Thanks to the pandemic-induced schedule shuffle, high school football fans get an extra gift this year - a Christmas weekend filled with playoff action. Of the 32 regional semifinals in 6A and 5A, a dozen are scheduled for Christmas Eve on Thursday. Most of these third-round matchups feature schools that haven't seen each other in a while, if ever. But, this week's schedule also includes recent rivalries like Allen-Euless Trinity, Arlington Martin-Southlake Carroll and Frisco Lone Star-Highland Park, as the Rangers try to send the Scots home for the second straight year. Every school on this list has cleared the first two hurdles in the postseason. Now the goal is clear - win four more games to become a state champion. These are the regional semifinal matchups:
Class 6A Division I
Region I
Euless Trinity (10-1) vs. Allen (10-0), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Arlington's Globe Life Park
LAST MEETING: Allen 41, Euless Trinity 20 (12/9/17)
ALLEN LEADS RECENT SERIES 5-3
LAST TRINITY WIN: 11/19/11
Euless Trinity: Defeated Midland Lee, 56-49, on RB Ollie Gordon's 11-yard TD pass to WR Xzavior Kautai with :15 left. Gordon also ran for 188 yards and two scores. QB Valentino Foni was 18 of 23 for 311 yards and 3 TDs. Trinity outscored Midland Lee 21-14 in the fourth period after trailing 35-21 at halftime. The Trojans have won eight straight. Their only loss came to Prosper on Oct. 1.
Allen: Came back to beat South Grand Prairie, 20-16. RB Jaylen Jenkins ran for 83 yards and 2 TDs, including the game-winner from 14 yards out in the fourth period. Allen's defense held SGP to 97 rushing yards on 49 carries.
Southlake Carroll (9-1) vs. Arlington Martin (10-1), 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Globe Life Park in Arlington
LAST MEETING: Arlington Martin 50, Southlake Carroll 33 (9/8/17)
SOUTHLAKE CARROLL LEADS RECENT SERIES 3-1
LAST SOUTHLAKE CARROLL WIN: 9/2/16
Southlake Carroll: Dominated Odessa Permian in area round, 38-7. Dragons QB Hunter Holden started his fifth straight game in place of injured QB Quinn Ewers. Holden threw for 257 yards and 4 TDs. RB Owen Allen ran for 178 yards and a score. Carroll rolled up 534 yards of total offense last week.
Arlington Martin: Demolished Lewisville last week, 68-0, dominating the Fighting Farmers in all phases of the game. Soph. RB Zaire Barrow ran for 114 yards and 3 TDs on only eight carries. Martin's Travell Johnson returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown. The Warrior defense allowed just 120 total yards in the area round victory.
Region II
Duncanville (8-1) vs. Spring Westfield (8-1), 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Belton's Tiger Field
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Duncanville: Rolled to 49-14 area round win over Dallas Skyline. QB Grayson James was 13 of 17 for 209 yards and 4 TDs. RB Malachi Medlock ran for two scores, and WR Roderick Daniels, Jr., had seven receptions for 126 yards and 3 TDs.
Spring Westfield: Defeated Klein Cain, 42-24. Westfield is in the third round for the eighth time in ten years. Their only loss this season came to rival Spring (27-23) on Oct. 16. Spring Westfield has held six of nine opponents to seven or fewer points this season.
DeSoto (9-1) vs. Spring (9-0), 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco
FIRST RECENT MEETING
DeSoto: Came back to beat Rockwall in area round, 30-27. QB Samari Collier ran for 2 TDs, threw for two scores. Facing a 27-15 deficit at one point last week, DeSoto's defense held high-powered Rockwall to 123 total yards in second half. DeSoto is in the regional semifinal for the first time since 2016, when they won a state title.
Spring: Defeated Klein Oak, 31-14. Unbeaten Spring is the 14-6A champion. They have given up more than 17 points only three times this season (13.8 ppg allowed).
