STATE SEMIFINALS PREVIEW: Breaking down every Texas high school football playoff game

state-semifinals-previewAllen (14-0) vs. The Woodlands (14-0), 1 p.m. Saturday at Austin’s DKR Memorial Stadium One of the best matchups of the season takes place in the state capital as unbeaten Allen and The Woodlands meet up. Allen passed another tough test a week ago as the Eagles’ depth was key in a 42-23 win over Duncanville. Allen’s big offensive line and backfield duo of Brock Sturges and Kirby Bennett wore down a good Duncaville defense to pull away. Allen should be able to move the football against the Highlanders defense, which isn’t big and doesn’t have great team speed, but containing The Woodlands offense will be a challenge. The Highlanders offense, triggered by QB Eric Schmid, has been on a roll all year and it didn’t slow much in last week’s 41-18 win over Round Rock. This is easily the fastest Woodlands offense I’ve seen and they have plenty of playmakers to go along with a big bruising offensive line. That matchup against a really good Allen defense will be the one to keep an eye on. Look for Allen’s defense to struggle a bit early against The Woodlands, but they’ll control the second half. Stepp’s Pick: Allen by 12 Craven’s Pick: Allen Max’s Pick: The WoodlandsHumble Atascocita (12-1) vs. Lake Travis (13-1), 2 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio’s Alamodome Surprising Atascocita will look to keep their season alive this week against a Lake Travis squad firing on all cylinders. The Eagles avenged a district loss to Galena Park North Shore 33-27 a week ago in overtime as QB Daveon Boyd’s fourth touchdown of the night and a fumble recovery in overtime lifted AHS to their first regional title in school history. Lake Travis is a daunting opponent on the other end. The Cavaliers have been unstoppable recently as evidenced by their 51-3 demolition of Austin Westlake a week ago. QB Charlie Brewer and his stable of receivers are proving to be a handful for any defense and despite playing well recently, Atascocita could be a bit overmatched against a team favored to win the state title. Stepp’s Pick: Lake Travis by 27 Craven’s Pick: Lake Travis Max’s Pick: Lake TravisDeSoto (14-0) vs. Klein Collins (13-1), 4 p.m. Saturday at Houston’s NRG Stadium Every test thrown at the Eagles, they’ve passed, and in most cases with flying colors. That was evident Saturday as for the second time this year, Coach Peterman’s squad knocked off rival Cedar Hill by double digits. Saturday’s 51-40 may be more impressive considering it was front of an estimated 30,000 fans and it was against a Cedar Hill squad playing as well as anyone in the state. DeSoto’s defense had a pair of goal line stands to keep the Longhorns out of the end zone, while TCU commit QB Shawn Robinson accounted for over 400 yards of offense and six touchdowns. Now, DeSoto faces their biggest test of the year as they’ll go to Houston to take on a surging Klein Collins squad who knocked off rival Spring Westfield 21-18. Brett Bridges, who has played QB since the Tigers starter Bryson Powers got hurt in bi-district, accounted for two touchdowns while the Tigers defense held Westfield to just six second half points. The challenge for Collins’ D is going to be immense, DeSoto has three FBS commits at WR, in addition to Robinson and a three FBS OL commits, as well. DeSoto has played poorly in their two earlier road trips, how will they handle a true road environment? DeSoto’s talent and ability to remain cool under pressure has been impressive, and I think this team has the look and feel of a state champion, look for the Eagles to make a statement this week. Stepp’s Pick: DeSoto by 9 Craven’s Pick: DeSoto Max’s Pick: DeSotoKaty Cinco Ranch (11-3) vs. Cibolo Steele (13-1), 6 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio’s Alamodome It’s been a magic carpet ride for Cinco Ranch, who is making just their second semifinal appearance in school history. This isn’t Coach Clayton’s most talented team, but they’ve come together and the right time and had some good luck remaining healthy and playing teams who haven’t been quite as healthy on the other side of the coin. Last week, Cinco’s defense again rose to the occasion, forcing four turnovers and containing Cy Ridge to just 