5A, 4A bi-district recap

By Greg Tepper // TexasFootball.com

A week ago right now -- heck, a week ago Thursday -- there were 256 Class 5A and Class 4A high school football teams with a chance to win a state championship. Now, there are 128. Such is the cruel, beautiful reality of Texas high school football. And boy, do we have a lot to recap. We’ll go region by region in each bracket, starting with Class 5A Division I.

Class 5A Division I
Region IResults: El Paso Franklin 44, Lubbock Monterey 14
Arlington Bowie 42, Odessa Permian 7
Cedar Hill 13, Hurst L.D. Bell 10
Southlake Carroll 23, Plano East 16
San Angelo Central 21, El Paso Coronado 12
Arlington Martin 37, Midland 7
Euless Trinity 55, Duncanville 36
Allen 30, Keller Central 17
Overview: I wouldn’t characterize any of these results as upsets, though some were closer than I had anticipated. It was a bad night for the Division I teams from the Little Southwest Conference, as 4-5A flexed its muscles with impressive wins by Arlington Bowie and Arlington Martin. San Angelo Central, I think, is a team to keep an eye on; they’ll run into Martin next, but if they keep playing defense like the kind they played against Coronado, watch out. Euless Trinity and Allen both needed late surges to set up their dream area-round matchup next week -- Trinity RB Joel Kimpela rattled off 269 yards and five touchdowns to pace the Trojans, and Allen’s defense held sturdy against a tough Keller Central attack while the offense mounted a fourth-quarter rally. Cedar Hill won with defense -- just like coach Joey McGuire likes -- but I’m sure he would have liked to have seen more than 222 yards of total offense. Southlake Carroll came out a little flat and  needed a late touchdown run from RB AJ Ezzard to pull away from Plano East. But all in all, things held to form in the first round in Region I. Looking ahead: EP Franklin vs. Arlington Bowie, 2:00 Friday at Midland’s Grande Communications Stadium; Cedar Hill vs. Southlake Carroll, 11 a.m. Saturday at Cowboys Stadium; San Angelo Central vs. Arlington Martin, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cravens Field in Arlington; Euless Trinity vs. Allen, 2 p.m. Saturday at Cowboys Stadium

Region II
Results:
Skyline 31, McKinney Boyd 8
DeSoto 54, A&M Consolidated 10
Klein Oak 48, Kingwood 29
Austin Westlake 42, Round Rock 8
Garland 24, Richardson Berkner 7
Mesquite 35, Belton 23
The Woodlands 42, Klein Collins 31
Round Rock Westwood 52, Austin Bowie 20

Overview: If there’s an upset in the bunch, it’s Mesquite’s ousting of Belton. I think it’s easy to forget that the Skeeters’ losses this season have been to Lake Highlands (bad loss), Denton Ryan (good loss), Longview (good loss), DeSoto (good loss) and Mesquite Horn (pretty good loss). Mesquite really dominated this one, getting 306 yards and 2 TDs passing from QB Alex Cooper and a great effort from its defense. Skyline and DeSoto were impressive on both sides of the ball in precursors to their showdown. Don’t be fooled by Klein Oak’s score; Oak led 31-0 at halftime behind a big night from RB Larenzo Stewart (290 yards, 2 TDs) and RB/WR Nicky Baratti (3 TDs rushing). If you’re looking for a sleeper, you’ve got to love how Garland’s playing; coach Jeff Jordan’s squad shut down the sometimes tricky Berkner triple option. The Woodlands finally got scored on after four straight shutouts, but two touchdowns in the fourth quarter (QB Lance Miles’ fourth TD pass, this one to Cameron Klapesky, and a Cooper Woodyard rush TD) sealed the deal. And Westwood and Westlake were predictably impressive.
Looking ahead: Skyline vs. DeSoto, 5 p.m. Saturday at Irving Schools Stadium; Klein Oak vs. Austin Westlake, 4:00 Saturday at Spring’s Klein Memorial Stadium; Garland vs. Mesquite, 6 p.m. Friday at Cowboys Stadium; The Woodlands vs. Round Rock Westwood, 2:00 Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium

