Must-see state quarterfinals in every class

[caption id="attachment_17631" align="alignright" width="296"]Photo by Mark Flanagan Photo by Mark Flanagan[/caption] No bad answers remain. With only eight schools left in each bracket, choosing the best game from each classification is splitting hairs. Every game has a unique storyline and a lot on the line. If I had to pick a game from each classification to attend, however, these are the games. Class 6A – Katy vs. Manvel Katy usually strolls to the state championship game in Class 6A-DII, but not in 2015. Katy lost to Cedar Hill in the last two state championships, but with the Longhorns out of the playoffs, the road for the Tigers is open. However, the road is tough. Katy has outscored its first three playoff opponents 202-20. Manvel scored over 70 points in the first three rounds, and has something to prove against a Katy team that has had its number. Expect fireworks. Class 5A – Vandegrift vs. Vista Ridge Not many playoff games come with a built-in rivalry. That won’t be true in Region IV of the Class 5A-D1 bracket when two Leander ISD schools – Vandegrift and Vista Ridge – meet up to decide which team advances to the state semifinals. The two teams met in District 25-5A play earlier in the year. Vandegrift won that game after trailing by over 20 points at one point in the first half. Class 4A – Argyle vs. Liberty-Eylau The bracket opened up when defending champion, Navasota, fell to Carthage last week. With the favorite out of the race, teams like Argyle and Texarkana Liberty-Eylau are all of a sudden looking like the favorites to claim the Class 4A-D1 title. Argyle hasn’t scored less than 58 points this postseason. Liberty-Eylau’s dynamic defense will have its hands full. Expect the winner to need over 40 points. Class 3A – Shallowater vs. Brock It took Shallowater until Monday to advance past Muleshoe into the regional final, but it sets up a small-school showdown that high school football fans will love. Weather issues moved the Shallowater/Muleshoe game to Monday. The Mustangs advanced with a 35-21 victory. It was the first time Shallowater scored under 50 points since Oct. 23. Brock is putting up monster numbers in the playoffs. Shallowater scored fewer than 40 points just once the entire season. Class 2A – Shiner vs. Refugio Refugio didn’t look like a juggernaut in the regular season, but a bi-district beatdown of Mason set Refugio on a track destined for another trip to the state championships. Shiner was great in the regular season and is playing even better through three rounds of the playoffs, outscoring opponents 162-20. The winner likely meets Canadian down the road for a state title.