11 Texas High School Football Records That Will Probably Never Be Broken

It is no secret that Texas high school football just means more than other parts of the country. Football under the Friday night lights can bring out crowds well over 20,000 on a good night. And you can’t drive through a small town without seeing signs in front yards proudly displaying which varsity athlete lives there.

Several factors go into making Texas arguably the best high school football state in the country. Like Florida and California, Texas benefits from year-round favorable conditions. It is also a massive state (population 31+ million) with an enormous talent pool to pull from. But Florida and California are huge too. What sets Texas apart at the H.S. level is the culture.

Unbreakable Texas High School Football Records

Diving through the record books, there have been some untouchable high school football careers out of Texas. The Lone Star State has produced unique talents such as Kyler Murray, Vince Young, Matthew Stafford, Earl Thomas, Drew Brees, Eric Dickerson, Gene Upshaw, Adrian Peterson, Ladainian Tomlinson, and the list goes on and on and on. You get the point, right?

So let’s take a look at what appears to be unbreakable Texas high school football records from throughout the years!

1. Most Single Game Rushing Yards In Texas High School Football History

In 2017, McKinney High School running back Matt Gadek made Texas high school football history when he rushed for 599 yards in a single game. Let that sink in for a moment… Most teams don’t sniff 599 yards in a game but he alone rushed for that many yards against Plano East.

RB Matt Gadek carried the ball 48 times for 599 yards. The previous Texas record for single game rushing yards was 587 by Daryl Ellis. And for someone to break Matt Gadek’s single game rushing yards record they will have to run for 600 yards in a single game! That is insane.

The national record is 754 yards. That was set by John Giannantonio of Netcong (New Jersey) all the way back in 1950 when it was a very different game. To think that anyone is rushing for that much in a game these days is crazy. How many players on the opposing defense quit the game after giving up 599 yards to Matt Gadek??? One has to wonder.

2. Most Career Rushing Yards In Texas High School Football History

Kenneth (Ken) Hall played his high school football for Sugar Land H.S., a school that doesn’t even exist anymore. It merged with Missouri City High School to form Dulles High School in 1959. Currently, there’s an elementary school on the location where it used to be in Sugar Land, Texas which is on the southwest outskirts of Houston.

Back between 1950-53, future CFL, NFL, and AFL player Ken Hall set the Texas high school football record for most career rushing yards with 11,232 yards in his four years. Those weren’t Ken’s only records. He’d set 17 national football records during his time at Sugar Land High School. Ken Hall’s career rushing records was a national record until 2012 when Derrick Henry broke it in Yulee, Florida.

In his 1953 season, Ken Hall averaged 32.9 points per game (12/games) remains a national record. He also had 38 100-yard games that stood until Emmitt Smith (Escambia, FL) came along. After high school he’d go to TAMU to play for the legendary Paul ‘Bear’Bryant but quit to get married and would later bounce around pro football organizations.

3. Most Single Season Touchdowns In Texas High School Football History

59 touchdowns in a single season seemed like an unbeatable Texas high school football record when Jonathan Gray of Aledo High School set that record in 2010. But then he broke his own record in 2011 with 65 TOUCHDOWNS in a single season.

He was named Mr. Texas Football in 2011 after setting the Texas state record for most single season touchdowns (65), was later named Gatorade National Men’s Athlete of the Year in 2012, and went to play college at the University of Texas. Jonathan Gray would also set the Texas HS Football career touchdown record at 205 during his time at Aledo High School, breaking Mike Hart’s record of 204 by one single TD.

While at Aledo, Jonathan Gray also set the Texas high school football record for the most career rushing carries with 1,225. That far eclipses Jacquizz Rodgers in #2 who had 1,134 career carries.

4. Most Single Season Rushing Yards In Texas HS Football

Surprise surprise, Ken Hall, the man who holds the Texas state record for the most career rushing yards also holds the state record for the most single season rushing yards. In 1953, Hall ran for 4,045 yards.

In second place in Texas is Trey Williams (2011) who rushed for 3,890 yards for Spring Dekaney high school in 16 games. Ken Hall set his record in 12 games, while playing in the single-wing formation at quarterback. He stood at 6’1″ and weighed 190 pounds. Hall was simply too much for the opposition.

5. Most Career 100-Yard Rushing Games In Texas High School Football History

Back on this list again is Jonathan Gray. He set the Texas high school football record for the most career 100-yard rushing games. In 2009 and 2011, Gray had 100-yard rushing games in all 16 of his team’s games.

Gray would finish his Texas HS football career with 51 100-yard rushing games, eclipsing Wes Danaher of CC Calallen (92-95) who had previously held that record at 43 100-yard rushing games.

6. Most Consecutive 100-Yard Rushing Games In Texas High School Football History

Everyone has an off day, especially when they are the star player and being overworked. But that wasn’t the case for Billy Sims of Hooks High School who holds the Texas high school football record for the most consecutive 100-yard rushing games at 38 in a row between 1972-74.

The closest anyone has come this century to nearing Billy Sims’ 100-yard rushing record was Brock Fitzhenry in 2004-07 who had 27 consecutive 100-yard rushing games.

7. Most Single Season Receiving Yards In Texas High School Football History

Cody Cardwell of Stephenville High School has owned the Texas high school football record for the most single season receiving yards at 2,427 for years. Philip Beck of Crosby HS came close back in 2003 with 2,202 yards but that’s second all-time. Cardwell’s single season receiving records seems unbreakable at this point.

8. Most Career Receiving Yards (and TDs) In Texas HS Football History

Jordan Shipley or Burnet High School is in a league of his own when it comes to career receiving yards. He holds the Texas high school football record for career receiving yards at 5,424.

Shipley is the only player in Texas High School Football history to eclipse the 5,000-yard mark in his career. Mike Hicks of China Spring HS is second with 4,331 career receiving yards. That’s how big the gap is!

On top of all those yards, Jordan Shipley holds the Texas state record for most career touchdown receptions at 73. That’s 18 more than anyone else in the history of Texas high school football.

9. Most Single Game Receptions In Texas High School Football History

You just know that coaches were screaming at the defense after this game back in 1980 when Sammy Taylor of Dublin HS had a Texas state record 22 receptions in a single game, two more than the second-most in state history.

How does a defense allow one player to catch the ball 22 times in a single game?!

10. Most Single Season Touchdown Receptions In Texas High School Football History

In 1987 at New Deal HS, Shayne Boyd hauled in 33 catches for touchdowns. The second most in Texas HS FB history is 30 (Jordan Shipley had 30 in 2003). Given all of Shipley’s records, it is kind of wild to see someone else holding down the record for the most single season touchdowns.

11. Most Single Season Passing Touchdowns In Texas High School Football History

Graham Harrell of Ennis High School was an absolute beast in 2003. He threw for a state record 67 touchdowns in one season.

It wasn’t a fluke though! Graham Harrell also holds the Texas state record for passing touchdowns with 167. Second place is Colt McCoy at 116. That’s how big the gap is between first and second.