When Austin Woods speaks, his teammates listen. And in the fourth quarter of a game against Rockwall two weeks ago, Woods, a center, made the most important talk of the season so far.

Rockwall was coming back after Rockwall-Heath had jumped to a big lead. Woods calmed everyone down, and Rockwall-Heath went on to the victory.

"It's kind of your job to step up," he said.

A team's vocal leader is often the quarterback, but on Rockwall-Heath, it's Woods. Coach Mickey Moss sees it all the time.

When practices are lethargic, Woods often tells everyone to pick up the pace. On the field, Moss can sense Woods' energy.

It's there he can also see the intelligence and athleticism that have made Woods (6-5, 290) a top 250 recruit in the country.

Woods had offers from all around but chose Oklahoma. As a lifelong Texas fan, he was surprised some by his decision. But the OU campus, coaches and players just felt right.

Woods is already preparing for the next level. After Wednesday's practice, he stayed with his father and ran extra sprints.

But Woods is still focused on his last year at Rockwall-Heath. The team knows that every time he leads with his words.

"He makes all our checks and calls," Moss said.

Mark Dent