# – denotes current San Antonio South Side Sports area ranking

 

SATURDAY

 

Cornerstone Christian (3-1, 0-0) vs. #1 Holy Cross (2-1, 0-0) at Harlandale Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

Holy Cross is coming off a very impressive win over Hondo, and not just because it was a shutout. It was, effectively, a statement game.

The Knights’ 20-0 win at Hondo was their first full game without injured quarterback Cisco Flores. While they turned to senior back Greg Scott, who delivered 194 rushing yards to raise his season total to 481, it was equally important that Nazario Coleman was solid in his debut as Flores’ replacement.

Coleman completed nine of 14 throws for 52 yards.

Defensively, Holy Cross limited a Hondo team that had scored 69 points in fashioning a 2-1 record against quality opponents to just 182 yards.

The Warriors are an improved team that already has exceeded its 2013 win total. Their only loss, however, seems telling. San Antonio Christian, whom the Knights defeated 31-13, whipped Cornerstone Christian 54-7.

That doesn’t bode well for Cornerstone, heading into the TAPPS District 3-II opener for both teams.

Cornerstone has a balanced offense, with 674 rushing yards and 630 passing yards logged so far. Quarterback Steven Huerta is the triggerman, and he’s been effective with nearly a 60 percent completion rate and a 9-2 touchdown/interception ratio.

Elijah Salazar is the leading rusher with 265 yards. Davon Collins and Jared Flores each have more than 200 reception yards. Collins averages nearly 30 yards per catch.

With a backloaded District 3-II schedule, Holy Cross has about four weeks to work on fortifying its offense.

Series leader (record): unknown. 2013 score: Holy Cross 61, Cornerstone Christian 14. 2014 favorite: Holy Cross.

 

#13 Jefferson (1-3, 1-1) vs. #8 Sam Houston (2-2, 2-0) at Alamo Stadium, 7 p.m.

Sam Houston has turned up the heat since it hit the District 28-5A portion of its schedule. The Hurricanes face a Jefferson squad tonight that’s riding high after edging Lanier 15-14 last Thursday in the waning seconds.

For the Mustangs to build on that momentum, their keys will be to limit Sam Houston’s big plays and find the right offensive mix to move the chains consistently.

Jefferson only sustained one drive against Lanier, but its timing couldn’t have been better. The Mustangs rode standout back Jesse Flores and Eric Flores on a ground-oriented final possession, in response to a Voks go-ahead touchdown.

Weston Redding has been more consistent at quarterback the last couple of weeks. Henry Bocko has developed into a receiver who can catch the ball in traffic and stretch the field. The blocking will need to be on point against a Hurricanes defense that can create big plays.

Sam Houston shut out McCollum 34-0 last Friday. Defense has been the team’s calling card all season, but the offense has become increasingly dangerous.

Raymonte Prime is in a comfort zone as a second-year starter at quarterback. Devin Harris has been a go-to back who can break long runs. Basketball standout Juwan Anderson emerged against McCollum as an explosive deep threat on pass routes, breaking free for a 60-yard touchdown.

The Hurricanes need a win to keep pace with first-place Brackenridge (3-0) heading into Friday’s showdown.

Series leader (record): unknown. 2013 score: did not play. 2014 favorite: Sam Houston.