Ford Motor Company and your Texas Ford Dealers are proud to announce the six winners of the 2024 Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week trophy for week eight! These outstanding Built Ford Tough gridiron heroes are honored for their performance on the field and their leadership off the field. All weekly winners will ultimately be eligible to become Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Players of the Year.
Week Eight Winners:
Class 6A: Edward Griffin
Class 5A: Ty Haywood
Class 4A: DJ Sanders
Class 3A: Braxton Bartee
Class 2A: Meshach Griffin
Private School: Nico Lara
PLANO, TEXAS, October 23, 2024 – Once again, Ford and Texas Ford Dealers are recognizing the very best high school football stars in Texas in week eight of the 2024 Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week program. Since 2006, the program has recognized outstanding student-athletes throughout the regular season. For 19 years now, the program has celebrated many future college and professional standouts during their Texas High School football careers.
This week’s winning athletes join a long list of remarkable players recognized for their exceptional efforts.
Class 6A: Edward Griffin, Senior, QB, Coppell High School
Mascot: Cowboys
Opponent: Lewisville High School
Down 14-0 to Lewisville in matchup of district unbeatens, Coppell QB Edward Griffin and Baylor Commit went to work. Griffin threw for 460 yards and six touchdowns in what turned out to be a 55-28 win. Number 10 ranked Coppell is now 7-0. Griffin has thrown for 26 touchdowns and only two interceptions this season.
“He was a decent leader as a junior, but now he’s excelling at it. He leads by example, like coming in on Thursday mornings to do running workouts by himself. Baylor got a steal with Edward. He’s nowhere near his ceiling.”
- COPPELL HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH ANTONIO WILEY
Class 5A: Ty Haywood, Senior, OL, Ryan High School
Mascot: Raiders
Opponent: Azle High School
Ty Haywood has somehow only been playing football since 9th grade. Call him a quick study. The 6-5 285 offensive tackle helped pave the way for Denton Ryan in their 62-26 win over Azle. The Raiders racked up 528 yards of offense and 293 yards rushing. Haywood is ranked as a top five offensive line recruit in the nation and committed to Alabama.
“Ty is clearly a physically talented individual. You can see that by looking at him and watching him play. What a lot of people don’t know about him is that has become an excellent leader, both by example and vocally. Our team responds to him because he has put in the work to be able to speak up and lead when the time comes.”
- RYAN HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH DAVE HENIGAN
Class 4A: DJ Sanders, Senior, DL, Bellville High School
Mascot: Brahmas
Opponent: La Grange High School
Senior defensive lineman DJ Sanders, standing at an imposing 6’4″ and weighing 315 pounds, is a disruptive force for Bellville High School’s defense. Primarily playing defensive end, he commands attention on every play, making it clear why he’s a Texas A&M commit. He had an impressive stat line last week that included seven tackles, three disruptions, three QB hurries, one QB hit and one blocked kick.
On the season he has 43 tackles, 18 of which are solo, along with seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two caused fumbles, two recovered fumbles, one touchdown and two blocked kicks. Sanders consistently demonstrates his dominance on the field. Renowned as one of the strongest linemen in the 2025 recruiting class, his ability to shed offensive linemen and penetrate backfields makes him a constant threat to opposing offenses. His combination of size, strength, and skill ensures that he remains a key player to watch as he advances to the next level.
“DJ has been a really big part of our defense for 4 years. He allows our defense to be multiple because of his ability to dominate upfront and the fact that coaches have to use 2-3 guys to block him. DJ not only makes plays, but he gets so much attention it gives others the opportunity to make plays and offenses must account for him on every play.”
- BELLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH GRADY ROWE
Class 3A: Braxton Bartee, Junior, LB, Sweetwater High School
Mascot: Mustangs
Opponent: Comanche High School
Bartee looked like a natural while playing a new position at inside linebacker against Comanche.
