PLANO, TEXAS, September, 9 2026 - Ford is celebrating the 21st anniversary of the prestigious Built Ford Tough Player of the Week and Year Awards, one of the most celebrated honors in Texas high school sports that recognizes student-athletes for their performance, leadership, and commitment to excellence. During each week of the 2026 regular season, fans, coaches, and media are asked to nominate players at FordPlayeroftheWeek.com.

Ford is partnering with Texas’ most iconic media brand, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, to honor past recipients and showcase their achievements both on and off the field. Throughout the season, Dave Campbell’s will produce the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week Show each Wednesday at 7 p.m. on DaveCampbells.com and across Dave Campbell’s social platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X), inviting fans to tune in weekly and follow along for highlights, stories, and exclusive content.

The campaign will also be celebrated through Dave Campbell’s statewide media channels and UIL postseason broadcasts, with special recognition leading into the Built Ford Tough Player of the Year Banquet in January. A couple weeks after the banquet, one of the honorees will also be recognized with the Built Ford Tough Mr. Texas Football Award, a complementary honor that celebrates the state’s most outstanding high school football player as part of this season-long celebration.

This week’s winning athletes join a long list of remarkable players recognized for their exceptional efforts.  

Class 6A: Braden Baker, Senior, QB, Cypress Ranch High School

Mascot: Mustangs

Opponent: C E King High School

Senior quarterback Braden Baker delivered a clutch performance for Cypress Ranch, completing 16 of 20 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, while adding 35 rushing yards. He helped build a 21-7 halftime lead against the state’s No. 3-ranked team and defending 6A Division II runner-up, then threw the game-tying touchdown in the fourth before a 20-yard scramble set up the game-winning field goal. The Houston commit, 2026 team captain and 2025 District 16-6A MVP, also competes in basketball and track & field.         

“Braden is our leader. He’s calm and collected at all times. He brings out the best in his teammates and leads with hard work and by example. As a player, he has every tool you want in your QB and it shows week in and week out.”

CYPRESS RANCH HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH WILLIAM BLAYLOCK

Class 5A: Maurice Edwards, Senior, QB, Americas High School

Mascot: Trailblazers

Opponent: Andress High School

In a classic shootout in El Paso, Americas senior Maurice Edwards was thrust into action at quarterback and put up record-breaking numbers in the Trail Blazers narrow 57-55 loss to Andress last Thursday night. Edwards tallied 476 yards of total offense (376 rush yards, 100 pass yards) and a school-record eight touchdowns. His eight scores also tied the city-record for rushing touchdowns in a single game. Widely considered one of the top student-athletes in the city, Edwards also stars off the field with a 3.8 GPA in the classroom. 

“I’m proud of the adversity he’s faced, sophomore year broken leg, junior year he was the back up and has worked through injuries to be a leader on and off the field as one of our captains.”

AMERICAS HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH NOE ROBLES

Class 4A: Hank Thurman, Senior, RB, Lindale High School

Mascot: Eagles

Opponent: Whitehouse High School

The first meeting between longtime rivals Lindale and Whitehouse since 2019 didn’t disappoint, and Lindale standout running back Hank Thurman made sure folks will remember his name for a long time when the rivalry is discussed. Thurman, who had a breakout 2025 season (1,455 yards, 22 TDs) for Lindale, carried 43 times for 325 yards and three touchdowns, caught two passes for 10 yards and returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to lead Lindale to a 46-42 win. The Lindale senior gave Lindale its first lead of the game with 4:35 left in the fourth quarter with a 17-yard touchdown run. After Whitehouse answered to move back in front, Thurman scored on a 14-yard run with 2:15 remaining and the Eagles got a defensive stand to secure the victory.

“We are so proud of Hank on this accomplishment! He broke our single game school record with 325 rushing yards on Friday night. Our team was tough and resilient on Friday night and he played a huge role in that. He is very appreciative of his Offensive line and Tight Ends, for what they do each day to make this possible.   Ultimately, our goal was to go 1-0 on Friday night and we accomplished that as a team.”

LINDALE HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH CHRIS COCHRAN

Class 3A: Kourtlyn Townsend, Sophomore, QB, Cameron Yoe High School

Mascot: Yoemen

Opponent: Whitney High School

Sophomore quarterback Kourtlyn Townsend made his first varsity start one to remember, delivering a record-setting performance in Cameron Yoe’s wild 62-61 comeback win over Top 10 Whitney. With the Yoemen trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter, Townsend helped engineer the comeback, finishing with a school-record 664 passing yards and seven touchdowns while accounting for an incredible 93% of Yoe’s total offense. He shattered the program’s single-game records for both passing yards and touchdown passes, with his 664 yards also ranking among the Top 10 single-game performances in Texas high school football history. For a program looking to recapture its championship tradition, Townsend’s breakout night may have provided the spark.

