TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW: State Semifinals
(NOTE: Rankings are based on final regular season poll from Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Schedule is subject to change.)
Each of the 16 teams that remain alive in the Texas big school playoffs has survived four rounds. For some, the road has been tougher than for others. It took triple overtime for Denton Guyer to eliminate pesky Prosper in a quarterfinal classic. Cedar Hill needed extra time to advance over Rockwall-Heath. And two-time defending 5AD2 champion Aledo fought off a tremendous challenge from Lucas Lovejoy in a 52-48 thriller, keeping its hopes for a three-peat (and a record tenth state title) alive. Then again, this year's Mount Rushmore of teams in 6AD1 rolled into the semifinals without much trouble. Galena Park North Shore has claimed that state championship trophy two years running, but Duncanville, Southlake Carroll and Austin Westlake are all out to snatch it away. This week's North Shore-Westlake state semifinal could be a battle for the ages. Six of the remaining Big 16 are unbeaten. A half-dozen others have a single loss this season. But, all the schools that are still around have one key thing in common - they are undefeated in the playoffs. Here are the state semifinal matchups:
STATE SEMIFINALS
Class 6A Division I
Regions I and II
6A #19 Southlake Carroll (11-1) vs. 6A #2 Duncanville (10-1), 3 p.m. Saturday at Arlington's Globe Life Park
(NOTE: The Carroll ISD confirmed Tuesday that Dragons HC Riley Dodge will miss this weekend's game after he tested positive for COVID-19. Southlake Carroll has no players who tested positive or are part of contact tracing. Carroll defensive coordinator Lee Munn will serve as interim head coach against Duncanville.)
LAST MEETING: Duncanville 49, Southlake Carroll 35 (12/7/19)
DUNCANVILLE LEADS RECENT SERIES (SINCE 2004), 2-1
LAST CARROLL WIN: August 2011
Southlake Carroll: Defeated Euless Trinity, 59-35. Dragons are in the state semifinals for the first time since 2011, when they won their last state championship. Jr. QB Quinn Ewers was 35 of 39 last week for a career-high 450 yards and six touchdowns. Sr. WR Brady Boyd had 17 receptions for 261 yards and four scores, while Jr. WR Landon Samson caught 13 balls for 137 and 2 TDs. Soph. RB Owen Allen carried 31 times for 161 yards and two scores. Carroll ranks 8th in scoring offense in Class 6A this season. In last year's quarterfinal loss to Duncanville, Ewers threw for 393 yards and 3 TDs. Boyd had 11 receptions for 123 yards and a score. Allen, then a freshman, ran for 115 and two touchdowns. Southlake Carroll has won ten straight.
Duncanville: Defeated DeSoto, 56-28. The Panthers are a win away from their third consecutive 6AD1 state championship game appearance, and Duncanville is looking for its first state title since 1998. They rolled up 520 yards of total offense against DeSoto last week, including a 471-yard passing performance from QB Grayson James. James was 22 of 28 in the quarterfinal and tossed three touchdowns. WR Roderick Daniels, Jr., (SMU) had eight receptions for 267 yards and a TD. WR Chris Hicks, Jr., caught five passes for 100 yards and a score. Jr. RB Malachi Medlock always finds a way to pick up the tough yards on the ground. He ran for two touchdowns last week, and has 20 rushing TDs this season. The Duncanville defense is allowing 145 passing yards per game this season, although Ewers showed in last year's playoff game that he can throw on anyone. Duncanville is 10th in 6A in scoring offense, while ranking 11th in scoring defense. The Panthers have won nine straight.
Regions III and IV
6A #1 Galena Park North Shore (14-0) vs. 6A #3 Austin Westlake (12-0), 2 p.m. Saturday at Katy's Legacy Stadium
LAST MEETING: Galena Park North Shore 21, Austin Westlake 14 (OT, 12/19/15)
GALENA PARK NORTH SHORE LEADS RECENT SERIES, 1-0
Galena Park North Shore: Defeated Fort Bend Ridge Point, 56-14. This game has it all. The two defending 6A state champions meeting in a battle of Texas titans. In the last game between the two, North Shore beat Westlake for a state title in an overtime classic. This edition of the Mustangs can win a third consecutive state championship. Last week's romp over FB Ridge Point was their 29th consecutive win, and their 16th straight in the postseason. Their only defeat in the last three years came in a three-point loss to Katy in the 2019 season opener. QB Dematrius Davis (Auburn) was 6 of 9 for 156 yards and three touchdowns last week. Davis ran for 92 and three additional scores. According to VYPE records, Davis now has 10,396 career passing yards. He passed Kyler Murray last week for 16th on the all-time Texas list. Davis will look early and often for WR Shadrach Banks (Texas A&M), who had 108 receiving yards last week, including a 91-yard touchdown. North Shore is ranked 4th in 6A in scoring offense at 50.4 ppg. They are allowing 13.6 ppg this season.