199 yards of offense in a 34-17 win. They’ll hit the road this week to take on powerhouse Cibolo Steele in the Knights’ backyard at the Alamodome. Steele’s defense, led by Minnesota commit DL Josh Croslen and LSU commit DB Caden Sterns, has been unbelievable in the playoffs, allowing just 14 points in their past 14 quarters of action. In last week’s 38-7 win over San Antonio Churchill, Texas Tech commit QB Xavier Martin tossed two touchdown passes and RB Brenden Brady ran for two scores, as well. Steele’s offense doesn’t generate headlines, but they are as efficient a unit as you’ll find, and if their defense continues their performances of previous weeks, there is no doubt they are state title quality. Stepp’s Pick: Cibolo Steele by 15 Craven’s Pick: Cibolo Steele Max’s Pick: Cibolo Steele [caption id="attachment_27882" align="aligncenter" width="720"]Photo by Mary Scott McNabb Photo by Mary Scott McNabb[/caption] Denton Ryan (14-0) vs. Highland Park (12-2), 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium The expected crowd for this one has forced a move from Ford Center to AT&T Stadium. Unbeaten Denton Ryan features one of the state’s top defenses, along with a big play offense led by Oklahoma State commit Spencer Sanders. Ryan knocked off Colleyville Heritage 24-10 last week. The Raiders were happy with the performance on defense, but the offense certainly left points on the board as they had a total of four touchdowns called back due to penalties. Yellow flags have been an issue all year for the Raiders and they must play cleaner games in these final two weeks if they want to win another state title. Highland Park’s defense was tremendous last week in a 14-7 win over Mansfield Legacy. The game defied the odds as most pegged it to be a shootout, but instead, both defenses dominated. The Scots preserved the win late with a stop of Legacy inside the 10-yard line late. They’ll need a similar effort this week against a Ryan squad that can hit you with big plays in an instant. Highland Park keeps this one competitive but Ryan’s defense is just too much. Stepp’s Pick: Denton Ryan by 11 Craven’s Pick: Denton Ryan Max’s Pick: Denton RyanRichmond Foster (14-0) vs. Temple (11-3), 2 p.m. Saturday at San Marcos’ Bobcat Stadium For the first time in the playoffs, Richmond Foster faced a team capable of punching back and the Falcons passed the test with flying colors. After jumping out to a quick 34-0 lead on Dripping Springs, Foster gave up 21 straight points and saw their lead evaporate to 34-21. The Falcons responded with a 17-7 run of their own in the second half to secure a 51-28 win and a regional title. The headliner on the day was Oklahoma commit WR Cedarian Lamb, who had over 200 yards receiving and five touchdowns in the victory. He’ll draw plenty of attention from a Temple defense led by Texas commit Taquan Graham. That unit was the catalyst behind a stunning 24-23 upset of No. 1 Manvel a week ago. The Wildcats offense was good in spurts last week as WR D’Yonte Heckstall is emerging as a real force, but make no mistake, this is a team that is led by a fast and incredibly physical defense. Can they put together another big effort against a Houston area power? My gut tells me no. Temple played so incredibly well last week, repeating that performance is a lot to ask and I think Temple has Foster’s full attention, especially considering the Wildcats knocked FHS off in the third round last year 27-7. This one is a pick ’em game and I’m leaning to Richmond Foster and that potent offense. Stepp’s Pick: Richmond Foster by 3 Craven’s Pick: Richmond Foster Max’s Pick: TempleAledo (14-0) vs. Mesquite Poteet (12-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Frisco’s Ford Center Expect a full house on Friday night in Frisco as Aledo looks to secure another state title appearance against Mesquite Poteet. In 2010, these two teams hooked up in a classic during this same round with the Pirates nearly upsetting Aledo 29-27. The setting is similar for this one as Aledo comes in as a significant favorite. The Bearcats, led by their massive offensive line and bruising ground game, have rolled over opponents in the playoffs including a 42-14 rout of Saginaw Boswell last week. The game plan is simple: line up and run the ball right at a very fast