Two ‘boys play in All-Star game

By Michael Brooks

Sports Editor     

     Edna Cowboys JaQwon Reed and Andre Brady finished off their football season with one final game last week. Reed, a senior, played in the Dream All-American Bowl and Brady, a junior, played in the All-American Rising Star game.  Both games were played on Monday, January 17, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

    Reed’s game featured the top seniors from all over the country showing their abilities to recruits as they play their final organized high school game. Brady’s game featured players from all over the country who are not seniors.     Both players met their teammates on Friday, Jan. 14. and participated in a couple of practices before the Monday games.

    “It was a dream come true,” Reed said. “I was ready to play in the stadium.”

    Brady agreed, saying “All I can say is wow. It was a dream come true and it’s a blessing from God.”

    With such a short time between meeting teammates and game time, there was little time to learn plays.

    “It wasn’t hard to learn the playbook at all,” Reed said, explaining “the coaches taught us by position and their NFL and college knowledge made it easy for us.”

    One of the NFL players was the head coach of Reed’s team.

    “The coolest person I met was my Head Coach Joe Horn,” Reed said. “He really made a bond with all of us and gave me his personal number and said call if I need advice.”

    Over the last few months Reed has received a few offers to play college football. He has not made a decision yet and, after receiving a new offer last week, playing in this game could bring him even more opportunities. Even being finished with high school football, Reed was still picking up new ideas from the All Star coaches.

    “At the practice, I learned how to use different techniques with my hands, and how to get off ball faster,” Reed said.

    Brady has the advantage of showing what he learned to Edna Cowboy fans next year.

    “I learned a lot that will help next year,” Brady said, including “not lean forward when facing a pass rusher.”

    Brady enjoyed the experience, not naming any one person as standing out for him but saying how cool it was meeting all the players from all the different states.

    When the games ended, Reed walked away with one final reward, the 2022 Dream All American Leadership Award.

    Even playing in a game filled with the top players from around the county, Reed caught the coaches attention with his leadership and earned the trophy.