“He played great and he didn’t even start last week in our win against Teague, he came in during second half and carried the momentum into our game with Whitney. He has tremendous instincts for such a young quarterback, he can read the defensive coverages very well and get the ball out quickly. His teammates love him, they gravitate to him, he is only a sophomore but with the poise of a senior.”

CAMERON YOE HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH AARON BABINO

Class 2A: Wooda Betts, Senior, RB/LB, Omaha Pewitt High School

Mascot: Brahmas

Opponent: Chisum High School

Senior Wooda Betts was everywhere for Omaha Pewitt, turning in the kind of two-way performance that rarely shows up in one stat sheet. The running back/linebacker powered the Brahmas’ 32-13 victory with 202 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries, added five catches for 85 yards and another score, then took a kickoff 76 yards to the house. And that was only half his night. Defensively, Betts piled up 12 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery, impacting the game at nearly every turn. With 287 yards from scrimmage, five total touchdowns and a dominant night on defense, the senior did a little bit of everything to lead Pewitt to the win.

“That’s just who he is. Wooda puts up consistent numbers. This game was a little bigger than normal. When we run a two-back system, he’s one of the backs. When we go one-back, he’s a receiver. Our other back took a helmet to the knee, and we kept him out, so Wooda stepped in and got a larger workload. We just rode his shoulders. He scored all five of our touchdowns and had a great night on defense as well.”

PEWITT HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH JEREMY RUSSELL

Private School: Caleb Quitadamo, Senior, QB, Geneva School of Boerne

Mascot: Eagles

Opponent: TMI Episcopal Christian School

Senior quarterback Caleb Quitadamo picked up right where he left off after earning TAPPS Division III Quarterback of the Year honors in 2025, delivering another big-time performance for Geneva School of Boerne in a 49-42 win. Quitadamo completed 22 of 30 passes for 468 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding 25 yards on the ground to help keep the Eagles unbeaten. Through two games, the senior has now thrown 14 touchdown passes against just one interception, a blistering start that has Geneva sitting at 2-0 and its veteran quarterback once again looking like one of the most dangerous passers in the private-school ranks.

“Caleb epitomizes what it means to be a Geneva School of Boerne Student-Athlete, consistently displaying Fortitude and Temperance on and off the field. Friday night was another example of Caleb's Love for his teammates and passion for the game, as he consistently Showed Up and made plays against a quality opponent. We are proud of his efforts and grateful that he is being recognized for his performance.

GENEVA SCHOOL OF BOERNE HEAD COACH ADAM FOREN

How the program works 
The Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week program recognizes one high school student-athlete in six of the state’s athletic classifications each week of the regular season. 

Nominees must excel in three categories: 

• Individual performance on the field, including significant statistics from that week’s game  
• Contribution to the team’s success through individual leadership abilities  
• Performance off the field, including academic success and good community citizenship 

At the end of the regular season, Ford and its advisory board will select one student-athlete from the 11 weekly winners to be the Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Year in each classification. Following the championship games, honorees will be recognized at a banquet next year and one winner will be elevated to be awarded Dave Campbell’s Mr. Texas Football.

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Ford F-Series: The best-selling truck for over 49 years 
Ford is the undisputed truck leader in Texas. Ford F-Series sets the standard for full-size pickups with leading payload, towing, interior roominess, strength, and reliability. Ford is proud to recognize the Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Players of the Week.  

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities, and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services, including BlueCruise (ADAS) and security. The company offers freedom of choice through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough electric vehicles (“EVs”) along with embedded software that defines always-on digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, the company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 169,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at fromtheroad.ford.com.

About Dave Campbell’s Texas Football

For over 66 years, the iconic Dave Campbell’s Texas Football media brand has been “The Bible” for millions of football fans across Texas. Its annual summer edition is essential reading for rabid football fans, previewing every high school and college team in the state. Known for its comprehensive coverage, TexasFootball.com offers extensive digital content, including team and recruit rankings, scores, exclusive interviews, podcasts, and daily shows. Additionally, Dave Campbell’s Texan Live streams over 2,000 live sporting events each year, bringing fans closer to the action.

Contact:

Lindsey Beane

Ford Motor Company 

304-546-3811

lindsey.beane@bursonglobal.com