Region III
Katy Tompkins (10-0) vs. Galena Park North Shore (12-0), 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Katy's Legacy Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Katy Tompkins: Eliminated state-ranked Cy-Fair, 51-28. Tompkins beat Katy for the 19-6A district title. They are allowing 10.6 ppg this season with four shutouts.
Galena Park North Shore: Defeated Pearland Dawson, 38-7. Ranked No. 1 in 6A all season, North Shore is favored to win a third consecutive 6AD1 state title. They have scored 55 or more points in six of their last eight games. The North Shore defense is allowing 12.8 ppg this season. This juggernaut has an average margin of victory of 37.4 points in 2020.
Fort Bend Ridge Point (7-2) vs. Humble Atascocita (7-2), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Houston's TDECU Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Fort Bend Ridge Point: Defeated Jersey Village, 34-21. Ridge Point is the 20-6A district champion. They have reeled off seven straight wins after an 0-2 start.
Humble Atascosita: Advanced with a 21-6 win over Pearland. Atascosita finished second to Galena Park North Shore in 21-6A. Their losses are to North Shore and Allen.
Region IV
Cibolo Steele (8-3) vs. Laredo United South (5-3), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Corpus Christi's Buccaneer Stadium
LAST MEETING: Cibolo Steele 45, Laredo United South 0 (9/4/15)
CIBOLO STEELE LEADS RECENT SERIES 2-0
Cibolo Steele: Beat Round Rock in overtime last week, 26-19. Steele forced extra time with a late FG, sealed victory with OT fumble recovery. QB Wyatt Begeal ran for 118 yards and a TD. Steele has won eight of nine after starting the season 0-2. The Knights' defense is allowing 17.0 ppg this seasons.
Laredo United South: Survived the area round with a 42-41 overtime win over Mission. Sr. RB Brian Benavides scored from 12 yards out with 0:33 left in regulation, then found the end zone from 25 yards in OT. United South then stopped a two-point conversion attempt to seal the victory. United South has won their last three. They were the fourth-place finisher in 30-6A and did not start their season until Oct. 23.
Austin Westlake (10-0) vs. San Antonio Stevens (7-4), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Bastrop's Memorial Stadium
LAST MEETING: Austin Westlake 42, SA Stevens 7 (11/22/08)
AUSTIN WESTLAKE LEADS RECENT SERIES 1-0
Austin Westlake: Rolled over Smithson Valley, 62-3. QB Cade Klubnik and Soph. WR Jaden Greathouse connected on ten first-half receptions last week, while the Westlake defense allowed just one play of 15+ yards in the area round win. Westlake has allowed a total of 37 points this season (3.7 ppg, five shutouts). Their average margin of victory is 51.9 points. Austin Westlake is the reigning 6AD2 state champion.
SA Stevens: Advanced with a 28-21 win over Harlingen. Stevens, the third-place team in 29-6A, advanced past the first round for the first time since 2015.
Class 6A Division II
Region I
Abilene (6-4) vs. Denton Guyer (9-2), 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Globe Life Park
FIRST MEETING
Abilene: Defeated North Crowley, 12-7. Abilene has won five straight after a 1-4 start. The Eagles were the fourth-place finisher in 2-6A.
Denton Guyer: Advanced with a 38-31 win over Arlington in double overtime. QB Eli Stowers scored the game-winning TD from three yards out in the second OT period. Stowers ran for 103 yards, while RB Byron Phillips ran for 131 and 3 TDs, and RB Tiyon Aldridge picked up 124 on the ground. Guyer has advanced to the third round for the fifth time since 2012.
Northwest Eaton (9-3) vs. Prosper (7-3), 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Globe Life Park
FIRST MEETING
Northwest Eaton: Defeated San Angelo Central, 40-16. QB Braden St. Ama ran for 135 yards and 3 TDs, while RB Laithe Shelley ran for 113. Facing a backup quarterback last week, Eaton did allow Soph. Tyler Hill to run for 162 yards and two scores. Eaton has won seven of their last eight, with the only loss in that stretch coming to Southlake Carroll.
