NEDERLAND — The wait is over for the Lamar Cardinals.
Nederland senior running back Austin Krautz announced Wednesday his intentions to play college football with at Lamar.
Krautz picked up the offer from Lamar’s coaches after the Bulldogs 30-27 win over the Port Neches-Groves Indians on Oct. 16.
“I figured that is where I wanted to go and after talking with my family and everyone, I decided to announce my commitment,” Krautz said. “It feels good to get that weight off of me.”
The Cardinals are getting one of the area’s best running backs in Krautz. He is third in District 22-5A with 1,235 yards on 159 carries. He has 14 touchdowns and also has 18 catches to his name for 216 yards and two scores.
Krautz is the latest in a long line of players from Southeast Texas to commit this season to Lamar.
He joins PN-G quarterback Adam Morse, receiver Caisen Sullivan and defensive lineman Christian Langston along with Nederland offensive lineman Justin Carr and Hamshire-Fannett quarterback Kendrick King. King is expected to play either on defense or running back with the Cardinals.
“Playing at Lamar together is something me and Adam talked about last summer,” Krautz said of his good friend Morse. “Now that has turned into a reality.”
Krautz was also excited about the chance to run behind Carr again at the college level.
“I have loved playing football with him,” Krautz added. “Now, I can put all the college stuff behind me and focus on the rest of this season. We are all about winning the out-right district championship.”
Nederland faces Goose Creek Memorial on the road at 7 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs are the lone 22-5A team with a perfect record at 5-0.