Upset Alert: Favorites that should be especially wary of their opponents in the area round

[caption id="attachment_27322" align="alignright" width="350"]Post RB Mike Pherguson (Photo by Ashley Wirz) Post RB Mike Pherguson (Photo by Ashley Wirz)[/caption] 6A: Sachse over The Woodlands The clear favorite to emerge from Region II in the Class 6A Division I is The Woodlands. Coach Mark Schmid’s team is an offensive juggernaut and the defense has allowed 133 points in 11 games. Quarterback Eric Schmid is one of the best in the state, leading an offense averaging 46 points per game. The Highlanders sport an impressive resume after knocking off Spring, a potential opponent in round three, as well as Katy, George Ranch and Lufkin. Sachse can play spoiler and gain control of Region II with an upset victory. Led by 2018 quarterback prospect Jalen Mayden and senior linebacker Riko Jeffers, a recent Texas Tech commit, the Mustangs are also undefeated. The Woodlands had some trouble last week with a mobile quarterback and improvising receivers last week in Jermaine Givens and Mesquite Horn during a 41-21 win, so this will be a step up in that regard. 5A: Magnolia over College Station College Station was the regular season darling of Class 5A. The Cougars went undefeated, won a district title and entered the playoffs ranked sixth in the state after beginning the season predicted to finish second in District 18 behind Temple. A one-point victory over state-ranked Temple solidified Steve Huff’s squad as a true contender in Region III of Division II. Magnolia presents a challenge. The Bulldogs improved to 10-1 on the season with a bi-district win over Hutto. The District 20-5A champions haven’t lost since a non-district tilt with Katy Taylor on Sept. 9 and scored more than 40 points in seven of 11 games. 4A: Beeville Jones over Liberty Hill Liberty Hill is used to postseason success. The Panthers enjoy a lot of it under head coach Jerry Vance. The program finished third in district play, however, as Waco La Vega and China Spring proved to be on a different level during the regular season. Still, the Slot-T offense always poses unique threats and Liberty Hill’s consistency can’t be overlooked as the playoffs move forward. Standing in the way is Beeville Jones. Jerry Bomar’s program enters the game as the underdog despite holding a better record. The Trojans fought past Somerset and La Vernia to finish second in District 15, but they've been far and away one of the most explosive teams in 4A this year, led by WR Waydale Jones. 3A: Childress over Cisco A one-point non-district loss to Wall is all that separates Cisco from an undefeated record entering the area round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs. The Loboes rolled through District 4, outscoring their opponents 239-75 in the final five games of the regular season. The most impressive win might be the non-district beating of Albany. A meeting between Canadian and Cisco is figured to decide Region I, but Childress is a challenge. The Bobcats' only loss since October was a one-point decision to Canadian. Childress has scored at least 50 points in each of the five games since. 2A: Post over Stratford Class 2A Division I Region I is wide-open for the first time in years with the departure of Canadian to a higher classification. Stratford is the obvious benefactor in Region I considering Canadian is the only program to beat the Elks this season. Stratford didn’t exactly blow away district competition, leaving a perception of vulnerability out there for fellow contenders like Post. The Antelopes lost to Anson in the final game of the season, but rebounded with a 33-7 bi-district win over Anthony.

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