Prosper: Eliminated Arlington Bowie, 28-7. After trailing 7-6 at halftime, the Eagles ripped off 20 straight in the third period to take control. QB Jackson Berry was 19 of 26 for 240 yards and 2 TDs. Prosper's defense held Bowie to 50 rushing yards. After just slipping into the playoffs, this Prosper team got hot at the right time. They have shown they can play with anyone, with losses to Allen and Denton Guyer by a combined five points.
Region II
Cedar Hill (9-1) vs. Tomball Memorial (11-0), 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Waco ISD Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Cedar Hill: Dominated Tyler Legacy, 45-0. QB Kaidon Salter was 17 of 24 for 250 yards and 4 TDs. The Longhorns' defense held Legacy RB Jamarion Miller to 60 rushing yards, while limiting Legacy to 145 total yards last week.
Tomball Memorial: Defeated Conroe Oak Ridge, 49-13. Memorial is the 15-6A district champion. They have allowed 32.1 ppg this season, but also have scored 54.1 ppg. Tomball Memorial has scored 48 or more points in ten of 11 games this season.
Rockwall-Heath (9-2) vs. Bridgeland (12-0), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco
FIRST MEETING
Rockwall-Heath: Defeated Temple, 56-28. QB Josh Hoover was 25 of 34 for 445 yards and five scores. RB Preston Landis ran for 182 yards and 3 TDs. Rockwall-Heath WR Jay Fair had nine receptions for 199 yards and 2 TDs, while fellow WR Jordan Nabors caught five balls for 150 and 2 TDs. Rockwall-Heath rolled up 678 yards of total offense last week, while allowing 505. They are averaging 50.9 ppg this season, and their only losses are to Rockwall and Southlake Carroll.
Bridgeland: Needed four overtimes last week to eliminate Spring Dekaney, 47-44. Dylan Goffney scored on a 24-yard reception for the game-winner in the fourth OT period. State-ranked Bridgeland is the 16-6A champion. Their unbeaten resume includes wins over Alvin Shadow Creek and Cy-Fair. Bridgeland is averaging 45.9 points per game. If any regional semifinal is likely to be a shootout, it's this one.
Region III
Katy (10-1) vs. Alvin Shadow Creek (6-3), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Iowa Colony's Freedom Field
FIRST MEETING
Katy: Dominated Houston Lamar, 60-7. Competing in the 6AD2 playoff bracket for the first time since 2015. Katy's only loss came to Katy Tompkins in district play. HC Gary Joseph is 223-22 in his career at Katy. The Tigers are allowing 9.7 ppg this season.
Alvin Shadow Creek: Defeated Houston C.E. King, 42-28. Shadow Creek, in its first year in 6A, was the second-place finisher in 23-6A. Their losses are to 12-0 Galena Park North Shore, 12-0 Bridgeland and to district champion Pearland Dawson in overtime. It's almost impossible to believe Shadow Creek is a THIRD-YEAR varsity program. They went to the 5AD1 state final in 2018, and won it all last year.
Katy Taylor (9-2) vs. Clear Falls (7-3), 12 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Webster's Challenger-Columbia Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Katy Taylor: Defeated Houston Heights, 28-13. Katy Taylor has quietly slipped into this regional semifinal round. They were the third-place finisher in 19-6A, but their only losses this season are to Katy and Katy Tompkins.
Clear Falls: Beat Beaumont West Brook, 53-36. Clear Falls is another team that has flown under the radar in reaching this point. They came in third in 24-6A, and this is the deepest postseason trip in school history. The Clear Falls defense has allowed 19.4 ppg this season.
