High School

Oklahoma Sooners football commit scores explosive TD against nationally ranked opponent

Cibolo-Steele 4-star Jonathan Hatton went 75 yards early against Austin Westlake in ranked Central Texas high school football showdown

Andy Buhler

Steele receiver Jalen Cooper (10) eyes the Westlake sideline ahead of the game at Lehnoff Stadium on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 in Schertz, Texas.
Steele receiver Jalen Cooper (10) eyes the Westlake sideline ahead of the game at Lehnoff Stadium on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 in Schertz, Texas. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A highly-touted Oklahoma Sooners football commit erupted for a massive run against one of the top defenses in Texas on Friday night.

Cibolo-Steele 4-star Jonathan Hatton broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run to put the Knights up early in a Central Texas showdown with nationally ranked Austin Westlake.

Touted for his speed and explosiveness, Hatton put it on full display as he cut past two tacklers in the backfield and high-stepped past the Chaparrals' entire secondary.

The touchdown put the Knights up 10-3 early and gave it momentary momentum before Westlake rattled off 38 unanswered points and ran away with a 41-16 win.

The 6-foot, 205-pound junior is one of the state's top running backs. He broke out as a sophomore, rushing for 1,222 yards and 21 touchdowns while helping Steele to a 13-2 season that included an undefeated 6A District 27 finish and a 6A Division II state semifinal appearance.

Hatton verbally committed to Oklahoma last October but announced an offer from Michigan earlier in the week. Alabama and Ohio State extended offers in the spring and Texas A&M offered in June.

He's already out to a strong start to his junior campaign for one of the state's most prolific offenses, lining up alongside UTEP-committed quarterback Chad Warner and four-star wideout Jalen Cooper (SMU commit) and three-star Oklahoma State commit Royal Capell.

In a Sept. 7 win over San Antonio Reagan he broke loose for a 92-yard touchdown run to open the second half.

The Knights, SBLive's No. 11 ranked team in Texas, lost the contest to the nationally ranked Chaparrals have a chance to rebound in Week 5 at Clemens.

-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx

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Andy Buhler
ANDY BUHLER

Andy Buhler is a Portland, Oregon-based sportswriter with more than nine years of experience covering high school sports across the country. He's covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason, served on state tournament seeding committees and launched the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a journalism degree from Gonzaga.

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