By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

ALABASTER – As if the Kingwood Christian Lions’ 2-0 start to the football season wasn’t buzzworthy enough, junior wide receiver Antonio (Tony) Ruiz is now garnering national attention after making an incredible catch against in-city rival Evangel on Friday, Aug. 24.

Ruiz’s catch came after running up the right sideline, but having to readjust to an underthrown ball. He proceeded to jump up over the Lightning defender to simultaneously catch the ball, before ripping it out of the defenders grasp, spinning away from another defender, and then stiff-arming a third defender for the final 10 yards of a 60-plus yard touchdown catch.

The incredible play from Ruiz has gone viral on social media, getting over 300,000 views on Facebook and even earning the No. 5 play on SportsCenter’s famed Top 10 segment and can be seen below.

“They are seeing in Tony what we’ve known for years,” said principal Ruth Gray. “Tony is a talented athlete who is gifted in the classroom as well as musically. He is a wonderful asset to our student body as well as our athletic and fine arts programs.

“Tony also is on a team that works to complement one anothers talents both on and off the field leading to a successful start to our football season. Our teams have worked diligently to make it possible for Tony and others to enjoy the fruits of a notable play.”

Outside of gaining recognition on SportsCenter, the incredible catch has also caught the attention of famous athletes and compared to guys like famous wide receiver Randy Moss, who was also known for stealing the ball away from defensive players like Ruiz did.

Ruiz is part of a Kingwood team that won just one game a season ago, but has already won one more game than that this season through two games with its 2-0 start.