Leo Cortinas didn’t just have a good game last weekend, he absolutely blew the doors off the place. The Natalia senior quarterback earned the Express-News Athlete of the Week title after an absolutely wild performance, setting multiple school records in their Legacy Bowl win over Lytle. This kid went full beast mode, and the numbers are just insane.
Cortinas Explodes for Unprecedented Numbers
Talk about putting the team on your back! Cortinas was shifty, unstoppable, and basically a cheat code against the Pirates. He absolutely shredded Lytle, rushing for an astounding 468 yards and an incredible seven touchdowns on 39 carries. Seriously, seven scores! That kind of output doesn’t just win you games, it re-writes the history books, and he did exactly that, setting multiple school records in the 60-43 victory. That huge W also kicked off Natalia’s District 14-3A-I action with a perfect 1-0 record. What a start! When a quarterback is putting up video game numbers like that on the ground, you know he’s going to be a problem for defenses all season long.
Dominance Across the Field and Court
While Cortinas grabbing the top honors was undeniable, the Athlete of the Week poll featured some serious, *serious* talent tearing it up across the field and court. East Central junior Ty Ellison, Cortinas’ Defensive Player of the Week counterpart, wasn’t just good, he was a full-on wrecking ball. The guy basically built a wall himself, powering the Hornets to a dominant 42-0 shutout over New Braunfels Canyon. Ellison was everywhere, piling up eight tackles, a monstrous three tackles for loss, two sacks, and a whopping eight QB hurries. Seriously, EIGHT hurries! Plus, he threw in a pass breakup, a forced fumble, *and* a fumble recovery. That’s a stat sheet that screams “defensive nightmare” for any opposing offense!
And then there’s Smithson Valley defensive back Hunter Haug. This guy practically lived in the end zone last weekend! He scored four touchdowns in the Rangers’ absolutely wild 79-14 rout of Manor, and get this: *three* of those scores came on defense. Haug snatched two interceptions, returning *both* for touchdowns with a combined 122 return yards. As if that wasn’t enough, he also had a fumble recovery return touchdown. What a playmaker! Oh, and just to show off, he even chipped in two catches for 40 yards and a receiving touchdown on offense. That’s a full highlight reel in one game.
The courts were blazing too, proving it wasn’t just about the gridiron. Smithson Valley freshman Victoria Jaster was named Volleyball Player of the Week after absolutely dominating. She racked up 32 kills across two crucial wins for her team. Against New Braunfels in a tough five-set victory, Jaster went off for 18 kills, 19 digs, an ace, and a block. That kind of clutch performance doesn’t just win you a match, it put the Rangers in sole possession of first place in 25-5A. And Sotomayor senior Corina Barrera, another outside hitter, wasn’t letting up either. She hammered 19 kills, 11 digs, and an ace in a four-set victory against Taft, then came back even stronger with 25 kills, 13 digs, and an ace in a nail-biting five-set win against Kerrville Tivy. Just incredible, high-stakes individual performances across the board!
This past weekend proved that there’s some serious talent out there making waves. For Cortinas, Ellison, Haug, Jaster, and Barrera, these kinds of performances are how you build a legendary season. Can they keep this insane momentum going? We’ll definitely be watching to see what magic they pull off next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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