but smallish Poteet defensive line. Poteet, on the other hand, will try to speed the game up, led by QB Kaleb Fletcher and WR ChaCha Corbin. Rhe Pirates have shown they can run with anyone the last three weeks, beating Frisco Lone Star, South Oak Cliff and Lancaster consecutively. The challenge this week is completely different because of Aledo’s sheer size and strength up front and their pedigree. Aledo again punches a ticket to the state title game with a convincing win. Stepp’s Pick: Aledo by 16 Craven’s Pick: Aledo Max’s Pick: AledoCollege Station (14-0) vs. Corpus Christi Calallen (13-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday at San Antonio’s Alamodome We all know the numbers when it comes to Calallen in state semifinal games: 1-10. The folks in Corpus Christi know it and you can bet Coach Phil Danaher has been reminded of it all week. This week, the Wildcats will certainly be underdogs against unbeaten College Station, whose rapid rise to powerhouse status has been quite impressive under HC Steve Huff. CSHS got a big test last week from speedy Fort Bend Marshall and for most of the game the Cougars trailed, but a fumble recovery for a touchdown late in the third quarter gave College Station a 31-27 win and a semifinal trip in just their third season playing varsity football. Calallen trailed early on against Victoria East 14-10, but the Wildcats defense – as it has all season – rose to the occasion, pitching a second half shutout while the offense, led by Gage Lamb, got it rolling to pull away for a 31-14 victory. Lamb ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns as Calallen simply played keep away from the Titans attack. They’ll need similar results this week as they don’t want to get into a track meet with College Station. If they can keep this thing close, Calallen is hopeful their playoff experience, especially in big games, pays off. The problem is despite being a third-year school, College Station is not at their first rodeo. Stepp’s Pick: College Station by 10 Craven’s Pick: College Station Max’s Pick: College Station [caption id="attachment_27883" align="aligncenter" width="720"]Photo by Artie Guerrero Photo by Artie Guerrero[/caption] Abilene Wylie (11-1) vs. Kennedale (11-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday at North Richland Hills’ Birdville FAAC It’s been quite a run for the Abilene Wylie defense as two weeks ago they dominated Argyle, and this past week they blasted past Levelland and the state’s single season record holder for touchdown passes. For an encore, the Bulldogs will try to harness the speedy Wing-T offense of Kennedale. Run defense is obviously key for Abilene Wylie, but the Bulldogs have yet to tangle with a unit with the speed that RB DJ Kirven has in his arsenal. Jaden Knowles, Kennedale’s secondary back, didn’t play last week in a 34-28 win over Van, and although his status has improved this week, we aren’t sure if he will play and if he does, will he be at 100 percent? This game will feature two of the best defenders in 4A as Wylie DL Dion Novill is a manchild up front. He’s one of the state’s most disruptive defensive linemen, and can line up at any position along the front. Speaking of versatility, how about Ohio State commit Baron Browning? Usually a LB, Browning moved to corner last week due to injury and although he had a bad moment or two, he was outstanding considering his inexperience. I wouldn’t be shocked if Browning moved back to his natural LB slot this week as Kennedale’s primary focus will be slowing down Wylie RB Brooks Pepper. Wylie HC Hugh Sandifer always has his team ready come playoff time and there’s no doubt he’ll have a wrinkle or two for Kennedale this week. Stepp’s Pick: Abilene Wylie by 6 Craven’s Pick: Abilene Wylie Max’s Pick: Abilene WylieCarthage (12-2) vs. China Spring (13-1), 4 p.m. Saturday at Frisco’s Ford Center Carthage certainly didn’t make things easy last week as the Bulldogs dug themselves a double-digit hole against Stafford, but the Bulldogs rallied for a 27-26 victory to get to the state semifinals for the second consecutive season. RB Keontay Ingram again led the Bulldogs attack with 100 yards rushing and in crucial moments, QB Kason Davis stepped up with key throws to lead the comeback. The biggest play of the