Austin Westlake: Defeated Cibolo Steele, 34-0. After recording their sixth shutout of the season last week, Westlake comes in as the top scoring defense in the state. They are allowing 4.3 ppg. Then there is the Chaparrals offense, which also ranks No. 1 in 6A at 55.0 ppg. Westlake outgained Steele 608-104 last week. Over the past three weeks, they have outscored their opponents, 167-17. Steele crossed midfield only once in the quarterfinal. Westlake QB Cade Klubnik threw for 306 yards and a TD, and ran for a score last week. RB Zane Minors scored twice on the ground. Westlake did have three first-half turnovers against Steele. They will need to avoid wasting opportunities against North Shore. Westlake's scheduled August game against fellow state semifinalist Southlake Carroll was canceled by COVID. Now HC Todd Dodge and his son, Riley, are each one win away from that father-son matchup happening in a state championship game. Austin Westlake has won 22 straight.
Class 6A Division II
Regions I and II
6A #13 Denton Guyer (11-2) vs. 6A #8 Cedar Hill (11-1), 1 p.m. on Saturday at McKinney ISD Stadium
LAST MEETING: Denton Guyer 50, Cedar Hill 41 (11/23/19)
CEDAR HILL LEADS RECENT SERIES, 6-3
LAST CEDAR HILL WIN: 9/7/18
Denton Guyer: Defeated Prosper in triple overtime, 30-24. The similarities between Guyer and Cedar Hill are stunning. Neither school was a district champion this season. Each comes in on a six-game winning streak kept alive by overtime victories last week. Both won state titles in 2013, when Guyer was still a 4A school. Each offense is led by a highly-recruited SEC-bound quarterback, Eli Stowers for Guyer (Texas A&M) and Kaidon Salter for Cedar Hill (Tennessee). Stowers scored last week's game-winner on a five-yard run in the third overtime. He beat Prosper in similar fashion in the regular season. Stowers was 6 of 16 for 88 yards through the air last week, with two interceptions and one touchdown. He ran for 80 yards and 3 TDs. RB Byron Phillips ran for 64 yards last week. WR Jace Wilson had three receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. The Guyer defense held Prosper to just 121 yards on 43 rushes, an average of 2.8 yards per carry. Denton Guyer defeated Cedar Hill in the second round last year on their way to the 6AD2 state title game. In that game, Stowers threw for 254 yards and 3 TDs, while running for 110 and a score.
Cedar Hill: Defeated Rockwall-Heath in overtime, 27-24. QB Kaidon Salter hit WR Javien Clemmer with a 15-yard pass in OT for the game-winner. Salter was 20 of 37 for 266 yards and three scores. He also ran for 83 yards. Clemmer had ten receptions for 164 yards and 2 TDs. Cedar Hill is making its first trip to the state semifinals since 2014, when the Longhorns won their last state title. Cedar Hill's only loss this season is to 6AD1 state semifinalist Duncanville. District 11-6A is among three to put a pair of teams in the semifinals this year. Cedar Hill has won its last six games.
Regions III and IV
6A #9 Katy (15-1) vs. Buda Hays Consolidated (10-3), 2 p.m. Saturday at Baylor's McLane Stadium
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Katy: Defeated Clear Falls, 51-14. Absolutely no one is surprised to see the Katy Tigers in their first state semifinal since 2015, when they won their most recent state championship. Katy has outscored its playoff opponents 160-45 with one forfeit. Despite the lopsided score in the quarterfinal, Katy outgained Clear Falls by a relatively-slim margin of 336-303 last week. But the special teams and defense were dominant, allowing Katy to cruise into the fifth round. One scary thing about this Katy team is the fact that many of their biggest playmakers are young. The backfield includes Soph. QB Caleb Koger and Soph. RB Seth Davis, who ran for 170 yards last week. Seth's brother, Sr. RB Jalen Davis, picked up 120 on the ground against Clear Falls. This is Katy's 18th all-time state semifinal appearance. They are two wins away from joining the special club of schools that have won nine football championships in UIL competition. Katy has won their last seven games.