Region III
Results:
Cy-Fair 63, Aldine Nimitz 14
Cinco Ranch 59, Houston Bellaire 28
Galena Park North Shore 34, Pasadena Dobie 14
Fort Bend Hightower 47, Clear Brook 21
Cy Falls 48, Alief Elsik 22
Houston Lamar 35, Morton Ranch 21
Deer Park 31, Beaumont West Brook 30
Pearland 41, Fort Bend Elkins 0
Overview: We knew coming into the playoffs that this was one of the more well-stratified regions in the state, and it was true to form. Of the eight games, seven were won convincingly by what I would consider to be the clear favorite. Cy-Fair and Cinco Ranch flexed their offensive muscles; Galena Park North Shore showed off the athletic, stifling defense that its reputation is based on; FB Hightower was the Bralon Addison Show (252 total yards, four total TDs); Cy Falls continued to roll behind seven passing touchdowns from QB Troy Mitchell; Lamar got 372 rushing yards to lead the way to a not-as-close-as-it-sounds victory; and the defending champ Pearland proved it wasn’t going away quietly. The only close game was a thriller, as Deer Park overcame a deficit, gave up a lead, then won the game on a Zane Gonzalez 28-yard field goal with 1:27 to play to topple West Brook. I’m not sure there was a clear favorite entering that one, but Deer Park showed an impressive amount of resolve.
Looking ahead: Cy-Fair vs. Katy Cinco Ranch, 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Rhodes Stadium; GP North Shore vs. FB Hightower, 7:00 Friday at Deer Park; Cy Falls vs. Hou. Lamar, TBD; Deer Park vs. Pearland, 7:00 Friday at Galena Park ISD Stadium

Region IV
Results:
SA Churchill 28, SA Wagner 19
SA Warren 54, SA Southwest 14
Del Rio 34, Donna 7
Harlingen 66, Los Fresnos 14
SA Madison 25, Converse Judson 24
SA East Central 35, SA Stevens 14
Laredo United 60, Mission Sharyland 42
San Benito 24, Edinburg 14
Overview: This region is home to probably the result of the evening: Madison 25, Judson 24. Remember that back in Week Four, Judson absolutely manhandled Madison, winning 48-7. What a different a month can make, as Madison got a great game from QB Justin Jones (who was 1-for-10 in the first game), throwing for 205 yards and the would-be game-tying 4-yard touchdown pass to Byron Daniels with 37 seconds left. But does Jim Streety play for a tie? Heck no! The Madison coach goes for two, and Jones finds Daniels again for the go-ahead two-point conversion. What a gutsy call, and what a win for Madison. Elsewhere in the region, Harlingen’s off to a predictably hot start, and I thought Laredo United’s shootout victory over Sharyland was a minor upset (though not necessarily surprising; United is very, very talented). And what a nice with for Churchill, giving up an astounding 312 yards rushing to Wagner’s Derrick Kindred and still pulling out the victory thanks to four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) from QB William Huguley. We knew this region would be entertaining, and it did not disappoint in bi-district.
Looking ahead: SA Churchill vs. SA Warren, 7:30 Friday at Comalander; Del Rio vs. Harlingen, 5:00 p.m. Saturday, SA Comalander Stadium; SA Madison vs. SA East Central, 7:30 Friday at SA East Central; Laredo United vs. San Benito, 7:30 Friday at Corpus Christi’s Cabaniss Stadium

