The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

INCLEMENT weather delayed the game for a day, but when Kinkaid and Fort Worth Country Day eventually hit the field, Mavin Saunders turned in his best performance of the season thus far.

In a matchup of teams nicknamed the “Falcons,” Saunders hauled in three touchdown catches in Kinkaid’s 55-14 blowout win at Hutto High School Sunday afternoon.

With the win, Kinkaid moved to 4-0 as they opened Texas’ Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) play, while FWCD fell to 3-1.

The Falcons are perennial favourites in the SPC after winning the league titles in three out of the last five seasons. “It was a big win for us, but we have high expectations this year so we expect to perform well every game,” he said. “I am just looking forward to the rest of season, to continue improving as a team and for me personally getting better and better each day.”

After taking up the game just a year ago, Saunders, a former basketball standout, made such an impression in his junior season that he was heavily recruited by a number of elite NCAA programmes.

In June, Saunders committed to the FSU Seminoles for the class of 2014. He chose Florida State over Arkansas, Houston, Illinois, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Utah.

When asked what he needed to work on getting better during his final high school season, Saunders paused for a moment before responding with a single word. “Everything.”

Just four games into his senior season, Saunders has equalled his touchdown total from his junior year with six.

Prior to the match with FWCD, Saunders caught five passes for 25 yards, including a touchdown, in a 42-20 win over Houston Christian Mustangs (Houston, Texas), on September 12.

In week two, a 39-38 thriller over Bellville Brahmas (Houston, Texas), Saunders caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown on September 6. In his junior year at Kinkaid, Saunders helped the team to an 8-3 record and a playoff run in the SPC playoffs. He totalled 40 receptions for 505 yards and six touchdowns in his first season.

His average of 12.63 yards per catch finished second on the team.

Saunders’ top performance came in a 66-7 blowout win over St Andrew’s (Houston, Texas) when he caught four passes for 74 yards and three touchdowns.

Other major games included nine catches, 67 yards and a touchdown against S Pius X, five catches for 72 yards against Kelly Catholic (Beaumont, Texas) and six catches for 83 yards against Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas).