5A/4A Recap: Inching closer

By Greg Tepper // TexasFootball.com Entering the weekend, we knew we had 16 truly terrific state quarterfinal matchups in across Class 5A and Class 4A, but if you'd told us that they'd all be this good, I think we would have accused you of sensationalizing. But it's true: the state quarterfinals lived up to the hype across Texas, and now we're down to just 16 teams, and four state championship trophies to split among them. So let's recap the action from the weekend, shall we? Because trust me: there's a lot to get to.
Class 5A Division I
Region I Final: Southlake Carroll 31, Arlington Martin 14
All year, we’ve harped on teams with “pedigree” having an inherent advantage. What do we mean by that? We mean that teams that have been there before tend to perform better when they get there again. And really, there’s very few teams in the state that can boast a pedigree like Southlake Carroll, and they played like it against Martin, especially defensively. The Dragons forced an uncharacteristic three Martin turnovers and turned them into points, and they bottled up explosive Martin RB Kyle Hicks. How effectively? Take out Martin’s first drive, in which Hicks notched 31 yards and the game’s first touchdown, and Hicks was held to a mere 60 yards the entire game. That’s effective, especially when you’ve got weapons like QB Kenny Hill, who threw for two third-quarter touchdowns to Sabian Holmes to help the Dragons pull away, and added another two rushing touchdowns. Pedigree matters, and Southlake Carroll is proof.

Region II Final: Dallas Skyline 35, The Woodlands 31
Skyline was, in many ways, dead to rights. The Woodlands, boosted by a big game from RB Randy Cooper (131 yards and a TD) and a Kolbi Brown INT return for a TD, had a 31-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter and could lean on that ferocious defense. But the Raiders had other plans, getting a 35-yard TD run from Ellis Onic with 10:24 to play to pull within 31-28. Then, after getting a big defensive stop, Skyline mounted its drive of the season: a 14-play, 80-yard opus capped off by QB Devante Kincade’s 1-yard TD run on 4th and goal, giving Skyline its first lead of the game. The Woodlands would not go quietly, driving to the Skyline 26 before the Raiders put the clamps down and sealed the game with a turnover on downs. Skyline was taken to the brink and survived; they’ll only be a tougher out because of their ability to persevere.

Region III Final: Fort Bend Hightower 35, Pearland 14
All week, managing editor Travis Stewart has been saying that Hightower QB Bralon Addison is going to carry Hightower until he can’t go any more. And while Addison was great in this one, accumulating almost 200 total yards and 2 TDs in helping to knock off the defending champs, we can see how dangerous this Hightower team can be when they get contributions from a variety of different places. The Hurricanes defense stood tall, holding Pearland to just 225 total yards and picking off a pass. The running game got going behind RBs Jaquinn Henderson (109 yards and a TD) and Joshua Wilhite (94 yards and a TD). It was a bit of a surprising exit for the defending champs, but I think it’s clear that this entire Hightower team -- not just their sensational quarterback -- isn’t ready to quit yet.

Region IV Final: San Antonio Madison 42, Harlingen 27
The headlines are going to be about the Harlingen dream flickering out -- and understandably so, as the darling of the Rio Grande Valley was a true contender -- but let’s not overlook what was a dominating offensive performance from Madison. Marquis Warford, the Mavericks’ running back, is on another planet right now, running for 125 yards and a score while adding five receptions for 117 yards and two scores. Combine that with a super-efficient game from QB Justin Jones (11-16, 246 yards, those two touchdown passes to Warford) and you have a recipe for 522 yards of total offense. Give the Cardinals credit for never backing down and fighting all the way, but the bottom line was that Madison made a few stops (picking off Harlingen QB Kevin Ledesma three times), and Harlingen really didn’t. Madison’s now got a chance to make its own headlines in a state semifinal.

Class 5A Division II
Region I Final: Mansfield Timberview 32, Abilene 6
If you’re going to pick out a “whoa!” score in 5A this week, this is probably it. Not necessarily that Timberview won -- I think we all know how good Timberview is now -- but how they won. Timberview absolutely manhandled Abilene defensively, holding the super-potent Eagles offense to just 88 total yards. Eighty-eight! The pressure was on QB Evin Abbe all night, and the Wolves smelled blood, swarming all over RBs Paxton Grayer and Marcell Porter, allowing only a WR pass for a touchdown. In fact, the defense was so good that it kind of overshadows what was a monster day for QB Charles Taylor, who ran for 232 yards and 2 TDs and added another passing touchdown. That’s all well and good, but Timberview’s offense makes them good, while their defense makes them a team that is two wins away from hoisting a state championship trophy.

