A 72 Year Old Texas High School Football Record Is Under Threat and the Entire State Is Watching
- Steven Liles
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
For more than seven decades one number has stood as one of the most iconic and seemingly untouchable marks in Texas High School Football. The total is 4,045 rushing yards in a single season. It is a number that has hovered above generations of running backs like something out of a legend. The record was set in 1953 by Sugar Land’s unforgettable Kenneth Hall, better known throughout Texas as The Sugar Land Express.
Hall was not only great. His dominance became folklore. He played in an era without spread offenses or modern strength programs. He was simply a powerful and relentless runner whose performances still echo across the state. His 4,045 yards survived the veer era, the wishbone era, the rise of the spread and every elite athlete who followed.
Now in the same year Hall passed away at age 89, his remarkable record might finally be living its last days.
The Challenger From Ozona
The player rewriting the script is Christian Villarreal from Ozona who has had an incredible season.
Villarreal enters the postseason with 3,505 rushing yards and 43 rushing touchdowns. He is averaging 350 yards per game and has multiple performances over the 400 yard mark. Many varsity athletes in Texas do not reach 3,500 yards in an entire career. Villarreal has done it in one regular season and is within striking distance of one of the most honored records in state history.
He is now only 540 yards away from passing Hall’s total. With his current pace he is projected to climb past the record in the Area Round of the playoffs.
This is not just impressive. It is historic.
The Weight of Seventy Two Years
A record that lasts this long becomes something more than an entry in a stat book. It becomes part of the story of high school football in Texas. Just as the great dynasties of Aledo, Permian and Gordon have shaped eras of the sport, so has Kenneth Hall’s 1953 masterpiece. His record became a measuring stick for greatness and no one has been able to touch it.
This year brings a special twist. The same year The Sugar Land Express left this world may also be the year his record finally falls. There is something poetic about that timing and it has captivated fans all across the state.
Why Villarreal’s Run Matters
Ozona is not a powerhouse loaded with national recruits. This is a gritty and disciplined 2A program built on a true downhill identity. Their offense is anchored by an offensive line that has become one of the very best units in the entire classification. Week after week they pave the way, creating the lanes that allow Villarreal to unleash his power, vision, and relentless competitive spirit. Their toughness matches the standard set by the legendary runner whose record now sits within reach.
The numbers speak for themselves. Every week he delivers performances that feel unreal and he is doing it on the biggest stage of all. The Texas high school playoffs. Every yard is harder to earn and every moment grows heavier. It is the perfect setting for a record chase worthy of state history.
How Close Is He
The historic number is 4,045. Villarreal sits at 3,505. That leaves 540 yards between him and a place in the record books that no one has reached in seventy two years.
Here is what the path looks like.
As the #1 seed out of their district Ozona gets a 1st round matchup with #4 seed Anson which should be a favorable matchup for Villarreal and the Lions. The 2A Division 1 playoff bracket is a gauntlet but with a stout defense and Villarreal in the backfield the Lions are projected by most to be playing Thanksgiving football. If we he gets even close to his regular season per game average, even conservative projections show Villarreal surpassing the record if the Lions reach the Area Round.
That is how close history truly is.
The Big Picture
It is rare to witness a moment with this kind of weight in Texas high school football. Not a weekly stat. Not a passing total. Not even a single game explosion. This is the record. The one that sat untouched for generations.
Now a small West Texas community is carrying the torch.
Will Christian Villarreal break Kenneth Hall’s record, time will tell. No matter what happens from this point forward one thing is undeniable. We are watching one of the greatest individual rushing seasons ever played in the state of Texas and history is no longer a distant idea. It is standing within reach.
Sideline Sports will continue to follow every step of this chase for immortality.
I hope some serious D1 programs are looking at this kid.