Hays Consolidated: Defeated Austin Vandegrift, 38-10. "The old Slot-T is still alive." Hays HC Les Goad had that exclamation after the Rebels rolled to a relatively-easy quarterfinal win over Austin-area neighbor Vandegrift. Hays Sr. QB Durand Hill threw for 194 yards and ran for 111 last week. Hill accounted for five touchdowns. The difficult-to-defend Hays Slot-T offense racked up 255 rushing yards. When Hill looks to throw, he loves to find Soph. WR Chris Bruce. One factor to watch this week is the fact that the Rebels have to leave home to play their semifinal matchup. Each of their first four playoff wins came at home. Hays finished third in 26-6A. After starting the season 3-3, they have won seven straight.
Class 5A Division I
Regions I and II
Mansfield Summit (8-4) vs. 5AD1 #1 Denton Ryan (13-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Arlington's AT&T Stadium
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Mansfield Summit: Defeated Red Oak, 41-38. Summit has to be the leader in the clubhouse for most amazing story of the 2020 Texas High School Football Playoffs. Sat at 3-4 after losing to Midlothian on Nov. 27. Barely got into the postseason. Now they've reeled off three consecutive three-point wins (over Red Oak, Colleyville Heritage and Amarillo Tascosa) to reach the state semifinals for the first time in school history. This Jaguars team has had "it" in the playoffs. Summit trailed Red Oak by ten midway through the fourth quarter last week, but they kept fighting, and QB David Hopkins scored on a three-year run with :38 left for the game-winner. Hopkins was 14 of 22 for 193 yards and 2 TDs. Kamren Washington had a late fumble recovery to seal the win. Summit has won their last five.
Denton Ryan: Defeated Highland Park, 17-7. Last week's win for Ryan was their first over Highland Park since 2004. Not only did the Raider defense allow just 229 total yards and ten first downs by the Scots, they held Highland Park to their lowest point total since the 2013 season opener. Ryan QB Seth Henigan (Memphis) was 17 of 28 for 260 yards and 2 TDs last week. RB Kalib Hicks ran for 92 yards. WR Billy Bowman, Jr., (Oklahoma) had eight receptions for 136 yards and a TD. WR Ja'Tavion Sanders (Texas) caught five passes for 84 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown, on which he palmed the football on a spectacular one-handed catch. Henigan has 41 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. Sanders had 15 TD receptions, while Bowman is not far behind with 13. The Ryan defense is allowing 14.5 ppg this season, good for No. 8 in 5AD2. The Raiders are 10th in the state in scoring offense. Ryan is looking for their first state championship since 2002. HC Dave Henigan is in his seventh season at Ryan. After going 5-5 in 2014, his five subsequent losses have included three in the state semifinals, one in the quarterfinals and one in last year's state championship game. Few coaches can boast a resume like that. Denton Ryan has won 13 straight.
Regions III and IV
5AD1 #4 Cedar Park (13-0) vs. 5AD1 #7 Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial (13-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday at San Antonio's Alamo Stadium
FIRST MEETING
Cedar Park: Defeated Manvel, 52-42. This is Cedar Park's first appearance in the state semifinals since 2015, when they won it all. Timberwolves QB Ryder Hernandez was 30 of 55 for 385 yards and 4 TDs last week. For the season, Hernandez has 51 scoring tosses against only two interceptions. Hernandez has a stable of veteran receivers. Sr. WR Josh Cameron had ten receptions last week for 104 yards. Sr. WR Jack Hestera caught four balls for 116 yards and two scores. Sr. WR Preston Scott caught six passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Sr. RB Cade Haught ran for 60 yards and a TD in the quarterfinal. Cedar Park also has reliable Sr. K Justin Bohrer, who was 6-for-6 on kicks last week. Cedar Park's 2015 state champion averaged 45.4 ppg. This year's edition is averaging 53.4 to rank No. 3 in 5AD1 in scoring offense. Despite giving up 42 points to the powerful Manvel offense last week, Cedar Park's "Black Rain" defense stiffened when it counted most. Cedar Park has won 12 in a row.
CC Veterans Memorial: Defeated district rival CC Flour Bluff for the second time this year, 49-14. Playing only their fifth varsity season, Veterans Memorial is making its first state semifinal appearance. Last week's rematch turned into a cake walk for Veterans Memorial, which led 35-7 at the half. The offense, which ranks No. 4 in scoring in 5AD1, is led by QB Carter Senterfitt, who was 12 of 16 for 163 yards and 2 TDs last week. He also ran for 102 and three scores. Sr. DB Joseph Meador is a playmaker on defense and a difference-maker on special teams. He scored on an 84-yard kickoff return last week for his third return TD of the season. Meador chipped in with an interception from the secondary. Veterans Memorial is the only Corpus Christi school other than Calallen to reach the state semifinals since 1963, when CC Miller lost to Garland in the state final. Veterans Memorial HC Cody Simper is 50-13 at the school. After posting a 4-6 record in the program's first varsity season in 2016, Veterans Memorial has won at least ten games each year since. They are on a 13-game win streak.
