TEXAS — Temple Texas high school football prospects are sought after around the country, although college coaches often base themselves in major metropolitan areas such as Dallas or Houston.
They now go 60 miles north of Austin in search of opportunities.
Temple is not a tiny school by any means, but it is also not a recruiting hotspot, despite being home to a number of legendary all-time athletes. “Mean” Joe Greene and “Slinging” Sammy Baugh, both Pro Football Hall of Famers, honed their skills in the region. However, as the city expands, so does its talent. Lake Belton High School is a component of that expansion.
“Central Texas is a fantastic spot.” “I’m a Houston native, so I never saw myself living in Central Texas, but we’ve loved every minute of it,” Lake Belton Head Coach Brian Cope remarked. “Outstanding community with a strong will to succeed.”
The school is only two years old, and its football programme is being built around some potential young players. Micah Hudson, a junior wide receiver, is one of the Broncos’ leaders. Hudson has already gotten offers from some of college football’s most powerful programmes, including Alabama, LSU, and Ohio State.
Hudson believes Temple receives less attention because of its location.
“I feel like because it’s so little, not many people are aware of it,” Hudson added. “There are a lot of talented athletes out here that don’t get looked at, so they quit playing, even though they could’ve been terrific college players.”
“There’s a lot of skill on the field, but here’s the greatest part: that talent is working really, very hard,” Coach Brian Cope remarked. “If you have students that give everything they have in practise and games, you have a chance to be successful.”
Senior safety Javeon Wilcox and junior cornerback Selman Bridges round out this impressive recruiting class. Wilcox has verbally committed to Texas Christian University, while Bridges has had offers from a number of Power 5 schools.
“Having two prospects on both sides of the ball brings in a lot of attention, not just for you two, but for the club,” Wilcox said.
“Those kids, like our other students, work really hard,” Coach Cope remarked. “They take satisfaction in leaving their phone number in a better condition than they found it.”
This season, the Broncos started 2-0 after defeating Leander Rouse and Buda Johnson. This is the program’s 12th consecutive win in its first year of UIL participation.
Lake Belton seeks to extend its victory run against unbeaten Red Oak on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.
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