PLANO, Texas — Once again, Ford and Texas Ford Dealers are recognizing the very best high school football stars in Texas in week 5 of the 2022 Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week program. Since 2006, the program has recognized outstanding student-athletes throughout the regular season. For 17 years now, the program has celebrated many future college and professional standouts during their Texas high school football careers.
This week’s winning athletes join a long list of remarkable players recognized for their exceptional efforts.
2022 Built Ford Tough Player of the Week 5 Winners:
Class 6A: Tyler Hill, Senior QB, San Angelo Central High School
Mascot: Bobcats
Opponent: Wylie High School
Hill completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Ben Imler as time expired to lift the Bobcats to a rousing 63-61 win over Abilene Wylie. Hill broke out of the grasp of a Wylie pass rusher at midfield, scrambled back to his own 37 and then launched a Hail Mary from the 50-yard line to the 10 that was caught by Imler, who cut across the field to score the game-winner. Hill finished with 542 total yards of offense and accounted for a total of 7 touchdowns.
He ran 23 times for 263 yards and 4 rushing TDs, while completing 18 of 26 passes for 279 yards, three TD passes and an interception. Central head coach Kevin Crane said he is proud of Hill and the resiliency his Bobcats (3-2) have shown during the 5 weeks of non-district play. Crane says Hill is a hard worker and is a fun personality who loves athletics and loves to be involved. He also runs the 200 meters and competes on the 800 relay and the mile relay for the Central track team. Crane calls Hill a true dual-threat quarterback.
“He has gotten better each week. He can really do it all. We’re glad he’s on our team. He’s a guy that we want to have the ball in his hands as much as possible. He kind of proved that on that last play the other night, breaking that tackle. I’m not sure how he got that done but he broke that tackle and then made the throw. That was obviously an awesome play.”
CENTRAL HEAD COACH KEVIN CRANE
Class 5A: Trever Ham, Junior QB, Melissa High School
Mascot: Cardinals
Opponent: Terrell High School
Trever Ham might have been the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week if he had played only the first half of Melissa’s 56-21 win over Terrell. The junior quarterback threw for 361 yards and 7 touchdowns before the break. Ham’s final numbers in the rout? 15-of-21 for 433 yards and eight touchdowns. Ham and the Cardinals have won 3 in a row after an 0-2 start against powerhouses Argyle and China Spring.
“Trever just took what the defense gave him and ran with it. He had great protection and let his receivers play. He’s a true quarterback, and he’s an unbelievable leader. He’s the first one to compliment his teammates and the first one to raise the bar for his teammates.”
MELISSA HEAD COACH MATT NALLY
Class 4A: Dre’lon Miller, Junior WR, Silsbee High School
Mascot: Tigers
Opponent: West Orange-Stark High School
A top-rated recruiting prospect, Dre’lon boosted his already considerable profile in a 48-27 win over West Orange-Stark that ended the Mustangs’ 69-game district win streak. He had nine catches for 204 yards and 3 touchdowns and 6 carries for 131 yards and 2 scores, plus a sack on defense. Coach Randy Smith says Dre’lon has the running skills of Adrian Peterson and the ball skills that reflect his status as a Class 4A all-state basketball player.
“He’s the real deal – high character, always smiling, very much a team guy. He’s an all-A student and is active in church and school service projects.
SILSBEE HEAD COACH RANDY SMITH
Class 3A: Hayden Baronet, Senior QB, Brady High School
Mascot: Bulldogs
Opponent: Christoval High School
Baronet is willing to help the Bulldogs in whatever role is needed, whether it’s filling in at tight end on the PAT attempt or returning a kickoff. He contributed to many facets during Brady’s 47-27 win over Christoval last Friday by accounting for 7 total touchdowns. He rushed 17 times for 179 yards and 5 rushing scores, while completing 18 of 29 passes for 231 yards and two touchdown passes. He also made an impact on defense with 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception and a pass break up.
Baronet is heavily involved in the Bulldog athletic program as an ace of the baseball’s pitching staff and as an accomplished track athlete on the sprint relay team. He also serves on Brady’s leadership council for athletics, which gives him an opportunity to mentor younger athletes and help them through some of the challenges they are facing in school and life. Coach Shay Easterwood says Baronet is a true competitor who isn’t fazed by taking a hard hit. He’s also known for delivering hits on defense, too.
“He’s just a great young man. He comes from a good family. He definitely leads by example. He is vocal when he needs to be, but he leads more by example and toughness than anything.”
BRADY HEAD COACH SHAY EASTERWOOD
Class 2A: DJ McClelland, Senior RB/LB, Granger High School
Mascot: Lions
Opponent: Bruni High School
The Granger Lions (5-1) defeated the Bruni Badgers (2-3) 35-6 this week in a non-conference matchup that produced an incredible box score for senior 2-way player DJ McClelland.
McClelland scored 5 touchdowns on the night. 2 on offense as he carried the ball 9 times for 112 yards, 1 on defense as he returned an interception for 73 yards and finally 2 on special teams with kickoff returns for 85 and 82 yards. McClelland has amassed 19 touchdowns in the season.
“Throughout DJ’s football career, he has been the epitome of what a hardworking, dedicated, teammate in the Granger Lion Football program stands for. What DJ has and continues to accomplish on the field of play is remarkable, however, his leadership in the classroom and our community is one that cannot go unnoticed. We are so proud of what he has accomplished, and we look forward to what he and his teammates will do over the remainder of this season.”
- GRANGER HEAD COACH STEPHEN BROACH
Private Schools: Shandon King, Senior QB, Bishop Dunne Catholic School
Mascot: Falcons
Opponent: St. Pius X Catholic School
6’2” 180-pound senior quarterback Shandon King delivered a dominating performance this week as the Bishop Dunne Falcons defeated St. Pius X 40-6.
King had a hand in every touchdown with 2 through the air and 4 on the ground. He finished with 8 completions for 86 yards. He also had 15 carries for 303 yards and averaged over 20 yards per carry.
Shandon is a unique talent and exceptional young man, who serves as an integral part of our unit here at Bishop Dunne. His play on Friday night served as an inspiration to the Bishop Dunne community and a true resemblance of the Falcon Elite.
· BISHOP DUNNE HEAD COACH NATHAN SLAUGHTER
Nominate your elite student-athlete at FordPlayeroftheWeek.com
During each week of the 2022 regular season, fans, coaches, and media are asked to nominate players at FordPlayeroftheWeek.com, as well as catch up with winners, view video clips of players in action and get the latest program details. Fans will be able to follow the conversation on social media by using #FordPOTW and share the recognition of these outstanding individuals each week.
Additionally, fans are encouraged to catch all the action on Bally Sports Southwest. The network is teaming with Ford and Texas Ford dealers to keep honor award winners through its weekly television show. Each week, television crews will travel to communities across Texas, spotlighting players who excel on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. The half-hour Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week program will air on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00AM.
How the program works
The Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week program recognizes one high school student-athlete in six of the state’s athletic classifications each week of the regular season.
Nominees must excel in three categories:
· Individual performance on the field, including significant statistics from that week’s game
· Contribution to the team’s success through individual leadership abilities
· Performance off the field, including academic success and good community citizenship
At the end of the regular season, Ford and its advisory board will select one student-athlete from the 11 weekly winners to be the Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Year in each classification. Following the championship games, honorees will be recognized at a banquet next year.