St. Paul’s Joseph Natal runs through the St. Joseph defense during a game in Shiner. Natal was selected as the private school Built Ford Tough High School Football Player of the Week. [ NOTE: click photo to enlarge ]

photos by Lori Raabe

SHINER — Joseph Natal had a message for his Shiner St. Paul teammates as they prepared for their TAPPS Division IV, District 3 opener at Temple Central Texas Christian.

St. Paul came into Friday’s ( October 19, 2018 ) game winless and Central Texas Christian was undefeated, but Natal wasn’t concerned.

“I told my teammates in the tunnel before we came out, ‘We’re starting out now,’” Natal said. “’It all matters now. Now we have to fight. It depends on how bad we want it now.’”

Natal put his words into action carrying 27 times for 268 yards and five touchdowns, recording 10 tackles and causing a fumble as the Cardinals captured a 34-13 win.

“I just felt like we had talent and we could do something,” Natal said. “I just felt like we had to keep working every day and had to know that we can’t give up. My thoughts were always that we’ll be all right.”

St. Paul’s Joseph Natal was selected as this week’s private school Built Ford Tough High School Football Player of the Week. [ NOTE: click photo to enlarge ]

Natal’s performance led to his selection as this week’s private school Built Ford Tough High School Football Player of the Week.

The award was special for Natal, who overcame an ankle injury which forced him to miss two games and most of another earlier this season, and has rushed for 939 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“We played more as a team,” said Natal, who credited linemen Cole Brown and Weston Geiger for their blocking. “Our defense stepped up in the second half.”

Natal is the third St. Paul player to win the Ford Tough award.

“It is a program thing,” said St. Paul coach Jake Wachsmuth. “I know the individual gets the award, but he wouldn’t have got that much yardage without a good line. You probably don’t get it if you don’t win the game. It’s a team thing. We’re proud of Joseph, but it’s always been about team success and I think it says a lot about our kids.”

Natal hopes the win over Central Texas Christian bodes well for the rest of the season.

“I feel we just need to keep working,” he said. “If we do that, we’ll be all right and we can reach the goal we want to.”