Region II Final: Spring Dekaney 28, Spring Westfield 18
I mean this in the nicest possible way: Spring Dekaney’s formula for success is super simple. It’s a steady dose of RB Trey Williams, effective strikes over the top from QB D’Juan Hines, and a red-hot defense. And, well, this was a textbook Dekaney game, taking the fight to Westfield by taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a Williams TD run and a Hines TD pass to T’Keiston Harmon. From there, it was up to the defense to hold off a strong Westfield attack, which it did, holding the Mustangs to just 188 total yards and forcing a pair of turnovers. Oh, and Williams got loose again...and again...and again, racking up 223 yards and three touchdowns on the night. Sometimes, simple is better, and that’s why Dekaney is playing in a state semifinal next week. Just keep feeding Williams.

Region III Final: Port Arthur Memorial 34, La Porte 6
You’ll remember that this was a rematch of a District 21-5A matchup from a few weeks ago, in which La Porte toppled PA Memorial, 24-20 on a late touchdown run from Keith Whitely. So what did Port Arthur Memorial do differently to so dominate the sequel? Two things, specifically: defense, and Nathan Holmes. Let’s start with the D, where the Titans absolutely put the clamps on La Porte this time around, holding Whitely (who ran for 201 in the first meeting) to just 65 yards. Add in an additional turnover as compared to the last meeting, and you have a dominating defensive effort. But the other difference was Holmes, the Memorial RB who managed just 43 yards in the first meeting. Not so this time, as he busted off 15 carries for 115 yards and a score to pace Memorial. It helps that QB Terrance Singleton had a similarly awesome performance this week, but the big difference, if you ask me, is defense. That’s why PA Memorial won the meeting that counts.

Region IV Final: Cibolo Steele 35, SA Reagan 10
When Katy was upset by La Porte last week, the 5A Division II bracket seemingly opened up for the taking. On Saturday in San Antonio, in my opinion, Steele staked its claim as the new team to beat. The Knights were absolutely relentless against an outstanding Reagan team, demolishing the Rattlers in every facet of the game. Yes, Reagan finished with some gaudy numbers, but most of those came when the game was already decided, as Steele lept out to a 28-3 halftime lead thanks to a pair of rushing touchdowns and a pair of passing touchdowns from the Silent Assassin himself, QB Tommy Armstrong. It also helps that the defense gave QB Trevor Knight fits, picking him off once and generally making his life difficult. Three turnovers and some terrific balanced offense later, and 5A DII has a new favorite.

Class 4A Division I
Region I Final: Hewitt Midway 54, Wichita Falls Rider 34
So, let me get this straight, Midway: last week, you decide to take down Denton Ryan, one of the state’s premier defensive teams, by beating them at their own game, holding their offense down with a relentless defense and just enough points. And this week...you get into a wild shootout? Hey, who cares! State semifinals, here come the Panthers! Midway got monster games from a number of players, most notably RB B.J. Kelly (197 yards, 2 TDs in just three quarters of action) and QB Kramer Robertson, who tossed three touchdown passes. The defense gave up beau-coups of yards, points and big plays, but made stops when it needed to in order to pull away, including forcing three turnovers on the night. We might not know which Midway team will show up from week to week, but we know they’re capable of beating anyone.

Region II Final: John Tyler 45, Sherman 21
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, right? Well, in that case, John Tyler has its finishing moves down pat. A week after using an effective second half to down Highland Park, John Tyler exploded in the second half against Sherman to grab a spot in the state semifinals. This game was 21-21 at halftime, but it was then that the John Tyler defense took hold, keeping Sherman to just 77 total yards in the second half and using guys like Richard Gipson and Devonte Black to sack the Bearcats five times after halftime. And if you give Greg Ward a chance...man, will the Lions QB beat you. In an absolutely virtuoso performance, Ward finished 26-for-27 for 292 yards and a pair of scores. Add onto that another big game from RB Devonte Haggerty (123 total yards, TD), and you have CUJO’s first state semifinal appearance since 2000. And if they keep finishing like this, well, they’ll finish the whole thing.

Region III Final: Pearland Dawson 27, Angleton 23
As you can tell by the final score, this was a nip-and-tuck affair, a game that featured seven lead changes in the first three quarters. But you know what the score was at the end of the third quarter? You guessed it: Dawson 27, Angleton 23. Dawson won because it was able to lock down defensively and get big stops on Angleton, including four turnovers and holding RB Richard Cooper largely in check after his 63-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. And while the defense was great, wow, is QB Garry Kimble locked in right now. All he did this week was throw for 155 yards and a touchdown, and run for another two touchdowns in a brutally efficient game. And James White continues to roll as well, racking up 134 yards and a TD on the ground. We knew entering the season that Dawson had star power; now, they have finishing ability.