Region IV
Austin Vandegrift (9-2) vs. San Antonio Brennan (10-1), 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at San Antonio's Comalander Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Austin Vandegrift: Advanced with a 14-7 win over San Antonio Roosevelt. Vandegrift was the 25-6A co-champ. Their only losses are to Round Rock (in overtime) and to unbeaten 5A Cedar Park. The Vipers are allowing 11.3 ppg this season. They were eliminated by Klein Collins in the second round in 2019.
San Antonio Brennan: Defeated Edinburg Vela, 28-3. Brennan ended the season as the only San Antonio-area school ranked in the state Top 25 in 6A. Their only loss came to 5-4 SA Warren. The Bears' defense is allowing 10.5 ppg this season, and Brennan has allowed a total of three points in their first two playoff games. Brennan lost to eventual state champion Austin Westlake in the second round last year.
Buda Hays Consolidated (8-3) vs. San Antonio Taft (8-3), 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Buda's Shelton Stadium
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Hays Consolidated: Defeated San Antonio Johnson, 35-31. It has been a seat-of-their-pants kind of season for Hays, which is averaging 32.5 ppg, but also allows 31.0 ppg. They were the third-place finisher in 26-6A, with blowout losses to Lake Travis and Austin Westlake in district play.
SA Taft: Defeated PSJA North by forfeit last week. Taft was second in 29-6A, losing to district champion SA Brennan, 52-13, on Nov. 13. Taft defeated Eagle Pass in the bi-district round.
Class 5A Division I
Region I
Red Oak (8-2) vs. Lubbock Coronado (12-0), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Wichita Falls' Memorial Stadium
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Red Oak: Defeated El Paso Del Valle, 55-6. RB Iverson Young ran for 223 yards and a score. Hawks QB Joshua Ervin was 16 of 23 for 139 yards and 3 TDs. WR Raymond Gay, Jr., had eight receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns. The Red Oak defense held Del Valle to 96 total yards and four first downs. Red Oak's only losses are to 8-0 Colleyville Heritage and to Ennis. Clock control will be a key to keeping the powerful Coronado offense off the field this week.
Lubbock Coronado: Rolled over Azle last week, 77-43. Coronado has been a machine through two playoff games, piling up 159 points. They scored touchdowns on their first ten possessions last week. Coronado QB Sawyer Robertson was 42 of 52 for 581 yards and 7 TDs, with three of his receivers posting 100-yard games last week. He also ran for a score. Robertson has 16 TD passes in this postseason. Coronado's M.O. is to "go fast" and wear out the opposing defense. They have scored 70+ in four of their last seven games.
Mansfield Summit (6-4) vs. Colleyville Heritage (8-0), 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Aledo HS
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Mansfield Summit: Summit advanced to the regional semifinal with a 31-28 win over Amarillo Tascosa, winning on a 22-yard field goal by K Keaton Foster on the final play. Jaguars QB David Hopkins completed only three passes last week, but two went for touchdowns. RB Jaydon Lott ran for 99 yards and two scores, while Summit WR Hal Presley had three catches for 162 yards and a TD. The Summit defense allowed 228 total yards. Summit was an unlikely pick to reach the third round. The gutsy Jags finished fourth in 4-5A-1 and got into the playoffs via winning percentage tiebreaker.
Colleyville Heritage: Defeated Amarillo, 44-25. QB AJ Smith-Shawver was 28 of 44 for 436 yards and 2 TDs. WR Hogan Wasson had nine receptions for 180 yards and two scores. RB Braxton Ash ran for 81 yards and 3 TDs. Unbeaten Colleyville Heritage was the 4-5A-1 district champion. Interestingly, Colleyville Heritage and Summit are in the same district, but did not play in the regular season.