Class 5A Division II
Region I
Results:
El Paso Montwood 33, Amarillo Tascosa 28
Abilene 35, Arlington 30
Mansfield 55, Grapevine 27
Denton Guyer 41, Hebron 35 (2 OTs)
Amarillo 35, El Paso Americas 21
Abilene Cooper 27, Arlington Lamar 24
Mansfield Timberview 44, Colleyville Heritage 19
Flower Mound Marcus 34, Keller Fossil Ridge 0
Overview: Absolutely a ton to get to in this region. This produced the game of the weekend, with Abilene Cooper’s star QB Clayton Nicholas driving his team down the field in the waning minutes, trailing 24-21, and hitting Lorenzo Joe for a 22-yard game-winning touchdown pass as time expired. You can’t top that. You can’t. I’m convinced. But Denton Guyer and Hebron certainly tried; after finishing regulation knotted up at 28 and trading touchdowns in the first overtime, Guyer got a 19-yard Sebastian Williams touchdown run in the second overtime and the Guyer defense made a stop to win a thriller. Don’t be fooled by Abilene’s seemingly close call against Arlington; the Colts scored late in that one to make it closer than it was. And how about Mansfield Timberview putting it on Heritage? Timberview got 228 yards and three touchdowns on the ground from RB Josh Smith, but perhaps more importantly, the defense forced five turnovers from the usually sure-handed Heritage. And I’ll just throw this out there: if Marcus starts playing defense, watch out.
Looking ahead: El Paso Montwood vs. Abilene, 6:00 Friday at Midland’s Grande Communications Stadium; Mansfield vs. Denton Guyer, 8:00 Saturday at Cowboy’s Stadium; Amarillo vs. Abilene Cooper, 2:00 Saturday at Lubbock’s Jones Stadium; Mans. Timberview vs. FM Marcus, 5:00 Saturday at Cowboy’s Stadium.

Region II
Results:
Sachse 49, Jesuit 42
Longview 24, Temple 3
Spring Dekaney 27, College Park 21
Pflugerville 28, Del Valle 7
Rowlett 53, Lake Highlands 14
Copperas Cove 48, Mesquite Horn 47
Spring Westfield 30, Lufkin 27
Leander 35, Austin High 14
Overview: This region had a pretty good mix of “business as usual” and “wow, I did not see that coming.” For the latter category, see: Westfield’s win over Lufkin. Westfield, remember, got in the playoffs on the last day of the season, but they were not intimidated by John Outlaw’s Lufkin squad, getting help from all aspects (QB Kriegan Bridges threw two touchdown passes, RB Kaylon Jackson ran for over 200 yards, and the defense produced an 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown from Matt Davis and a game-sealing safety in the final minute). And speaking of not intimidated, how about Sachse, playing in its first ever playoff game, holding off Jesuit for a win? Impressive, no doubt. Meanwhile, Copperas Cove overcame a 21-point hole and still had to stop Mesquite Horn’s potential game-winning two-point try in the final minute to win. Other than that, not a whole lot to tell, as Longview played a very Longview game, Pflugerville and Leander dismissed 2-8 squads, and Rowlett easily handled Lake Highlands. Oh, and Spring Dekaney RB Trey Williams (322 yards, 2 TDs rushing in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated) is a monster.
Looking ahead: Sachse vs. Longview, 2 p.m. Saturday at Kincaide Stadium; Spring Dekaney vs. Pflugerville, 2 p.m. Saturday at Waller's Bulldog Stadium; Rowlett vs. Copperas Cove, 9 p.m. Friday at Cowboys Stadium; Spring Westfield vs. Leander, 2 p.m. Saturday at Brenham.

