Woodlands Church Athletes Of The Week: Fantastic Performances Across The District Start The Football Season Off With A Bang

THE WOODLANDS – This first week of football action gave us a good taste of what's to come throughout the season, with surprises all over the district. Several players stood out this week, so let's honor their performances with our Woodlands Church Athlete(s) of the Week!

Linc Frazier and Preston Stephenson Light Up Magnolia

Quick Stats:

QB Linc Frazier:

• 29/49 with 411 passing yards
• 2 passing TDs + 1 rushing TD

WR Preston Stephenson

• 11 receptions, 200 yards, 1 TD

The Willis Wildkats put on a show in their opener against the Magnolia Bulldogs, winning 38-0 in dominant fashion. It was hard to choose just one player, so we’ll shout out both QB Linc Frazier and WR Preston Stephenson. Frazier had a strong start to his sophomore campaign, throwing for 411 yards and 2 TDs, while also adding a TD on the ground. The QB looked comfortable and made some awesome throws all night, especially to his new weapon, Stephenson, who lit up the Bulldogs for 200 yards and a TD. Willis looked good in their opener and could be a threat in district play.

Duke Stephens Flashes Incredible Speed Against Iowa Colony

Quick Stats:

RB Duke Stephens:

• 12 rushes for 117 yards
• 2 total TDs

On Thursday, the College Park Cavaliers traveled to southern Houston to play the Iowa Colony Pioneers. The trip was well worth it for the Cavaliers, as they came away with a 38-10 win, thanks to some great performances. RB Duke Stephens stood out, showing the excellent speed and shiftiness we saw last season. Stephens split carries with fellow RB Antonio Booker but was no less efficient, rushing 12 times for 117 yards and 2 TDs. One of those TDs might be the play of the week, as Stephens recovered a fumble on a bad snap, changed direction behind the line, and somehow scrambled 33 yards for a TD no one thought possible after how the play started. With Stephens running well to start the season, the Cavaliers look like contenders again.

Kaden Copelin Has A Great Start Despite A Tough Loss

Quick Stats:

QB Kaden Copelin

• 19/24 passing with 212 yards
• 2 passing TDs + 1 rushing TD

While Friday's outcome wasn’t exactly what the Highlanders had in mind, there were still some positives to take away. Junior QB Kaden Copelin makes his appearance here after a very strong start in his first game, throwing for 212 total yards on an excellent 19/24. Copelin kept the game alive for the Highlanders and made incredible throws all night. Our favorite has to be his TD pass to WR Kaiden Stewart, where Copelin hit his mark with impressive speed and accuracy on a long score. The Highlanders are a talented team, and with Copelin behind center, they have a good chance of bouncing back quickly.

Check out the full story on The Woodlands vs. Bridgeland here!

Nehemiah Stewart Finally Puts Cleveland In The Win Column

Quick Stats:

Nehemiah Stewart:

• 5 receptions for 135 yards
• 2 total TDs

It’s not often we get to shed light on the Cleveland Indians, but they certainly deserve it today. Not winning a game since 2022 is brutal for a program, but Cleveland overcame it Friday against Spring Woods, winning 26-11 and snapping a 36-game losing streak. Junior WR Nehemiah Stewart was a major contributor to that win, catching 5 passes for 135 yards and 2 TDs. Stewart himself scored more points than Cleveland has in any game since 2023, making this one of the best performances we’ve seen from a Cleveland player in a long time. Stewart has had a promising start and looked better than anything we’ve seen from Cleveland in a long while, so hopefully he can help them get a couple more wins throughout the season.

Final Thoughts

So many things have already happened, and the season is just beginning. These players promise similar performances throughout the season, so hopefully we’ll see them here again. A special thank you to Woodlands Church for sponsoring our Athletes of the Week, and stay tuned for more players being honored as the season goes on.