Region IV Final: Lake Travis 14, Cedar Park 9
The rematch of the Class 25-4A titans lived up to the hype, but really, followed the same script. The story was, like the first matchup, the Lake Travis defense, which once again stood tall against Cedar Park QB Brian Hogan and company in check. LB Zach Streuling and DE Tyler Paulsen were simply sensational for the Cavaliers, putting consistent pressure on Hogan and sniffing out what has always been a sturdy CP run game. Cedar Park led this one 9-6 before RB Varshaun Nixon got loose for a 44-yard touchdown run to put Lake Travis ahead for good. And like the first meeting, this speaks to just how complete a squad Lake Travis is; on a night where the Cedar Park defense was absolutely phenomenal and didn’t give the Cavs offense much, the defense stood up to the test of keeping Cedar Park out of the end zone. The Drive for Five is alive, and if the defense continues to play like this, it’s well, too.

Class 4A Division II
Region I Final: Aledo 33, Stephenville 0
I’ve been very critical of Aledo for the majority of the season, refusing to give the two-time defending state champ a pass on what has been a middling defense. But in its rematch with its Week Zero opponent -- a Stephenville team that hung 48 on them -- the Aledo defense finally played defense like a champion. The Bearcats completely shut down Stephenville, holding the Yellowjackets to just 8 first downs the entire game without the benefit of a turnover. Consider this: in their first meeting, Stephenville averaged 6.9 yards per play; in the rematch, just 3.5 yards per play. A remarkable defensive turnaround. And the offense was, to be honest, only “pretty good” for Aledo standards, getting 190 yards and a touchdown from RB Johnathan Gray (before he was tenuously ejected) and a rushing TD plus a 72-yard TD reception from Caleb Frysinger from Matthew Bishop. So, in other words: Aledo’s bread-and-butter (offense) was adequate, while its season-long handicap (defense) was superb. If the Bearcats can put them together in the final two games of the season, they’ll be the three-time champs.

Region II Final: Corsicana 42, Kilgore 21
In last week’s weekly newsletter (available to Extreme Access subscribers), I listed a few of the nominees for a fictitious Playoff MVP Award. Right now, it might be hard to give it to anyone not named Cameron Washington. The Corsicana running back continued his tear through the playoffs, rolling up 244 yards and three touchdowns against what can be a relentless Kilgore defense to lead the way to a win. It was a tight game throughout -- Kilgore RB L.D. Anthony made sure of that -- before Corsicana went to their closer Washington, who ran for a pair of touchdowns in the final frame to seal the deal and give the Tigers a berth in the state semifinals. Simply put, until someone figures out how to at least contain Washington and QB Devontay Bell (who also had an oustanding game), the Tigers just aren’t going to lose. And when the defense is playing pretty well to go along with it, watch out.

Region III Final: Manvel 38, La Marque 35
This game was a lot higher-scoring than its first rendition earlier in the season, but the result was the same: a Manvel win. And really, in a lot of ways, the score is not reflective of this game, as Manvel was in command for the vast majority of the game (Manvel’s Kaylon Melancon’s TD reception from QB Shane McCarley with 3:23 to play put Manvel up 38-28 before La Marque’s Emanuell Williams ran for a touchdown in the final minute to make it contentious). The story of the game for Manvel: balance. McCarley got a lot of the glory, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another pair, but this was a team effort offensively, as the Mavericks utilized a variety of weapons to wear down the La Marque defense. And speaking of defense, while it wasn’t as shimmering as it was in the first meeting, the Mavericks defense got the job done, making just enough stop (including an interception) to put the game away. I’m sure Manvel coach Kirk Martin would prefer the more comfortable, more defensive 29-14 win in their first meeting, but I doubt he’s complaining too loudly about being in the state semifinals.

Region IV Final: CC Calallen 45, Kerrville Tivy 15
This one was, believe it or not, nip-and-tuck at halftime, with Calallen holding a tenuous 10-3 lead. Then, Marcus Price happened. The explosive running back broke off his second, third and fourth touchdown runs of the game -- of 73, 40 and 20 yards, respectively -- to help Calallen leave Tivy in their dust. When he gets the ball in his hands, he is a threat to score, regardless of field position. And when he’s getting offensive support from guys like QB Preston Dorsey (who ran for 90 yards and a score), this is a dangerous Calallen offense. Of course, Calallen’s known for its defense, and you get that, too: the Wildcats gave up big yards to QB Parks McNeil, both in the air and on the ground, but kept the Antlers out of the end zone, forcing three turnovers on the day. Coach Phil Danaher’s been here before, and it shows in the way that he prepares his teams to face the state’s elite. Next week, he’ll have a chance to earn a place in the big dance. Again.