By the Numbers: A Look at East Texas’ Top Statistical Performers So Far

East Texas has had its fair share of big offensive performances in the first three weeks of the 2012 high school football season. ETSN.fm wanted to take a closer look at some of those.

For lists of the top statistical performers in the region, check ETSN.fm's stat leaders, which have been submitted to the East Texas Sports Network by coaches around East Texas.

Without further adieu, here's more on some of the players' topping the stat leaderboards.

Passing and Receiving

Few teams have scored as many points as the Mount Pleasant Tigers, who are 3-0 and average 56.0 points per game following last week's 76-33 win against Terrell. The pass-catch combination of senior quarterback Montravious James and junior receiver K.D. Cannon is the top statistically in East Texas.

James has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 974 yards, 14 touchdowns, and no interceptions. The majority of those touchdowns -- nine, to be exact -- have gone to Cannon, who has 28 catches for 495 yards for an average of 17.7 yards per grab.

Whitehouse junior quarterback Patrick Mahomes is right behind James on the East Texas passing leaderboard. Mahomes, who accounted for more than 500 yards in last week's win against Sulphur Springs, has completed 55.1 percent of his throws for 924 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions during Whitehouse's 3-0 start.

Mahomes benefits from a fleet of receivers led by Texas Tech commit Dylan Cantrell, who leads Whitehouse with 18 catches for 377 and five touchdowns. Cantrell, who averages 20.9 yards per catch, is one of four Whitehouse receivers averaging at least three catches and 47.7 receiving yards per game, joining Jaylon Dews, Jake Parker, and Coleman Patterson.

Sulphur Springs (1-2) has thrown for more yardage than any East Texas team with 1,157 yards, 30 more than

Whitehouse. Senior Brad Macek (762 passing yards) and junior Derick Ingram (395 passing yards) share quarterbacking duties, and Cole Hill is their favorite receiver with 28 catches for 397 yards and five scores. Hill is one of three Wildcat receivers with at least 15 catches (Willy Ivery and Colton Wise are the other two).

Another dynamic pass-catch duo has been Carthage's pair of juniors: QB Blake Bogenschutz and receiver Tee Goree, who has caught 22 passes for 373 yards and five touchdowns. Goree's receiving yardage accounts for 62.2 percent of Bogenschutz's 599 passing yards, and his five touchdown catches are all but two of his quarterback's seven TD tosses. They connected seven times for 125 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 30-6 win at Chapel Hill that pushed Carthage to 2-1.

Rushing

Seven players in the East Texas rushing leaders average at least 10 yards per carry, but none averages more than the 16.8 yards per carry put up by Rusk's Chaston Bennett so far this season.

Bennett is No. 2 on the rushing leaders list with 638 yards and six touchdowns on only 38 carries. He's also been a defensive standout, leading 3-0 Rusk with 39 tackles and two interceptions.

The only man ahead of Bennett in rushing yardage is New Boston's Damien Haskins. The powerful 5-9, 210-pound Memphis commit leads East Texas in rushing yardage (668) and scoring (11 touchdowns) and averages 12.8 yards per carry. Haskins scored four touchdowns and kicked five PATs in last week's 47-7 rout of Pittsburg, giving him a region-leading 71 points.

Troup's Seth Gibson is one of East Texas' yards per carry leaders with 13.6 per tote. Gibson enters Friday night's  game at Arp averaging only 9.0 carries per game, but he's made the most of them, rushing for 122 yards and two touchdowns per game.

Derrick Daniels has been the catalyst of Gladewater's fast start, averaging 10.4 yards per carry en route to rushing for 491 yards and six touchdowns for the 3-0 Bears. Daniels and running back Tyler Price average a combined 295.0 rushing yards per game.

Newton's Kevin Shorter is also one of East Texas' players averaging at least 10 yards per carry. The Eagles are 3-0 thanks in part to Shorter's 416 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Shorter is one piece in Newton's three-headed backfield monster with quarterback D.J. Dean, a Utah commit, and fellow running back Brandon Johnson. That trio averages 276.0 rushing yards and four touchdowns per game.

West Sabine's Desmond Lacey is one of the four players with more than 500 rushing yards in the ETSN.fm leaderboard. Lacey averages 13.4 yards per carry and, combined with Nick Williams' 370 rushing  yards, helps the Tigers lead East Texas with 65.3 points per game. Williams also averages double digits in yards per carry with 10.9

Arp's Michael Roberson isn't near the top of East Texas' rushing leaders, but it's not for a lack of playmaking ability. He's terrorized opponents when he's gotten the ball in his hands, which has been only 7.0 times per game. But he's made the most of it, averaging 17.4 yards per touch on 14 carries and seven receptions. He's scored a touchdown on 28.6 percent of those 21 touches (six TDs).

Defense

No player has made as many tackles as Longview's Corey Bartley, who packs a big punch in a small frame. The 5-foot-7, 155-pound senior safety tops the East Texas tackles list with 46 after recording 20 tackles apiece in the Lobos' first two games.

But when it comes to sacks, nobody has as many as Hallsville's Coby Bradford, who registered 7 1/2 in Hallsville's first two games. Bradford is one of four players with at least five sacks in the first three weeks of the season, joining Mount Vernon's Mason Cook (7.0), Elysian Fields' Bruce Woods (6.0), and Tenaha's D'andre Thomas (5.0).

Bradford and Carthage defensive tackle Isaiah Golden, a Texas A&M commit, have nine tackles for loss apiece to lead the region. Golden is part of a Carthage defense that averages 15.3 tackles for loss and has gotten three forced fumbles from defensive end Mario McCain, who is tied for the East Texas lead in that category.

From a team standpoint, Waskom is East Texas' only squad that has yet to allow a point. The Wildcats have outscored their first two opponents 71-0. Kilgore has yielded only 3.5 points per game in its first two games and did not allow a point in the first six quarters of the season.