Region III
Results:
Cy Woods 42, Eisenhower 7
Katy 63, Houston Madison 7
La Porte 35, Pasadena Memorial 7
Fort Bend Bush 29, Clear Creek 21
Alief Taylor 48, Langham Creek 47
Houston Memorial 33, Houston Westside 13
Port Arthur Memorial 56, South Houston 28
Clear Springs 43, Fort Bend Dulles 25
Overview: Only two games here decided by eight points or fewer, so let’s start with those. Alief Taylor’s offense was simply sensational this week, with QB Remi Olonade leading the way with 357 yards and four touchdowns, including the eventual game-winner to Keene Brown with 5:30 to play in what has to be considered at least a mild upset of Langham Creek. Meanwhile, the story for Fort Bend Bush was defense, forcing two turnovers and holding Clear Creek to just 218 total yards to seal the victory. Other than that, it was basically by the book: Katy and Cy Woods were predictably dominant, as was Port Arthur Memorial; the only thing more impressive for La Porte than the total of 376 rushing yards was the fact that no single player broke 100 yards in the win over Pasadena Memorial; Houston Memorial got a big game from RB Boomer White (220 yards, 3 TDs) and got enough stops on Westside’s BJ Catalon (he still got 232 yards and 2 scores); and Clear Springs rode to victory on the back of QB Jake Blackledge, who threw for five touchdowns and ran for another score.
Looking ahead: Cy Woods vs. Katy, 7:00 Friday at Cypress’ Berry Center; La Porte vs. Fort Bend Bush, 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Deer Park; Alief Taylor vs. Houston Memorial, TBD; PA Memorial vs. Clear Springs, 1:00 Saturday at Baytown’s Stallworth Stadium.

Region IV
Results:
Cibolo Steele 24, SA Johnson 14
SA Brandeis 34, Corpus Christi King 7
Laredo Alexander 41, McAllen 18
Brownsville Pace 42, PSJA North 21
SA Reagan 48, New Braunfels 20
SA O’Connor 56, Corpus Christi Carroll 14
McAllen Memorial 35, Eagle Pass 13
Weslaco 55, PSJA Memorial 0
Overview: Anybody see anything that they would classify as an upset? Me neither. Cibolo Steele didn’t impress offensively like it normally does -- Tommy Armstrong only completed half of his passes for 116 yards -- but a stout defensive effort and the hard-nosed running ability of Justin Stockton kept the defending champion Knights moving forward. SA Reagan got a huge effort from QB Trevor Knight (282 total yards, 4 total TDs, including a 96-yard TD run) to push past a tricky New Braunfels squad. And really, other than that, it was by the book, as Brandeis had little trouble with CC King and Laredo Alexander continued its non-Harlingen category dominance of the Valley (though Weslaco, coming off a win over PSJA Memorial, might have something to say about that). All in all, this seemed like exactly how we saw the bi-district round going; now comes some very excellent area round games.
Looking ahead: Cibolo Steele vs. SA Brandeis, 7:30 Friday at SA’s Heroes Stadium; Laredo Alexander vs. Brownsville Pace, 4:00 p.m. Saturday, McAllen; SA Reagan vs. Northside O’Connor, 2:00 Saturday at SA’s Heroes Stadium; McAllen Memorial vs. Weslaco, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Weslaco.

Class 4A Division I
Region I
Results:
El Paso Chapin 35, Canutillo 14
Wichita Falls Rider 32, Wolfforth Frenship 14
FW Arlington Heights 14, Birdville 13
Killeen 36, Granbury 3
El Paso Andress 28, El Paso Del Valle 0
Denton Ryan 43, Amarillo Caprock 21
FW Boswell 41, FW Southwest 38
Hewitt Midway 35, Burleson 13
Overview: Well, this region was certainly not boring, huh? Let’s start with Wichita Falls Rider’s victory over Frenship, who came into the postseason 10-0 and looking like a legitimate regional contender. But with 177 yards rushing and a touchdown, plus another 144 yards passing and a touchdown from Rider QB JT Barrett, and a stifling defensive effort that held the normally reliable Frenship rushing attack in check, Rider reshaped the entire region with the win. Way out west, I was especially impressed with EP Andress’ defensive effort against Del Valle; play D like that, and Andress becomes a true threat. But the exciting game of the week belongs to Arlington Heights, who won despite just 189 yards of total offense. They’ll need more than that to keep up with Killeen, who walloped Granbury. Other than that, Hewitt Midway and Denton Ryan were adequately impressive in bi-district games. And by the way...if that Denton Ryan offense comes around? Watch out.
Looking ahead: EP Chapin vs. WF Rider, Saturday at Odessa’s Ratliff Stadium; FW Arlington Heights vs. Killeen, TBD; EP Andress vs. Denton Ryan, noon Saturday at Midland’s Grande Communications Stadium; FW Boswell vs. Waco Midway, 7:30 Friday at Midlothian ISD Stadium.