game was on the game’s final play as Carthage blocked Stafford’s potential game-winning 40-yard field goal. China Spring had their own emotional win as they finally knocked off archrival Waco La Vega 21-10 last week. La Vega, who held a 29-game winning streak, had gotten the better of CSHS three straight games during the streak, including a win in the state quarterfinals a year ago. This time, after falling behind 10-0, China Spring punched back as the combo of QB Cutter Haigood and ATH Keaton Dudik led the comeback effort, while China Spring stymied the Pirates ground game. It was an emotional win for the Cougars, and the question is do they have anything left in the tank for a very talented but up-and-down Carthage team? Carthage has played the tougher schedule top to bottom, but China Spring’s slate is no slouch, either. This one has the makings of an absolute classic. I give a slight edge to Carthage simply because of their balance on offense. Stepp’s Pick: Carthage by 3 Craven’s Pick: China Spring Max’s Pick: CarthageSweetwater (12-1) vs. Gilmer (13-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Waco’s McLane Stadium Powerful Sweetwater takes on Gilmer from the piney woods of East Texas and the question is will West Texas earn some respect at the 4A level? Sweetwater, which is probably the West Texas team with the most overall team speed, rolled past district rival Seminole 38-14 as QB Chris Thompson accounted for nearly 200 yards of total offense and three touchdowns rushing and one touchdown pass. Even more impressive was Sweetwater’s defense, which held Seminole to just five first downs in a torrential downpour in Midland last week. Gilmer, led by QB Aaron “Poppy” Brown, ran roughshod through Region II, winning their four playoff games by an average of 31.5 points. Gilmer blasted past Celina 43-17 a week ago as Brown threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes. Gilmer’s defens, which had struggled early in the year, has improved as the year has worn on and will prove to be the difference in this game. Stepp’s Pick: Gilmer by 14 Craven’s Pick: Gilmer Max’s Pick: GilmerWest Orange-Stark (14-0) vs. Geronimo Navarro (14-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Houston’s NRG Stadium The juggernaut that is West Orange-Stark just continues to roll as the Mustangs drilled a very good Giddings team 48-5. Now the Mustangs, led by QB Jack Dallas and the “Chain Gang” defense, face the challenge of a Geronimo Navarro squad that has won 27 of their last 28 games. The Panthers, who are making their first-ever trip to the state semifinals, vanquished their nemesis Cuero, who had knocked them out of the playoffs the past three seasons. It was a 35-21 win and the difference was Garrett Weaver, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown and had an interception return for a touchdown to cap the scoring. Navarro’s Slot-T offense is typically tough to slow down, but West Orange-Stark has seen multiple teams who run this offense on their schedule. The Mustangs will play disciplined defense and will tackle well, and their speed will negate any missed assignments. This matchup won’t be close, WOS rolls. Stepp’s Pick: West Orange-Stark by 24 Craven’s Pick: West Orange-Stark Max’s Pick: West Orange-Stark [caption id="attachment_27885" align="aligncenter" width="720"]Photo by Thomas Hays Photo by Thomas Hays[/caption] Wall (11-3) vs. Mineola (12-2), 7 p.m. Friday at Waco’s Waco ISD Stadium After losing to Brock in the playoffs in back-to-back years, Wall finally got over the hump last week, taking down the defending champions and ending a 29-game winning streak with a 28-17 win. Tymber Carr had a night for the Hawks as he had two catches for 90 yards and a touchdown, six carries for 50 yards and a touchdown, and a fourth quarter interception to set up the Hawks’ final score of the night. Wall and their flexbone attack have another tough challenge this week against the speed and experience of Mineola. MHS is on a big-time roll, winning twelve straight games, and they put together a great effort last week in blasting a really good Pottsboro squad 46-3. The duo of three-year starters Chantz Perkins and Jeremiah Crawford led the way for the ‘Jackets, who advanced to the state semifinals for the third consecutive