For the first time this year, a player from outside the state of Louisiana has won the Gridiron Football Player of the Week award and that player comes from the state of Texas in Woodville High School (Woodville, Texas) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar.
In the Eagles’ 56-41 first round playoff victory over West Rusk, Tolar made his impact multiple different ways. At wide receiver, he finished with six catches for 100 yards and one touchdown. As a wildcat quarterback, he finished with six carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns, and finally as a kicker/punter, he converted all of his extra points, had three touchbacks, and two punts for 56 yards. Having that type of stat line in a win or go home game made it his best game of his prep career.
“It was truly one of the best games I’ve ever had. The hitches were open and we just took advantage of that. There were a bunch of hitches, deep comebacks. They didn’t know what I was going to do, but yeah, it was truly a good game. We went into halftime and we just flipped the switch. As soon as we went back on the field, we were just a whole new team.”
Woodville (TX) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar
Tolar’s head coach Heath Clawson can agree on our statement about his versatility and just being an all-around football player for the Eagles. His versatility was key for Woodville to win nine games this season.
“It’s just a testament to his athletic ability. I think on the reveal show, you said he’s a football player and that describes him and that’s absolutely true, but he’s a great athlete. He’s a top player for us in baseball as well and he’s just an all around good athlete. That versatility on the field is extremely valuable to our team. If we need him to hop in at quarterback, he can do it at a moment’s notice and then we use him to run the ball some at quarterback as well, but I said whenever the season started, with Luke at quarterback, Gage would probably start for 90 percent of the teams in the state at quarterback. He’s really talented as well, but he he’s such a great receiver and he does so many things for us that he’s very valuable in a lot of ways.”
Woodville (TX) HC Heath Clawson
Gage Tolar has a great relationship with another player that was in the running for Gridiron Football Player of the Week and this is 2027 QB Luke Babin, who is one of the top quarterbacks in the state of Texas as a current Vanderbilt commit.
“Playing with Luke, I’m truly blessed to have a quarterback that can throw me the ball like that. Man, he can do anything. He’s fast. He can throw the ball, run the ball. Yeah, I’m super thankful I have a quarterback like that. He’s a great friend, teammate, and he’s also my neighbor. He lives like two minutes away so we have a lot of fun.”
Woodville (TX) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar
An underrated talent that Tolar also has is he has the ability to be a good kicker for the team too as he showed in that playoff performance.
“I was really young like maybe around 10 years old and I just went out there and started kicking. I was like I’m going to try it. I was naturally gifted so I just stuck with it, kept practicing and just natural at it. I love kicking. Kicking’s pretty fun.”
Woodville (TX) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar
One half of winning the Gridiron Football Player of the Week is to put up the numbers like Tolar did, but the other half was winning the fan vote, which he did with 38,155 votes coming from the Woodville community.
“I’m thankful for my community. Everybody supports me and everything I’m doing. I wouldn’t have gotten it if it weren’t for my supporters. I’m just truly blessed for this.”
Woodville (TX) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar
Unfortunately, the Eagles’ season ended this past Friday losing in a 59-56 loss to Edgewood, but Tolar believes he did his part in leaving the program better than he found it.
“I would give myself a 9 out of 10 this season because I’m not perfect, but I think I definitely had a good season to finish it off.”
Woodville (TX) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar
Currently, Tolar has one current college offer from Anderson University in Indiana, but he and his head coach feels that his skill sets can translate to the next level.
“I am a good leader. I care for my teammates. I put my teammates over me. God over anything. I can pretty much do anything you tell me. I can run, throw, kick, catch. I can anything all of the above. Everything I do, I just go my hardest.”
Woodville (TX) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar
“I think he is going to be valuable to a team at the next level. He’s gotten some looks. He’s gotten some offers, but he’s really starting to show some people that if he’s not at the top of their list as a wide receiver, they’ve got a lot of ways that they can use him as he continues to grow at that position if that’s what they want him at. I think teams could take him as a kicker, as a punter, as a wide receiver, as a quarterback, and even some defense. He can be a special teams guy running on kickoffs and punts and return. He’s so versatile that wherever he decides to go with, they’re going to get a heck of a player and somebody that is going to make their locker room better immediately.”
Woodville (TX) HC Heath Clawson
Gage Tolar will have another opportunity to represent Woodville as he has been offered to play in the 2025 Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game, which will be played at Louisiana Christian University on Tuesday, December 30th.
“I’m truly blessed that you invited me for it. I would definitely attend it. I’m truly blessed that I get to play one more game and improve myself.”
Woodville (TX) 2026 WR/K/QB Gage Tolar
For winning the Gridiron Football Player of the Week, Gage Tolar will receive a letterman jacket patch that will say “Gridiron Football Player of the Week” and will be in consideration for Gridiron Football Player of the Year.
2025 Gridiron Football POTW Winners:
Week 1: St. Amant (LA) 2026 QB Cooper Babin
Week 2: Pine (LA) 2026 LB Cadyn Stogner
Week 3: Buckeye (LA) 2026 LB Ty Curtis
Week 4: Grand Lake (LA) 2026 QB JJ Labove
Week 5: Lake Arthur (LA) 2027 LB Wyatt Monceaux
Week 6: New Iberia (LA) 2026 RB/WR Kendrick Jeanlewis
Week 7: Albany (LA) 2026 RB Jonah Grob
Week 8: Archbishop Hannan (LA) 2026 LB Greyson Dupre
Week 9: Logansport 2026 (LA) QB Keaton Cason
Week 10: Oak Grove (LA) 2026 RB Owen Layton
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