Eppler breaks records in opener

Marquez Byrd has received a medical redshirt for the football season.

The Navasota High School graduate said he underwent hernia surgery during the spring and will be assisting the University of Texas of the Permian Basin football coaching staff this fall.

The linebacker said he experienced abdominal pain and had a knot protruding above the navel. Had the hernia been left untreated, he said, he was prone to severe medical conditions, including damage to the digestive system.

Byrd said he had not done any training in six months. “I just got cleared last week,” he said early last week. “I’m feeling great.”

He is grateful to be able to assist the coaches. “I will be helping out mostly the defensive linemen and linebackers,” he said. “It’s amazing. This has been an ongoing process.”

He said he will be able to participate in spring camp and complete his redshirt senior season in the 2020 fall.

More football

Northwestern State University of Louisiana senior quarterback Shelton Eppler was named to the watch list for the College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Year Award for the Football Championship Subdivision. During the team’s loss in Thursday’s opener, the former Rattler broke season single-game records with 43 pass completions and 62 attempts. He threw for 387 yards and tossed three touchdowns and one interception. He rushed nine times for a team-high 45 yards.

Baseball

Anderson-Shiro High graduate Garrett Harris improved his pitching record to 9-2 for Trois-Rivieres of the independent Canadian American Association. The right-hander allowed five hits and one earned run in six innings of an Aug. 25 start to earn the win. He struck out eight and lowered his earned run average to 3.45.

Send updates about area athletes to Barbara Boxleitner at jdanddoc@gmail.com .