Bartee was active with 24 total tackles (12 solo), three tackles for loss, one sack and two fumbles caused during the Mustangs’ 27-13 road win over Comanche in District 3-3A Division I play.
Bartee’s efforts helped Sweetwater improve to 2-0 in district. Bartee leads the Mustangs with 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions this season. The team captain in football competes in basketball, baseball and track and participates in student council and Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Sweetwater High School.
“Here’s what’s unique about it, it was his first game to play inside linebacker for us. He’s kind of been an edge player for us like a strong safety-type person. Due to some injuries, we had to move him inside. Believe it or not, we were concerned about him playing in there, and he just went off. He had a great game all over the field with tackles for loss, tackles on both sides – left and right. And on top of that, he’s just a good kid. You can’t help but be excited for him because he’s a leader, he’s a captain. He’s on our leadership council. He’s a guy that kids turn to if they’re having any kind of struggles. He is kind of the spiritual leader of the team. He’s a guy who prays before and after the game. He’s just an unbelievable kid. I’m super proud of him.
- SWEETWATER HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH RUSSELL LUCAS
Class 2A: Meshach Griffin, Senior, WR/DB, Holland High School
Mascot: Hornets
Opponent: Johnson City High School
When you think you have seen it all you get a performance like this that makes you have to double-check the stats. However, the stats checked out as Meshach Griffin had one long touchdown after another, returning the opening kickoff 85-yards for a touchdown, 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown in the second-quarter, 14-yard touchdown run in the 3rd-quarter, and the 86-yard interception for a touchdown in the 4th-quarter. It may have happened before, but it is hard to imagine an athlete scoring in so many different ways in one game; a return, an interception, receiving, and rushing in a 45-14 win against Johnson City.
Griffin is a 3-year letterman in football, basketball, and track, all-district in football and basketball and was runner-up in the triple jump at the state track meet and placed 5th in the 110-meter hurdles.
But there is so much more to this young man who lost his mother earlier this year during the spring. The Holland community embraced him for many reasons because Meshach is an extremely hard-working young man, kindhearted, with a willingness to help anyone at any time.
“Meshach is a young man of high-moral character and ethics, an absolute honor to coach and the type of person that makes everyone around him strive to be the best person they can be.”
- HOLLAND HIGH SCHOOL HEAD COACH HEATH HOHMANN
Private School: Nico Lara, Senior, LB, Fort Bend Christian Academy
Mascot: Eagles
Opponent: Cypress Christian High School
Senior linebacker Nico Lara, a standout at Fort Bend Christian Academy, has emerged as a formidable force on the field. With an impressive game, he secured 15 total tackles, including 7 solo, 2 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Not only did he lead the state in tackles last year in their division, but he has also continued to shine this season, racking up 77 tackles through just 7 games. His defensive prowess is further highlighted by 6 forced turnovers, one of which he returned for a touchdown, solidifying his reputation as a game-changer. As a unanimous team captain, Lara’s consistency and leadership make him an invaluable asset to his team and a player to watch this season.
“Nico’s nomination for Ford’s Built Ford Tough Player of the Week is a reflection of his commitment to our team and his relentlessness on the field. His performance this week was exceptional, yet it’s his dedication and leadership that truly sets him apart. I’m incredibly proud of him, and this recognition is a testament to his character and talent.”
- FORT BEND CHRISTIAN ACADEMY HEAD COACH JORDAN BLACK
During each week of the 2024 regular season, fans, coaches, and media are asked to nominate players at FordPlayeroftheWeek.com, as well as catch up with winners, view video clips of players in action and get the latest program details. Fans will be able to follow the conversation on social media by using #FordPOTW and share the recognition of these outstanding individuals each week.
Additionally, fans are encouraged to catch all the action on Bally Sports Southwest. The network is teaming with Ford and Texas Ford dealers to keep honor award winners through its weekly television show. Each week, television crews will travel to communities across Texas, spotlighting players who excel on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. The half-hour Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week program will air on Fridays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m.
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.
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