year. That experience in big games, combined with Mineola’s speed at the skill spots, will be key in what should be one of the best games of the weekend. Stepp’s Pick: Mineola by 4 Craven’s Pick: Mineola Max’s Pick: MineolaMalakoff (14-0) vs. Yoakum (10-4), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Austin’s DKR Memorial Stadium Malakoff got their biggest win in school history last week as the Tigers won an absolute dogfight, beating Cameron Yoe 37-34 as Everardo Garcia drilled a 30-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Tigers to the state semifinals and end Yoe’s run of four straight state title appearances. QB Judd Miller tossed three touchdown passes, two of which went to his favorite target in QT Barker to lead MHS, while Malakoff’s defense rose to the occasion, forcing four Cameron Yoe turnovers. Surprising Yoakum, after finishing third in a tough district, has gotten hot at the right time and it showed last week as the Bulldogs knocked off unbeaten Hallettsville 27-23, avenging a seven-point loss to HHS during district play. WR Jordan Moore hauled in the game-winning touchdown pass from Bryson Hagan with just 16 seconds left to lift YHS to the state semifinals for the first time since 1977. Look for this to be a high scoring affair. Both teams have prolific offenses, but Malakoff has the feel of a team of destiny at this point. If they can handle the long road trip to Austin, expect to see MHS in Arlington next week. Stepp’s Pick: Malakoff by 8 Craven’s Pick: Malakoff Max’s Pick: MalakoffCanadian (12-2) vs. Gunter (14-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Wichita Falls’ Memorial Stadium No matter the circumstances, Canadian just finds a way to win. The Wildcats have now won 15 straight playoff games after slipping past Sonora in overtime last week 27-21. The Wildcats flat out know how to win; they’ve now won 31 straight playoff games in football and boys basketball, an incredible feat and a testament to the Wildcats’ ability to step up in pressure moments. QB Corbin Douthitt led the way, running for two scores and throwing for two others, while Canadian’s defense stepped up with a turnover in overtime to set up the offense to win the game. The road just gets tougher this week as CHS battles a Gunter defense playing as well as any group in the state. The Tigers rolled past Winona 45-22 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. In fact, the 22 points allowed (mostly late with backups) is the most points Gunter has allowed all year. It will be cold and windy in Wichita Falls for this one, so look for the defenses to be the key and in a physical battle of defenses, the slight edge goes to Gunter. Stepp’s Pick: Gunter by 2 Craven’s Pick: Gunter Max’s Pick: GunterArp (12-2) vs. Boling (12-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Porter’s Texan Drive Stadium Arp was a heavy underdog last week in their showdown with unbeaten Newton, but the battle tested Tigers weren’t fazed in the least as their defense played their best game of the season, stunning Newton 13-6. SMU commit Kayce Medlock had 85 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown and also had a key sack late in the game to help Arp preserve the win. Arp’s defense will have another big test this week as they take on powerful Boling and their Slot-T offense piloted by QB Vernon Jackson. Jackson is a monster at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, and he packs a punch any time he runs the football. Last week, Boling escaped Lexington 34-29 as Jackson ran for 281 yards and five touchdowns. Arp will be focused on slowing the down the dynamic signal caller for BHS, but Jackson is too big and powerful and will make some plays down the stretch in this matchup. Stepp’s Pick: Boling by 7 Craven’s Pick: Arp Max’s Pick: Boling [caption id="attachment_27881" align="aligncenter" width="720"]Photo by Russell Wilburn Photo by Russell Wilburn[/caption] Abernathy (12-2) vs. Crawford (13-1), 7 p.m. Friday at San Angelo’s San Angelo Stadium Against the odds, Abernathy keeps finding ways to win close games. The Antelopes’ past three playoff wins have been by a combined seven points and that trend continued last week in a hard fought 21-18 win. The combination of QB Bryson Dailey and Mark Pando led the way for AHS