Region II
Denton Ryan (11-0) vs. Longview (9-2), 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Mesquite's Memorial Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Denton Ryan: The state's No. 1-ranked 5AD1 team rolled over College Station, 52-21. QB Seth Henigan was 15 of 25 for 305 yards and 4 TDs. Henigan hooked up with all-state WR Ja'Tavion Sanders eight times for 216 yards and 2 TDs. Ryan RB Kalib Hicks added 186 rushing yards and 2 TDs. The Ryan offense recorded 623 total yards last week, while the Raider defense forced five turnovers. Pound-for-pound, Denton Ryan might be the best overall team remaining in the big school playoffs. They have wins over 6A regional semifinalists Arlington Martin and Denton Guyer this season.
Longview: The Lobos flat out whipped No. 3 Lancaster last week, 56-20. Lancaster came into last week's game averaging 58.8 ppg. RBs Kaden Meredith (99 yards, 2 TDs) and Markevion Haynes (94 yards, TD) have carried Longview all season. Soph. WR Jalen Hale had a breakout game last week with four grabs for 100 yards and two scores. The Lobo defense held Lancaster to 223 total yards. Longview, the 2018 6AD2 state champ, finished second this season behind Highland Park in 7-5A-1. Longview dropped an 18-13 decision to the Scots on Nov. 6.
Highland Park (10-0) vs. Frisco Lone Star (7-3), 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Globe Life Park in Arlington
LAST MEETING: Frisco Lone Star 33, Highland Park 27 (OT - 11/29/19)
FRISCO LONE STAR LEADS SERIES 2-1
LAST HIGHLAND PARK WIN: 9/13/18
Highland Park: Defeated Frisco Independence, 42-20. Scots QB Brayden Schager was 14 of 22 for 228 yards and a TD. RB Brooks Bond ran for three touchdowns, while RB Anthony Ghobriel added two scores on the ground last week. The district champion in 7-5A-1, Highland Park will meet Lone Star for the fourth time in three seasons. Since 2004, the Rangers are one of only five teams that hold a series edge over Highland Park. The others are Aledo, Denton Guyer, Hewitt Midway and Lake Travis. Only Longview and Coppell have stayed within a touchdown of Highland Park this season.
Frisco Lone Star: Advanced with a 40-28 win over Magnolia. RB Jaden Nixon ran for 162 yards and 3 TDs. He also had nine receptions for 68 yards and a score last week. Lone Star Jr. QB Garret Rangel was 22 of 34 for 239 yards and 2 TDs. Lone Star's losses this season are to North Forney, Aledo and Denton Ryan. After eliminating Highland Park in the third round last season, Lone Star will go for their third consecutive win over the Scots.
Region III
Fort Bend Hightower (5-4) vs. Manvel (8-1), 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Iowa Colony's Freedom Field - REMATCH
LAST MEETING: Manvel 49, Fort Bend Hightower 38 (11/5/20)
MANVEL LEADS SERIES 1-0
Fort Bend Hightower: Defeated Pflugerville Hendrickson, 44-14. Last week's win gave Hightower their first two-game winning streak of the season. Their losses are to 6A regional semifinalist Spring Westfield, Richmond Foster, Manvel and Katy Paetow, and each of those games was competitive. Hightower slipped into the postseason as the fourth-place finisher in 10-5A-1.
Manvel: Defeated Dripping Springs, 38-21. The 10-5A-1 district champions will try to beat Hightower for the second time this season. Manvel's only loss is to 12-0 6A No. 1 Galena Park North Shore.
Cedar Park (11-0) vs. New Braunfels Canyon (11-1), 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at New Braunfels' Cougar Stadium
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Cedar Park: Advanced with a 51-15 win over Richmond Foster. The 11-5A-1 district champions have allowed only 6As Austin Vandegrift and Round Rock Cedar Ridge to stay within 14 points this season. The Timberwolves' defense is allowing 14.7 ppg. Cedar Park HC Carl Abseck is 68-9 overall.
New Braunfels Canyon: Advanced to third round with forfeit victory over Katy Paetow. Canyon is in the regional semifinal after dropping down from 6A. Their only loss this season was to Dripping Springs in the district opener. The Cougars have won eight straight since. NB Canyon is allowing 16.0 ppg this season.
