Vote: Who was the best Southeast Texas high school football player in the regional finals? (12/04/2023)
The regional final round of the Texas high school football playoffs is officially in the books.
We gathered the best of the best — offense, defense and special teams — and now it’s your turn to cast your vote for the winner.
Congratulations to Bellville's D.D. Murray, who ran away with the reader vote for Southeast Texas Football Player of the Regional Semifinals — his 11,902 votes out-pacing his teammate Sam Hranick's more than 6,000.
Here are SBLive’s Southeast Texas Football Player of the Week nominees for Nov. 30-Dec. 2 (regional finals).
Know of a performance worthy of recognition we may have missed? Let us know who we missed. Drop a note to andy@scorebooklive.com or @SBLiveTX on Twitter and Instagram and back it up with stats.
TOP STARS IN TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL REGIONAL FINALS
Taji Atkins, Spring Westfield
The senior running back ran for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a Class 6A Division I game against Duncanville on Saturday.
Lloyd Avant, Humble Summer Creek
The Tulsa pledge scored the game-winning touchdown with 21 seconds left in 35-31 win over Fort Bend Hightower. He finished with 3 touchdowns and 139 yards.
Connor Bailey, Port Neches-Groves
The sophomore had a pair of first-half touchdown passes to help the Indians pick up a 24-14 win over Huntsville on Friday in a Class 5A Division II regional final.
Kaleb Bailey, Galena Park North Shore
The Mustangs quarterback threw a pair of touchdowns and ran for two more in a come-from-behind 34-28 win over Humble Atascocita on Saturday in a Class 6A Division I regional finals.
Christopher Barnes, Galena Park North Shore
The North Texas pledge had seven catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for a score in a 34-28 win over Humble Atascocita in a Class 6A Division I regional final on Saturday.
Zion Brown, Humble Atascocita
The quarterback threw a 98-yard touchdown to open the scoring and then had two late touchdown passes in a 34-28 loss to Galena Park North Shore on Saturday in a Class 6A Division I regional final.
Johann Cardensas, Houston St. Thomas Catholic
In the TAPPS Division I state finals, the Vanderbilt commit scored three touchdowns on 17 carries for the Eagles in a 40-29 loss to Dallas Parish Episcopal.
Brandon Jones, Humble Summer Creek
The junior safety shared a team-high with seven tackles, while also adding two pass breakups in a 35-31 win over Fort Bend Hightower.
Hunter Kunkel, Bellville
The 6-foot tight end had the only catches for the Brahmas in a 31-7 win over Jasper and had a touchdown. Also added an interception on defense.
Donte Lewis, Houston St. Thomas Catholic
In a 40-29 loss to Dallas Parish Episcopal in the TAPPS Division I championship game on Friday, Lewis completed 18 of 26 passes for 300 yards and a touchdown.
D.D. Murray, Bellville
The junior running back had 15 carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-7 win over Jasper in a 31-7 win in a Class 4A Division II regional finals.
Joseph Stewart Jr., Fort Bend Hightower
The junior quarterback completed 13 of 25 passes — for three touchdowns — and 274 yards in a 35-31 loss against Humble Summer Creek in a Class 6A Division II regional final.
-- Cody Thorn | @sblivetx