with a combined 280 rushing yards and three touchdowns to pace the offense, while the defense rose to the occasion to contain a powerful Anson attack. Abernathy will be looking in the mirror a bit this week against a Crawford squad that is similar in a lot of ways. The Pirates – for the second time this year – blew past DeLeon with ease in 41-14 victory. After falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter, CHS exploded for 28 second quarter points to pull away from the Bearcats. QB Gage Pearson tossed a pair of touchdown passes, while Garrett Dutchsmann ran for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This one will be a physical, grind-it-out affair, but the edge is certainly with Crawford as they have the senior experience of multiple deep playoff runs to fall back on. But if it’s close late, can you pick against Abernathy? Stepp’s Pick: Crawford by 13 Craven’s Pick: Crawford Max’s Pick: CrawfordCenterville (11-3) vs. Refugio (13-1), 6 p.m. Friday at San Marcos’ Rattler Stadium The ground and pound attack of Centerville keeps rolling as the Tigers knocked off Price Carlisle 23-17 a week ago. Despite the reputation of running the ball, Centerville hit a pair of key long passes to overcome a minus-three turnover margin to advance. This time, Centerville will try to move the football against a fantastic Refugio defense that in four playoff games has allowed just 31 points. Last week, the Bobcats took care of Mason 28-7 as RHS held the Punchers to just 39 rushing yards in the win. Jaylon Mascorro led the offense with 161 yards of total offense and a rushing touchdown, but all year it’s been defense and special teams that have carried RHS and that’s the difference. Stepp’s Pick: Refugio by 18 Craven’s Pick: Refugio Max’s Pick: RefugioWellington (13-1) vs. Iraan (14-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium Although this matchup is massive and on paper one of the best in the state, the significance is muted a bit after the tragic bus accident involving the Iraan cheerleaders Friday night. However, we must move on and talk about the fun things that will happen on the field, while still holding those affected in our thoughts. Wellington comes into this one playing as well as any team in the state. The Skyrockets have outscored their four playoff opponents by a combined 181-19, and that kind of dominance starts and ends in the trenches where Wellington has been unreal. Can they keep that up this week against a battle tested Iraan squad that without question will be on an emotional high when the whistle blows? The Braves started slow against Munday, but scored 40 straight points to roll past the Moguls 40-12. The key in this game will be how Iraan responds after the initial surge to start the game. My guess is this team with their senior leadership will find a way. They’ll have a big crowd on hand Friday as support from around the state is pouring in and I think that wave carries them to AT&T and the brink of a state title. Stepp’s Pick: Iraan by 3 Craven’s Pick: Iraan Max’s Pick: IraanBremond (14-0) vs. Burton (13-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Bryan’s Green Stadium Doubt Bremond at your own peril. The Tigers were picked by many to possibly lose last week, but Texas A&M commit Roshauud Paul was having none of it as Bremond won their 45th straight game 31-7 over unbeaten Tenaha. Paul put his team on his back, rushing 44 times for 266 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. Bremond’s defense won’t get much publicity, but they dominated the game’s final three quarters, holding Tenaha to just 13 yards of offense after the first quarter. Burton is a former district rival of Bremond. The two met in 2014 and 2015 with Bremond winning those games by a combined 102-27 score. Burton has improved by leaps and bounds this year as evidenced by the 13-1 record, but that’s also a product of moving to Region IV and escaping a LOADED Region III field. Bremond rolls to a third consecutive state title game. Stepp’s Pick: Bremond by 28 Craven’s Pick: Bremond Max’s Pick: Bremond

PICK ACCURACY THROUGH THE REGULAR SEASON + PLAYOFFSMax Thompson (DCTF Digital Director): 71% Matt Stepp (DCTF High School Insider): 71% Greg Tepper (DCTF Managing Editor): 69% Mike Craven (DCTF Senior Writer): 66%