Region II
Results:
Rockwall-Heath 22, Frisco Wakeland 21
Dallas Kimball 34, Dallas Adams 24
Sherman 45, Whitehouse 24
Waxahachie 49, Pflugerville Connally 28
Highland Park 50, Frisco Liberty 7
Dallas Wilson 49, Dallas Molina 0
John Tyler 46, Texas High 14
Pflugerville Hendrickson 34, West Mesquite 20
Overview: I got to attend Heath’s win over Wakeland, and let me tell you: that was some high school playoffs, baby. Heath, which trailed pretty much from stem to stern (with the exception of a small bit before halftime after an amazing Amaris Fields punt return for a TD) punched in a touchdown run in the final minutes, then got the necessary stop to pull out the victory. It was an ugly game (turnovers abound), but beautiful, too. Sherman got the best of Whitehouse in the expected shootout, simply because they could make a few stops. Waxahachie continues their ascent behind an enormous night from Robert Lowe Jr. (31 carries, 242 yards, 4 TDs), and Highland Park was as impressive as you’ve come to expect in recent years. I still think John Tyler’s flying under the radar a bit; that’s a very good Texas High team that they just swatted to the side with relative ease. That defense is about to get a test, though; Hendrickson’s got Daje Johnson and he’s flying after a big game in the win over West Mesquite. This week was fun; next weekend will be even moreso.
Looking ahead: Rockwall Heath vs. Kimball, 7:30 Friday at Garland’s Homer B. Johson Stadium; Sherman vs. Waxahachie, 7:30 Friday at Plano’s Clark Field; Highland Park vs. Woodrow Wilson, 7:30 Friday at Wildcat-Ram Stadium; Tyler John Tyler vs. Pflugerville Hendrickson, 7:30 Friday at Hewitt Midway HS.

Region III
Results:
Montgomery 28, Huntsville 3
Vidor 42, Crosby 20
Houston Wheatley 37, Houston Waltrip 22
Angleton 48, Friendswood 21
Houston Stratford 20, Willis 14
Nederland 24, Goose Creek Memorial 6
Houston Reagan 35, Houston Washington 6
Pearland Dawson 41, Lamar Consolidated 34 (OT)
Overview: We have to start, of course, with the thriller between Dawson and Lamar Consolidated. Dawson -- a preseason dark horse to win the state title -- was seconds away from elimination in the first round before Jacob Hood’s 25-yard field goal with 27 seconds left forced overtime. In the OT, Dawson got the ball first and scored on QB Garry Kimble’s 25-yard touchdown run, which gave the nimble QB 330 total yards and three total touchdowns. From there, the Dawson D stiffened and made the necessary stop, keeping their season alive. Other than that game, there’s not a whole lot of unexpected results in this region. Montgomery’s defense continues to be a bit overlooked, holding Huntsville to just 67 total yards; the Bears’ D will have something to say about this region before it’s decided. Vidor, Wheatley, Nederland and Reagan were also comfortable winners, with Angleton flexing its offensive muscle behind 344 rushing yards and three scores combined from Ryan Jackson and Richard Cooper. I think we’ll have another week of relatively clear favorites here -- Montgomery, Angleton, Nederland and Dawson, in my opinion -- but as Lamar Consolidated showed us, nothing’s a guarantee.

Looking ahead: Montgomery vs. Vidor, 7:30 Friday at Aldine’s Thorne Stadium; Houston Wheatley vs. Angleton, TBD; Hou. Stratford vs. Nederland , 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Galena Park ISD Stadium; Hou. Reagan vs. Pearland Dawson, TBD.