AFGP Sports Presents:
ALWAYS MOTION TOUR
Showing y’all there’s “Motion” EVERYWHERE in TEXAS !!
By Adam Sandoval
I can’t believe we are already a third of the way through the “ALWAYS MOTION TOUR”. Our motion has been steady, as we have made our way around the State of Texas attending nine games on the tour so far this season. The Always Motion Tour is locked and loaded ready to bring you the best and brightest stars around the State of Texas. The mission and goal of The Platform is to #ExposeTheUnexposed and provide adequate coverage of athletes around the country giving them exposure. Let’s dive into our two games from Week Four.
Mansfield Summit @ Arlington Seguin
Coming into this game, both teams were looking to establish themselves, as this was the opening of district play for both squads. The previous three games are in the past and every district game has the potential to affect each team’s playoff chances. Arlington Seguin comes into Week Four with a record of 2-1, with big wins over Midlothian and Aubrey. Seguin’s only loss was to Top 10 Ranked 5A power Red Oak. Mansfield Summit looks to bounce back after back to back losses. Both teams opening drives started slow, as the defenses flexed their muscles early forcing several punts. Seguin drew first blood, using some physical play upfront offensively to get on the board with a rushing touchdown. Summit responded quickly with a touchdown to even the score. From that point on, Summit took control of the game as they scored 34 unanswered points to seize the momentum and dominate the remainder of the contest. Summit finished with an eye opening 41-13 win over Seguin. Summit’s win gives them a great shot to position themselves as an early favorite to finish in the top four in the district standings and it brings their record to 2-2 on the season.
Lorena @ La Vega
Our Second game in Week Four, took us down I-35 South to Bellmead, Texas, to the home of the La Vega Pirates. Week Four was homecoming for the Pirates, who were hosting the Leopards of nearby Lorena High School. The Leopards came into this week on a two game win streak, with victories over West High School and Trinity Leadership High School. As for the Pirates, they opened up their season with a win over Kennedale but suffered two losses by a total of eight points to their cross town rival Connally and Midlothian Heritage. The game started off like a track meet, with both teams moving up and down the field. La Vega took advantage and they took an early lead, 14-13. The Pirates defense came up with an interception that shifted the momentum in their favor. The Pirates cashed in on that by scoring on several drives and took a sizeable lead at the half leading 35-13. Lorena made some adjustments at halftime and came out in the second half with a different attitude. The Leopards held the Pirates to only one score and battled back close the gap 42-35, which left La Vega with a seven point lead with seven minutes to go in the game. Although the Leopards threatened, the Pirates were able to hold them off, putting up a late score to put the icing on the cake and close out Lorena. The La Vega Pirates escaped with a 49-42 win on homecoming.
Always Motion Tour Top Performers: Week Four
Joseph “Jo” Williams | Class of 2024 | Athlete |Mansfield Summit HS | @JosephWQB1
Jo should be on the radar of college recruiters radars as a name to know coming out of the DFW area. Williams has a swiss army knife type of game and he is one the top two way players in the area with his ability to dominate on both sides of the football. Jo has been a menace to opposing teams through the first three weeks of the season, by dominating on special teams with multiple blocked field goals, thriving offensively catching multiple receiving touchdowns and playing sticky defense at defensive back showing off excellent cover skills. Against Seguin, Williams was a walking highlight reel. Defensively, Jo came down with a spectacular a one handed interception and offensively he caught a touchdown reception down the sideline in heavy traffic while being double covered. Williams is a plug and play type of player that you can use at multiple positions. Williams holds offers from Texas Southern, Texas State, Arkansas State, Arkansas Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State.
Amare Burgess | Class of 2024 | Running Back | Mansfield Summit HS |@amareburgess
Amare Burgess had a tremendous performance rushing for 180 yards and 4 touchdowns against Seguin. Burgess’s stellar play caught my attention. Amare has a strong, stout build, Burgess is a powerful runner who is a load to tackle and he has the skill set to make defenders pay with his physical running style. Burgess was outstanding, averaging 12 yards a carry against Seguin, with the majority of his yards coming after breaking the initial tackle. Amare is a dangerous open field runner, he is shifty in space with excellent short area quickness and he has the speed to separate at the second level, making him a scoring threat anytime he touches the football. After rushing for over 1,100 yards as junior in 2022, Burgess picked an offer from Arkansas Pine Bluff. Look for his recruiting profile to pick steam this season.
Jabulani “Junior” Thornton | Class of 2024 | Quarterback| La Vega HS | @jthornton_2
The 3-star, Texas State Commit was one of the most exciting players to watch during the game versus Lorena. A pure athlete that can extend plays with his legs from the quarterback position, Thornton is the definition of a dual threat quarterback. Thornton showed excellent field vision keeping his eyes downfield on his targets while in the pocket and he displayed that he has great chemistry with his receivers by trusting them to make plays in tight coverage. Jabulani has the arm strength to make deep throws with excellent touch and he excels at the short to intermediate routes. Thornton’s play demonstrated why he is a highly touted recruit at the quarterback position.
Jabarie Thornton | Class of 2026 | Wide Receiver | @J_thorn1on_
Jabarie, the younger brother to “Junior”, was one of the go to receivers in La Vega’s offense. Thornton has been very activeto start the season, his opening stats in the first three weeks of the season are phenomenal, totaling over 20o yards receiving and 5 touchdowns coming into the Lorena game. Jabarie is a smooth route runner who seems to find open space in the secondary routinely. Thornton has the ability to make the contested catch in traffic and he wins those battles consistently. One of his highlights versus Lorena, was a big catch down the sidelines that resulted in a huge gain, which set up a La Vega score. College programs should get eyes on the young sophomore. Thornton will be one of the top recruits that will come out of Central Texas in the near future.
Monta Hilliard | Class of 2025 | ATH | @HilliardVonta
Monta Hilliard was a defensive standout for La Vega and was a player who flashed throughout the game versus Lorena. Hillard is a two sport athlete (Basketball & Football), had two timely interceptions in this game that became a huge factor in La Vega’s win. With Lorena fighting back to close the deficit to a one score game, Monta made plays down the stretch defensively, coming in run support under control and showing that he is an excellent open field tackler. Hilliard’s stingy defensive play was a key for La Vega ending any hope of a Lorena comeback. Hilliard is a dominant force on the basketball court and the football field, displaying the athleticism that has enabled him to create recruiting buzz as a defensive back. He has been under the tutelage of well known defensive back coach Jermaine Carpenter, who has long resume of players he’s sent off to play at the next level.
