In his three years as starting quarterback, Griffin redefined the Hippos’ program while setting virtually every school passing record. The 5-foot-10-inch, 180-pound UCLA signee saved his best season for last, throwing for 4,051 yards and 50 TDs this season and compiling a career-best quarterback rating of 141.2 while leading Hutto to its first undefeated regular season since 1966 and a spot in the third round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs.

Other candidates:

Hudson Card, junior, Lake Travis: In his first full season as the latest star quarterback for the Cavs, the Texas pledge threw for 3,543 yards and 50 TDs and added 619 yards and nine TDs on the ground for a Class 6A Division I state semifinalist.

Kyle Harrison, senior, Liberty Hill: The electrifying running back set an Austin-area single-season rushing record with 2,875 yards rushing and scored 44 total touchdowns for a Class 4A Division I state finalist.

Ryan O’Keefe, senior, Round Rock: The versatile athlete is likely to play defensive back at Central Florida next season but spent most of this season behind center. He rushed for 1,844 yards and 28 TDs and passed for 1,068 yards and seven TDs.

Much like his first-year program, Creel delivered an outsized performance in his debut varsity season. The 5-8, 145-pound middle linebacker earned Class 5A first-team all-state honors from the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors after delivering a whirling dervish of a season that included a team-high 136 tackles, 22 tackles for losses and four blocked kicks. In the process, he helped Glenn become the first school in the Austin area to win a district title in its varsity debut.

Other candidates:

Ryder Hernandez, sophomore, Cedar Park: With the Timberwolves struggling in nondistrict play, Hernandez took over the starting quarterback job in the third week and threw for 2,396 yards and 19 TDs while leading Cedar Park to the second round of the playoffs.

RJ Martinez, sophomore, Westwood: The latest in a long line of productive Warrior quarterbacks threw for 1,894 yards and 17 TDs on 61.2 percent passing.

Charles Wright, sophomore, Austin High: A promising youngster already drawing attention from college scouts, Wright carried a heavy load for a 3-7 Maroon squad but still threw for 2,867 yards and 26 touchdowns.

A former offensive coordinator for Liberty Hill who took over the storied program before the 2017 season, Walker lifted the slot-T offense to new heights while leading the Panthers to a 13-2 record and their first state championship game since the second of back-to-back titles in 2007. Liberty Hill set school records for points (52.7) and yards (540.2) per game in a campaign that included Class 4A Division I playoff wins over previously unbeaten Sealy and two-time defending state champion Carthage before a loss to Waco La Vega in the title game.

Other candidates:

Todd Dodge, Westlake: Guiding a rare Chap team without any major FBS prospects, Dodge crafted a defensive-minded squad that whipped Lake Travis while winning the District 25-6A title and reached the Class 6A Division II state semifinals despite a wave of injuries to key players.

Drew Sanders, Vandegrift: The only coach in Vandegrift’s eight-year history as a varsity program, Sanders led the Vipers to a 12-1 record, their first undefeated regular season and their first district title as a Class 6A program.

Rob Schoenfeld, Glenn: The former Cedar Park assistant guided the first-year Glenn program to a 7-5 record, a playoff win and the District 13-5A DII title — the first district championship ever won by a first-year varsity program in the Austin area.