Carthage (Texas) uncommitted high school football prospects hitting stride
BULLARD, TEXAS - One of the characteristics of Carthage’s dominant status as a statewide power has been great offensive skill players.
It’s more of the same this season, as the Bulldogs are off to a 5-0 start as the Bulldogs, the No. 12 ranked team in Texas no matter the size of school, attempt to defend their Class 4A Division II title. Not to mention giving longtime coach Scott Surratt the chance to break the record for most titles won by a coach in state history with 10.
But Surratt has a unique luxury this season - having a sophomore backfield tandem that could potentially continue the Bulldogs’ tremendous run and beyond.
Also, the quarterback happens to be his son.
Jett Surratt is in his first season as starter.
The Bulldogs also have another talented sophomore in tailback KJ Edwards.
Both stood out in Friday’s District 4A-8 Division II opener, a 45-14 road win at previously undefeated Bullard.
Surratt attempted 42 passes and completed 30 of them - both career highs - for 266 yards and two touchdowns. Edwards had a career night of his own, going for 223 yards on 18 carries and four TDs.
“They were a great team, they were undefeated as well, but we came away with a great game plan and we executed it,” Surratt said.
>> (Photo, video): Carthage powers past Bullard in a showdown of undefeated football teams
Another Bulldog offensive standout turned in a personal best performance. Senior receiver Bradan Manning caught a career-high 10 passes for 67 yards, scoring both TD passes from Surratt.
“I think I played a good game,” Manning said. “I had a few mistakes, but those are little things I can correct in practice throughout the week and just fix them next week so I don’t make the same mistakes.”
Carthage QB Jett Surratt (left) and RB KJ Edwards
STILL UNCOMMITTED
One thing those aforementioned Bulldog standouts have in common is they are still uncommitted.
But for the two sophomores, they have been getting plenty of attention.
Surratt (6-foot-1, 170 pounds) already has offers from Houston, Texas Tech and UTSA. But he said following Friday’s win that he plans to visit Texas A&M, and also plans a later visit to Oklahoma - where his older sister is currently a student.
Edwards (5-9, 165) already has offers from Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech, SMU and Houston, among others. But his main point of emphasis right now is helping get the Bulldogs another title, as well as focusing on his school work.
“(Recruiting’s) going good, thanks to my (father); he’s been helping me out making sure I keep my head in the books because that’s more important than just football, so just being a student-athlete, that means a lot,” Edwards said.
Manning (6-3, 205) remarked he has received interest from Iowa State along with Texas A&M-Kingsville, where he is planning to visit soon. He also has an offer from UTSA.
Carthage WR Bradan Manning
FILLING SHOES
Surratt knew there was going to be plenty of scrutiny once he became the Bulldogs’ starting QB. Of course, one reason is the presence of his father on the sidelines.
“I’ve been preparing for it my whole life; I knew it was coming eventually and it’s finally here,” Jett Surratt said.
Plus, Surratt was taking over for Connor Cuff, who guided the Bulldogs to their latest championship. Cuff is currently at the University of Louisiana, where he is playing baseball.
“He was a great quarterback, there’s no doubt about that,” Surratt said. “He was a great leader, and I’m just trying to be the best leader I can just like he was and hopefully, we can keep it going.”
Edwards had to replace last season’s top rusher, LaRandion Dowden, who transferred in the offseason to Wills Point. But that was only part of it.
He had to step in for Kydarius Matlock after the senior went down with an injury in the season opener at Kilgore. But Edwards answered the call, rushing for nearly 115 yards and two TDs as the Bulldogs rallied in the second half to win.
“I know I had big shoes to fill after KD Matlock got hurt in the Kilgore game, so I had to step up and put my head on a swivel and get locked in for the team and play for the team,” Edwards said.
While Manning is in his second season to start, his receiving duties increased after the graduation of go-to receiver Noah Paddie, now playing baseball at Texas A&M.
“I’m getting looked at more as the main receiver because I’ve been in the receiving corps a little longer than anybody else, so I know what to really do more than the rest of the receivers,” Manning said. “But they all know how to play their position and they all know what they’re doing, but it’s just everybody looks up to me because I know what I’m doing basically in every spot.”
FINDING HOLES
Edwards scored the Bulldogs’ first three touchdowns, all coming in the opening half. On Carthage’s first drive, he took a pitch to the right from Surratt before quickly reversing his field and reaching the end zone from 32 yards out.
He later had TD runs of 9 and 8 yards, the latter giving Carthage a 21-7 second-quarter advantage.
But Edwards remarked his last TD was his favorite one, another 32-yard jaunt for the Bulldogs’ final one on the night.
“My last one just because it was my last run in the game,” he said. “The line blocked pretty good and when I found a hole, I just found a hole.”
EARNING RESPECT
Surratt and Edwards have also quickly gained trust from the team’s group of seniors.
“They’re great leaders,” Surratt said of the seniors. “They lift us up and they trust us to make the plays and we trust them to make the plays as well.”
One of the seniors, Manning, definitely likes what he sees from his sophomore quarterback.
“He’s great,” Manning said. “He’s young, he has his little mistakes in every other game, but it’s easy to fix those in practice. We work every week and he’s going to be great by the time he’s a senior.”
A sequence of back-to-back plays displayed Surratt’s calm precision. He zipped a pass just beyond the outstretched fingers of a Bullard defender right to junior receiver Cale Preston, who took it nearly 25 yards inside the Bullard 10.
On the very next play, there was a bad snap. But Surratt immediately recovered and pitched the ball to Manning, who was nearby. Though the play resulted in no gain, it could have been much worse.
Eventually, Carthage settled for a 26-yard field goal from Leo Medrano, extending the Bulldogs’ lead to 24-7.
“On that play, I knew they were going to be coming at me, so I was just trying to get my eyes back and look at it and I got the ball to Bradan Manning, and he made somewhat of a play out of it,” Surratt said.
“I didn’t think I played all that great, but I expect perfection. But with the running game we had (Friday), I had a few good looks and there were a few times I got to the receivers.”
Photo of Carthage RB KJ Edwards by Robbie Rakestraw
-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX
