These outstanding Built Ford Tough gridiron heroes are honored for their performance on the field and their leadership off the field. Each week of the regular high school football season will see a new winner in the sport’s classifications. With a delayed start for class 6A and 5A this season, this is the first week that all six divisions are represented.

All weekly winners will ultimately be eligible to become Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Players of the Year.

Week 5 Winners:

• Class 6A: Kyle Brown, Senior, Quarterback, Cedar Park Vista Ridge
• Class 5A: Nathaniel Sada, Junior, Running Back/Linebacker, Corpus Christi Moody
• Class 4A: Tyler Townley, Senior, Quarterback, Caddo Mills
• Class 3A: DJ Allen, Junior, Wide Receiver, Gladewater
• Class 2A: Kolt Schuckers, Junior, Quarterback, Lindsay
• Private School: Montaye Dawson, Senior, Running Back, All Saints Episcopal School

Please join us in congratulating these outstanding young athletes, and feel free to share this information with your high school football fans. If you would like player photos or more information, please let me know.

Class 3A: DJ Allen, Junior, WR, Gladewater High School
Mascot: Bears
Opponent: Tatum High School

In a classic case of taking what the other team gives you, DJ Allen put on a show in Gladewater’s 42-21 win over Tatum. With the Eagles determined to stop Gladewater’s ground game, Allen burned the secondary to the tune of 10 catches for 283 yards and five touchdowns. His TD grabs covered 15 and 48 yards in the first quarter, 26 yards in the second quarter and 89 and 69 yards in the final period. For the year, Allen has caught 30 passes, and 10 have gone the distance

“We’ve been predominantly known as a running team, so we’re getting people crowding the box. It was just one of those nights where DJ made every play: a one-handed catch, breaking tackles. Just a great game. Moving forward, the passing game could be one of those things that puts us over the top.”

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 10 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 once again be recognized at a banquet.