BGC Game of the Week Preview: No. 8 Brandeis vs. No. 4 Johnson

Battle of undefeated teams highlights Week 5 slate

SAN ANTONIO – As teams near the halfway mark of the 2021 high school football season, the intensity is ramping up in district play. That’s especially true in District 28-6A, where two of the district’s four undefeated teams square off in Week 5: Brandeis and Johnson.

The Broncos (4-0, 2-0) enter this crucial matchup as the No. 8 team on KSAT 12′s Top 12 after an impressive comeback win over Clark in Week 4. All three phases contributed to a 31-point second half onslaught and a 45-35 victory. Quarterbacks JC Evans and Nico Garcia have split time this season under center, but the strength of the Broncos remains its dynamic ground attack, which has racked up more than 1100 yards through four games. Running back Christopher Rodriguez leads a stacked unit with 347 yards, while Julian Yzaguirre headlines the wide receiving corps with 17 catches and 218 yards to his name. All have featured in decisive wins over MacArthur, O’Connor and Warren.

The Jaguars (4-0, 2-0) are ranked No. 4 in the KSAT 12′s Top 12 and have a very similar resume on paper, including wins over MacArthur and O’Connor as well. Since a hard-fought season opening win over Wagner, Johnson’s offense has terrorized opposing defenses, averaging nearly 52 points per game. Cruz Kirwan has been solid under center, completing 40 of 72 combined attempts for 550 yards and six touchdowns, but like the Broncos, the Jaguars are paced by a dominant running game. Ben McCreary is the man to watch on Friday night. The senior running back has posted 456 yards on 48 attempts this season, averaging 9.5 yards per carry as the feature back. Sure-handed wide receivers Canaan Fairley and Alejandro Tavarez keep the defense honest, accounting for 341 receiving yards between the two of them.

Johnson won the last matchup against Brandeis in Week 4 of last season 19-7. You can expect another seesaw battle when these two squads line up against each other on Friday night at Heroes Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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