Upset Alert: Favorites that should be especially wary of their opponents in the regional semifinals

[caption id="attachment_27525" align="alignright" width="350"]Lubbock Coronado QB Qua Gray (Ashley Wirz) Lubbock Coronado QB Qua Gray (Ashley Wirz)[/caption] The deeper we get into the playoffs, the more upsets become likely. These are a few we're keeping our eye on this weekend. Class 6A: Galena Park North Shore over Katy This would be viewed as an upset across the state even if the talent level between the two teams is on par. Katy is Katy. The Tigers are used to succeeding in the playoffs and representing Region III in Class 6A Division II. Galena Park North Shore isn’t devoid of history in its own right. North Shore won the Class 6A Division I championship in 2015 and are 11-1 this season with a non-district loss to Class 5A favorite Manvel. Katy started the season 1-2 with losses on the road to a healthy Westlake team and The Woodlands. Katy is always the favorite in Region III, even though the Tigers are now in Division I. North Shore could easily win this game, however, and locals wouldn’t call it an upset. Class 5A: Lubbock Coronado over Colleyville Heritage Two Lubbock schools face stiff tests in the third round of the Class 5A Division I bracket. In Region I, Lubbock Monterey takes on top-ranked Denton Ryan, while Lubbock Coronado takes on Colleyville Heritage. Coronado has the best chance of advancing, entering the game against Colleyville with just one loss – a district defeat to Lubbock Cooper. That loss was the only time this season the Mustangs scored fewer than 30 points. Colleyville Heritage can also score points. The Panthers started the season 2-2 with losses to Aledo and Euless Trinity. Since then, a lone loss to Grapevine is the only blemish. Class 4A: Liberty Hill over China Spring District rematches can cause interesting results. That’s what Liberty Hill plans to pull off this weekend with a rematch against China Spring. The two teams met Oct. 28 in China Spring and the home team walked away with a 42-10 victory. China Spring’s lone loss was to Class 4A Division I champion Waco La Vega, also a district game. Liberty Hill is one of those programs known for upsets in the playoffs. The Panthers are rarely the most talented team on the football field, but Jerry Vance’s squad does execute the Slot-T as well as any program in the state. It’s the type of offense that can control the football, which is the only way to beat China Spring. Class 3A: Farmersville over Pottsboro Farmersville pulled off the upset of the week in Class 3A when it knocked off Sunnyvale, 45-35. Sunnyvale entered the game ranked No. 3 in the state in this division. The win moved the Farmers to 11-1 on the season with the lone loss coming to Mineola in district play. The lopsided score against Mineola caused most to believe Farmersville didn’t have much of a shot against fellow district champions like Mineola, but that was debunked with last week’s win. Another district champion – Pottsboro – stands in the way of Farmersville and a potential rematch with Mineola. Class 2A: Albany over Iraan Class 2A Division II Region II was loaded. Four teams remain and all could easily represent the region in the semifinals and maybe even the state championship against Bremond. Albany and Iraan each won their district, but it is Iraan that enters this game as the favorite despite Albany reaching the state championship game the past two seasons. Albany knocked off Iraan in the 2013 playoffs. It wouldn’t be much of an upset, admittedly. Both teams ended the regular season ranked in our Top 5. Iraan is undefeated. Albany lost a non-district game to Cisco.

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