abilene Cooper
Ewing recorded 174 total yards and three touchdowns – a 62-yard run, a 48-yard reception and a 42-yard run – in Cooper’s blowout 59-0 victory against Lubbock Coronado.
Briar Floyd, Stephenville
Floyd snagged a pivotal interception and scored on a 30-yard pick-six touchdown that sparked Stephenville’s defense early in a 52-13 win over Abilene Wylie. He also had four tackles for the Yellow Jackets.
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Isaiah Hutchings, Hamlin
Hutchings tallied 228 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Pied Pipers’ 48-14 rout of Munday.
Austin Joslin, Coahoma
Joslin threw for 167 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lift Coahoma to a 15-12 comeback win on the road against Albany.
Breck Lawson, Tuscola Jim Ned
Lawson made plays everywhere for the Indians’ defense in a 23-13 win against Jacksboro, recording five tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and three pass deflections.
Easton Malone, Merkel
Malone muscled Merkel to its third win of the season in a 66-6 thrashing of Cross Plains, accounting for 243 total yards and five touchdowns.
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Zyler McClendon, Stephenville
McClendon tallied 80 rushing yards and three touchdown runs on 13 carries, powering the Yellow Jackets’ relentless rushing attack in a 52-13 victory against Abilene Wylie.
Colby McIlroy, Cisco
McIlroy amassed 121 total yards and three touchdowns to fuel the Loboes’ offense in a 23-14 win against Coleman.
Mason Mueller, Stamford
Mueller used his arm and legs to power the Bulldogs to a 28-21 win over Roscoe, tallying 162 yards and a touchdown through the air on 15-of-21 passing as well as 100 rushing yards and a touchdown run on 11 carries.
D’Marian Murray, Abilene Cooper
Murray picked off a pass and scored a defensive touchdown on a 50-yard interception return in the Cougars’ runaway 59-0 win over Lubbock Coronado.
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Reece Rainey, Hamlin
Rainey was like a wrecking ball out of the backfield in Hamlin’s 48-14 win over Munday, running for 116 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Blaze Ruffin, Abilene Wylie
Ruffin hauled in four catches for 105 receiving yards and a touchdown grab in the Bulldogs’ 52-13 loss to Stephenville.
Adan Salinas, De Leon
Salinas ran wild in the Bearcats’ 52-34 victory against Hawley, racking up 189 yards and three touchdowns on the ground off 21 carries.
Ladanian Smith, Comanche
Smith torched Tolar for 141 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 25 carries to lead Comanche to a 36-33 victory.
Hunter Teichelman, Anson
Teichelman racked up 260 yards and two touchdowns through the air to lead the undefeated Tigers to a 26-8 victory against Haskell.
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Zaden Tello, Comanche
Zello was a key part of the Indians’ unstoppable rushing attack in a 36-33 win over Tolar, racking up 130 total yards and a rushing touchdown on 18 touches offensively. He also added 13 tackles and four tackles-for-loss defensively.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Week 4 Big Country high school football top performers (Sept. 18-20)