Class 5A Division II
Regions I and II
5AD2 #9 Wichita Falls Rider (11-2) vs. 5AD2 #2 Aledo (11-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Denton's Apogee Stadium
LAST MEETING: Aledo 63, Wichita Falls Rider 7 (12/14/18)
ALEDO LEADS RECENT SERIES, 5-0
Wichita Falls Rider: Defeated Lubbock-Cooper, 21-13. Facing their district rival for the sixth time in three years, Rider avenged a 25-24 Nov. 27 loss, advancing to the semifinals for the second time in three years. Sr. QB Jacob Rodriguez threw for 206 yards, and also ran for 89 and two scores. Tight end Jed Castles caught four passes for 71 yards. Nick Darcus had six receptions for 58 yards. Darcus is also extremely dangerous in the return game. Sr. DB Dominique Horton played a huge role in limiting Lubbock-Cooper to 13 points. Horton intercepted two passes last week, taking one back for a touchdown. Aledo has been a playoff nightmare for Wichita Falls Rider in recent years. The two met in the postseason three consecutive years from 2016-18, when the average margin of victory for Aledo was 52.7 points per game. Rider has won its last four.
Aledo: Defeated Lucas Lovejoy, 52-48. Few teams put a scare into the Aledo Bearcats the way Lovejoy did last week. After trailing by ten at halftime, Aledo held the Leopards to 17 second-half points in rallying for the win. Caden Anderson provided a key spark when he returned a blocked punt 50 yards for a touchdown. RB Demarco Roberts led the Aledo offensive attack with 266 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Roberts also had an 88-yard kickoff return for a TD. QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi threw for 102 and a TD. WR Jo Jo Earle (Alabama) had five catches for 94 yards and a score. After allowing Lovejoy QB R.W. Rucker to run for 115 yards last week, the Bearcat defense will look to contain equally-mobile Rider QB Jacob Rodriguez. Aledo is in the state semifinals for the eighth consecutive year. Since 2013, they are 6-1 in semifinal games. The only loss in that stretch came to Mansfield Lake Ridge in 2015. Aledo has won nine straight.
Regions III and IV
Crosby (11-3) vs. 5AD2 #7 Liberty Hill (12-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bryan's Green Stadium
FIRST RECENT MEETING
Crosby: Defeated Fort Bend Marshall, 37-28. After dominating the Cougars for three periods, FB Marshall was stunned by a furious 28-point fourth-quarter comeback by Crosby, which is making only its third state semifinal appearance since 1960. Sr. QB Deniquez Dunn threw for 159 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Dunn also ran for a TD. Crosby's hopes ride heavily on Sr. RB Reggie Branch, who ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns last week. He added six receptions for 71 yards and a score. On the defensive side, Sr. LB Jeremiah Isaac had three sacks, while Sr. S Sir Hill added two. This Crosby team has been a giant-killer in the playoffs, having knocked off top five teams Texarkana Texas High, Huntsville and FB Marshall in consecutive weeks. After starting the year 0-2, Crosby has won 11 of 12, including their last four.
Liberty Hill: Defeated Sharyland Pioneer, 56-53. Liberty Hill was able to hold on and advance last week by running for an incredible 717 yards. They scored eight touchdowns on the ground last week and ran for 13.5 yards per carry. Sr. RB Blake Simpson rolled up 312 yards and five scores. Simpson has 14 touchdowns in the playoffs. Trey Seward ran for 194 and a score, and Eric De La Cruz chipped in with 189 yards and 2 TDs. The Liberty Hill Slot-T offense is a machine. It's triggered by Sr. QB Charles Calabretta, who also can motor when necessary. He ran for 114 yards and two scores in the win over Boerne Champion on Dec. 18. The Panthers defense has also earned its helmet stickers this year. Liberty Hill ranks 7th in 5AD2 in scoring defense, allowing 12.8 ppg with six shutouts this season. The 53 points allowed last week constitute about half the total they've given up the entire season. Liberty Hill has continued its undefeated run with a greater purpose after losing HC Jeff Walker to kidney cancer in late November. Their helmets carry the remembrance "Walker Strong." Liberty Hill has won 12 straight.