Region IV
Victoria West (8-3) vs. Corpus Christi Flour Bluff (10-1), 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at San Antonio's Alamo Stadium - REMATCH
LAST MEETING: CC Flour Bluff 59, Victoria West 32 (12/4/20)
VICTORIA WEST LEADS RECENT SERIES 3-2
LAST VICTORIA WEST WIN: 10/25/19
Victoria West: Defeated Eagle Pass Winn, 49-13. Victoria West came in third in 15-5A-1.
CC Flour Bluff: Defeated San Antonio Southside, 31-21. Flour Bluff was the second-place finisher in 15-5A-1. Six-foot-five QB Nash Villegas ran for 3 TDs last week, while RB Isaac Miles added 115 yards on the ground. The winner of this matchup likely gets another shot at district champion CC Veterans Memorial in the quarterfinals.
Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial (11-0) vs. San Antonio Southwest (6-6), 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at San Antonio's Heroes Stadium
FIRST MEETING
CC Veterans Memorial: Rolled to a 53-14 win over San Antonio Southwest Legacy. The champion of 15-5A-1, state-ranked Veterans Memorial is the clear favorite to emerge from this bracket. Only CC Flour Bluff has been able to stay within 17 points of Veterans Memorial this season.
SA Southwest: Reached third round with a 32-15 win over Weslaco East. Southwest is one of the more amazing stories of the 2020 postseason. After an 0-6 start, they have won their last six. The Dragons, who finished third in 14-5A-1, are led by first-year HC Alejandro Franco.
Class 5A Division II
Region I
Canyon Randall (6-5) vs. Wichita Falls Rider (9-2), 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls - REMATCH
LAST MEETING: Wichita Falls Rider 45, Canyon Randall 14 (11/20/20)
WF RIDER LEADS RECENT SERIES 4-1
LAST CANYON RANDALL WIN: 11/28/14
Canyon Randall: Got a 30-yard "Hail Mary" from QB Braxton Burd to Isayah Hernandez on the final play to beat El Paso Parkland, 36-35. Juan Garcia added the game-winning PAT. Burd accounted for 407 total yards in last week's win. Randall was third in 3-5A-2 this season, finishing district play with a losing record.
WF Rider: Demolished El Paso Burges, 68-27. Rider is another of the three teams still alive from 3-5A-2. Their only losses are to district champion Lubbock-Cooper and 11-0 regional semifinalist Lubbock Coronado. Rider is allowing 18.7 ppg this season.
Lubbock-Cooper (11-1) vs. Grapevine (10-3), 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 in Sweetwater
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Lubbock-Cooper: Defeated Clint Horizon, 69-20. The 3-5A-2 champs have won nine straight. Their only loss came to 11-0 regional semifinalist Lubbock Coronado on Oct. 2. Lubbock-Cooper is allowing just 11.1 ppg this season.
Grapevine: Advanced with 50-26 win over Canutillo. Mustangs QB Max Cowgill was 19- of 28 for 353 yards and seven touchdowns last week. WRs Ben Gair, Alijah Steele and Griffin Edwards all had two touchdown receptions in the area round victory. Grapevine has won ten of their last 11 after an 0-2 start.
Region II
Aledo (9-1) vs. Frisco (8-1), 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Aledo: Defeated North Forney, 49-24, to advance to the third round for the eighth consecutive season. Bearcats RB DeMarco Roberts ran for 224 yards and 4 TDs. Aledo is four wins from a UIL-record tenth state championship.
Frisco: Survived with a 19-17 win over South Oak Cliff. The Raccoons trailed SOC 17-16 with 18 seconds remaining after a Golden Bears field goal for an apparent victory, but Chase Lowery returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards to set Frisco up deep in SOC territory. Fr. K Mason Stallons then booted a 32-yard field goal for the win. Frisco RB Syone Usma-Harper ran for 94 yards and a score. Frisco's only loss is to 12-0 Lucas Lovejoy.
