Stamford's Duran and Sweetwater's Ortiz shared Midseason MVP honors
Who’s the Big Country MVP thus far?
Reporter-News readers had a chance to vote on who they think is the Big Country's best high school football player as we reach the mid-point of the high school football season.
And it was a dead heat between two players as polls closed on Thursday, so they will share the honor. Stamford's Christian Duran and Sweetwater's Caiden Ortiz finished within 52 votes of each other. Duran tallied 35,334 votes or 33.99% of the 103,954 votes cast, and Ortiz had 35,282 or 33.94%. With the numbers being so close and the duo running away from the pack, let's have them share it and both have had stellar seasons so far.
Duran has completed 49-of-63 passes for 833 yards and 10 TDs with one interception for the Bulldogs (5-0). He’s also run for 207 yards and two TDs on 21 carries.
Ortiz, meanwhile, has completed 51-of-80 passes for 1,017 yards and 12 TDs with four interceptions. He’s also run for 89 yards on 31 carries in five games for the Mustangs (4-2).
The next closest vote getter was Roscoe's Jace Arnwine with 8,110 votes.
Adam Hill, Albany
The senior running back has 875 yards and 11 TDs on 108 carries. He also has three catches for 39 yards and a TD for the defending Class 2A D-II champs. Hill is second on the team with 44 tackles (30 solo, 12 for loss), 6½ sacks and five hurries.
Bryce Neves, Abilene High
The senior linebacker has 62 tackles (41 solo, 4 tackles for loss), three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for the Eagles (4-2).
Dylan Slack, Abilene High
The senior quarterback has completed 61-of-86 passes for 837 yards and eight TDs with one interception. He’s also run for 38 yards and three TDs on 10 carries.
Ryland Bradford, Abilene High
The junior receiver has 22 catches for 457 yards and three TDs.
Daniel Bray, Abilene Cooper
The junior running back has run for 646 yards and 11 TDs on 70 carries for the Cougars (1-4). He also has three catches for 11 yards.
Bryant Meng, Abilene Wylie
The junior quarterback has completed 61-of-98 passes for 956 yards and 11 TDs with three interceptions for the Bulldogs (3-2). He’s also run for 186 yards and two TDs on 46 carries.
Derrick Evans, Abilene Wylie
The senior receiver has 20 catches for 484 yards and five TDs.
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Camden Escalon, Breckenridge
The senior quarterback has completed 75-of-107 passes for 1,140 yards and 14 TDs with five interceptions. He’s also run 32 times for 78 yards for the Buckaroos (3-2).
Alexis Franco, Breckenridge
The senior has 56 tackles (16 solo), three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He’s also averaging 38.3 yards a return on four kickoffs with a long of 90 yards and a TD, plus 12.4 yards on five punt returns. Offensively, Franco has 16 catches for 377 yards and five TDs.
Ike Hall, Brownwood
The senior quarterback has completed 54-of-105 passes for 958 yards and eight TDs with four interceptions. He’s also run for 588 yards and eight TDs on 59 carries for the Lions (5-1). He missed a game with an injury.
Sam Kallman, Brownwood
The senior linebacker has 67 tackles, six for loss and three sacks going into last week’s game with Stephenville.
Blake Carr, Clyde
The senior quarterback has completed 52-of-82 passes for 1,084 yards, 13 TDs and four interceptions. The senior also has run for a team-high 752 yards and 11 TDs on 81 carries for the 5-0 Bulldogs.
Boyd Cox, Coahoma
The sophomore quarterback has completed 75-of-122 passes for 1,171 yards and 15 TDs with one interception. He’s also run for 55 yards on 24 carries for the Bulldogs (3-2).
Jaidyn Vineyard, Coahoma
The junior has 629 yards and nine TDs on 70 carries.
Austin Perkins, Coahoma
The senior has 22 catches for 609 yards and 8 TDs.
Layden Welch, Comanche
The senior quarterback has completed 36-of-60 passes for 699 yards and 10 TDs with one interception (stats through four games). He’s also run for 153 yards and five TDs on 39 carries for Comanche (3-2).
Isaiah Hays, Eastland
The junior quarterback has completed 75-of-121 passes for 1,143 yards and nine TDs with eight interceptions for the Mavericks (1-4).
Jay Oznick, Eastland
The senior has 26 catches for 452 yards and seven TDs.
Keagan Ables, Hawley
The junior quarterback has completed 74-of-124 passes for 1,097 yards and 11 TDs with two interceptions. He’s also run for 114 yards and a TD on 25 carries for the defending Class 2A Division I state champion Bearcats (3-2). He also has 15 tackles and two interceptions on defense.
Diontay Ramon, Hawley
The senior receiver has 30 catches for 514 yards and 6 TDs. He’s also run for 31 yards on three carries. Ramon has a team-high 36 tackles (29 solo, 5 for loss), an interception and a forced fumble.
Brayden Shipman, Jim Ned
The senior running back has 528 yards and six TDs on 91 carries in four games for Jim Ned (4-1).
Maddox O’Malley, Merkel
The senior quarterback has completed 46-of-86 passes for 986 yards and eight TDs with two interceptions. He’s also run for 421 yards and 10 TDs on 46 carries for the Badgers (4-1).
Connor Willyerd, Merkel
The senior has run for 657 yards and seven TDs on 80 carries. He also has 11 catches for 181 yards and two TDs.
Jace Arnwine, Roscoe
The sophomore quarterback has completed 63-of-105 passes for 811 yards and nine TDs with one interception for the Plowboys (4-1).
Seth Wilcox, Roscoe
The senior has 22 catches for 332 yards and five TDs, plus 245 yards and four TDs on 25 carries. He also has two interceptions, a fumble recovery and 15 tackles on defense.
Christian Duran, Stamford
The junior quarterback has completed 49-of-63 passes for 833 yards and 10 TDs with one interception for the Bulldogs (5-0). He’s also run for 207 yards and two TDs on 21 carries.
Easton Stewart, Snyder
The senior quarterback has completed 94-of-138 passes for 1,039 yards and 12 TDs with one interception. He’s also run for 62 yards and four TDs on 41 carries for the Tigers (3-3)
Ryan Gafford, Stephenville
The junior quarterback has completed 78-of-147 passes for 1,338 yards and 14 TDs with four interceptions for the Yellow Jackets (4-2).
Tristian Gentry, Stephenville
The junior receiver has 39 catches for 870 yards and nine TDs, and he also has 49 yards rushing on four carries.
Caiden Ortiz, Sweetwater
The freshman quarterback has completed 51-of-80 passes for 1,017 yards and 12 TDs with four interceptions. He’s also run for 89 yards on 31 carries in five games for the Mustangs (4-2).
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene, Big Country mid-season high school football MVP voting
