Houston-area athletes star for Utah in Las Vegas Bowl loss

The 10th-ranked Boise State Broncos beat No. 20 Utah 26-3 in the MAACO Bowl on Wednesday, and several Houston area players played key roles for Utah in the loss.

Starting senior wide receiver Jereme Brooks is a Clear Creek High School graduate. He caught one pass for five yards in the Bowl game against Boise State. On the season, Brooks was second on Utah with 633 yards receiving and four scoring grabs. He was first-team all-district as a junior and senior, and honorable mention all-state. Brooks was first-team Texas Prepstar.com, first-team all-Galveston County and second-team all-Greater Houston Class 5A. His 70 receptions led the Greater Houston area. Brooks had 850 receiving yards (nine touchdowns) and over 1,000 all-purpose yards. He was a three-time MVP of Clear Creek High School and also lettered in baseball. Born April 23, 1989, he is the son of Warren Brooks and Judy James. He is an economics major. 

Junior cornerback Brandon Burton is also a Clear Creek High School graduate. Burton had four tackles against Boise State, and on the season was sixth on the team with 42.5 tackles and added two interceptions. He was named all-district as a return specialist his sophomore, junior and senior years. Burton had 11 career interceptions and 10 kick returns for touchdowns. The two-time captain was the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year. Burton also lettered in track and was the district 200-meter champion (21.3) as a junior. He qualified for the Junior Olympics in the 200 meters. Born July 31, 1989, in Germany, he is the son of Mark and Shawn Burton. He is an economics major.

Senior quarterback Terrance Cain completed 10 passes for 93 yards and added 19 rushing yards on 14 carries for Utah. Cain is a backup who filled in for injured starter Jordan Wynn. On the season, Cain passed for 703 yards and six touchdowns. He rushed for 127 yards and one score. He was a two-time all-district player for North Shore High School. North Shore was the district champion from 2003-05 and won the state title in 2003. Born July 14, 1988, he is the son of Tracey Sr., and Rosemarie Cain-Tennison. He is a sociology major.

Starting senior defensive end Derrick Shelby is a Hightower High School graduate. He had 4.5 tackles against Boise State, and on the season he was ninth on the team with 29 tackles and added two sacks. He was named all-district first team as a senior in 2006 as he recorded 15 sacks. Hightower High School won the 2006 district championship. Shelby also lettered two years in track and won an academic excellence award. Born March 4, 1989, he is the son of Alisa and Derrick Shelby Sr. He is a sociology major.

Freshman free safety Damian Payne is a Klein Forest High School graduate. He was first-team 13-5A all-district as a senior in 2009, and third-team all-state. The team captain was an all-purpose player who threw for a touchdown, ran for three TDs, caught four touchdown passes, had three interceptions and returned a punt for a touchdown in his senior year. Payne was born May 30, 1992, and is the son of Kenneth Payne and Angela Williams. His father played football for Pitt, and his mother ran track for Prairie View A&M. His uncle, Harvey Williams, had an eight-year NFL career (1991-98) with the Chiefs and Raiders. Other relatives who played in the NFL include Gerald Irons and Grant Irons.