Lucas Lovejoy (12-0) vs. Mansfield Timberview (10-1), 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 24 at Globe Life Park in Arlington
FIRST MEETING
Lucas Lovejoy: Defeated Everman, 49-21. The Leopards were right on point last week, matching their season average of 49.1 ppg. QB R.W. Rucker was 14 of 21 for 162 yards and 3 TDs. He also ran for 137 yards and two scores. WR Reid Westervelt had five receptions for 135 yards and 2 TDs.
Mansfield Timberview: Stunned 5AD1 state No. 1 Ennis, 42-28. RB Deuce Jones ran for 142 yards and 4 TDs. QB Simeon Evans added 135 yards and two scores on the ground. Timberview did allow Ennis WR Laylon Spencer to catch 12 passes for 241 yards and a TD, so defending against Lovejoy WR Westervelt will be a priority. Timberview's only loss came to Aledo on Nov. 20.
Region III
Crosby (9-3) vs. Huntsville (11-0), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Shenandoah's Woodforest Bank Stadium
LAST MEETING: Huntsville 54, Crosby 44 (11/23/19)
HUNTSVILLE LEADS RECENT SERIES 1-0
Crosby: Defeated Texarkana Texas High, 62-42. Crosby RB Reggie Branch ran for 190 yards and 3 TDs. He also had seven catches, including two touchdowns. Crosby, the 12-5A-2 co-champ, is averaging 64.0 ppg in their two playoff games. They have scored 50+ six times this season.
Huntsville: The Hornets stayed unbeaten with a 49-19 whipping of Barbers Hill. Huntsville, which is in the third round for the third straight year, is allowing just 9.7 ppg this season.
Fort Bend Marshall (11-0) vs. Nederland (9-3), 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Humble's Turner Stadium
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Fort Bend Marshall: Defeated Montgomery, 48-28. FB Marshall has allowed a total of 62 points this season (5.6 ppg with seven shutouts). Then again, they have rolled up 60+ points six times in 2020. Don't be surprised if FB Marshall and Huntsville lock up in a titanic battle for a semifinal spot next week.
Nederland: Defeated Longview Pine Tree, 34-21. Nederland also was a co-champ in 12-5A-2. They have won eight straight. Nederland's losses are to Lufkin and Port Neches-Groves.
Region IV
Leander Rouse (10-1) vs. Liberty Hill (10-0), 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Round Rock's Reeves Stadium
LAST MEETING: Leander Rouse 21, Liberty Hill 0 (8/26/11)
RECENT SERIES TIED 1-1
LAST LIBERTY HILL WIN: 8/27/10
Leander Rouse: Defeated Mercedes, 57-28. The 13-5A-2 district champions have won nine straight. Their only loss came to A&M Consolidated on Oct. 2.
Liberty Hill: Blanked Boerne Champion, 41-0. Liberty Hill has allowed a total of 59 points this season (5.9 ppg with six shutouts). Not only that, Liberty Hill has allowed seven total points in their last seven games.
Georgetown East View (7-4) vs. Mission Pioneer (7-0), 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 at Corpus Christi's Buccaneer Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Georgetown East View: Defeated San Antonio Alamo Heights, 48-14. After finishing third in 13-5A-2, East View has opened the playoffs with blowout wins over Austin McCallum and Alamo Heights. East View started the season 1-3.
Sharyland Pioneer: Edged Marble Falls, 54-47. Pioneer QB Eddie Lee Marburger hit Soph. WR Joseph Graham, Jr., for the game-winning TD in the final seconds last week. Marburger accounted for seven touchdowns in the area round victory, including five through the air. Marburger's 93 career touchdown passes are a Rio Grande Valley record. Sharyland Pioneer is averaging 51.8 ppg this season, and has scored at least 42 in every game. They are the last remaining Valley school alive in the 2020 playoffs.
