The must-see semifinals in each 11-man classification this weekend

[caption id="attachment_27901" align="alignright" width="350"]Klein Collins RB D'Anthony Doyle (Photo by Annie Flores) Klein Collins RB D'Anthony Doyle (Photo by Annie Flores)[/caption] Class 6A Division I: Allen vs. The Woodlands The most interesting Class 6A matchup this weekend takes place in Austin on Saturday at DKR Stadium. In a matchup between two undefeated teams, Allen enters as the favorite thanks to history and depth. Allen is the biggest school in the state and that advantage helps in big games. Allen lost in this game last year against Westlake, failing to reach the finals after winning the previous three championships. The Woodlands moved up the rankings throughout 2016 and sport a high-flying offense led by quarterback Eric Schmid. Class 6A Division II: DeSoto vs. Klein Collins People are waiting for DeSoto to fall but the Eagles keep winning. DeSoto entered the playoffs ranked as our No. 1 team in the state and are now one game away from a Division II title game. DeSoto is averaging more than 50 points in four playoff wins against Killeen, Southlake Carroll, Abilene and Cedar Hill. Klein Collins’ only hope is to keep DeSoto’s offense in check. The goal isn’t to stop DeSoto. The goal is to keep them in the 30s. Klein Collins hasn’t lost since an overtime defeat to Katy in Week 2. Class 5A Division I: Temple vs. Richmond Foster Temple pulled off the biggest upset in the state last week when it knocked off state-ranked Manvel. Denton Ryan is the favorite to reach AT&T Stadium from the other side of the bracket. Manvel’s absence now means the other spot is up for grabs. Richmond Foster was explosive in a blowout victory over Dripping Springs, claiming the Region IV title with relative ease. Cederian Lamb, a receiver committed to Oklahoma, caught five touchdown passes in last week’s win. Class 5A Division II: College Station vs. Corpus Christi Calallen College Station was a pleasant surprise in Class 5A and is one win away from reaching a state title game as a relatively young high school. The Cougars are explosive on offense and consistent on defense. College Station allows just 13.5 points per game while averaging 47.3 points per game on offense. Linebacker Mark Wagner is one of the most productive in the state. Calallen was expected to win Region IV once Cedar Park went Division I. Calallen did just that and is one game away from representing south Texas in a state championship game. Class 4A Division I: Carthage vs. China Spring China Spring avenged its lone loss of the season when it knocked off defending champion Waco La Vega to capture a Region IV title. China Spring had lost to La Vega three times in the last two years – twice in district play and once last year in the playoffs. The Cougars didn’t allow more than 21 points in a single game all year and the offense averaged 45.5 points in one of the toughest districts in the state. Carthage knows something about tough districts and once again won a Region III title. The Bulldogs fell in this game to Waco La Vega in 2015. Class 4A Division II: West Orange-Stark vs. Geronimo Navarro West Orange-Stark faces its toughest test of the year when Geronimo Navarro brings its option-attack to the state semifinal. West Orange-Stark is the consensus No. 1 team in Class 4A Division II, the defending champion and possibly the best pound-for-pound team in the state. The numbers this season are staggering. The Mustangs outscored their first 14 opponents 738-56. It is a tall task for Navarro. The Panthers are undefeated and hold an impressive non-district victory over Refugio. [caption id="attachment_27904" align="alignleft" width="350"]Gunter WR Dylan Jantz (Photo by Kelly Guess) Gunter WR Dylan Jantz (Photo by Kelly Guess)[/caption] Class 3A Division I: Malakoff vs. Yoakum These two programs won regional titles by a combined seven points. Malakoff beat Cameron Yoe by three points in overtime. Yoakum upset Hallettsville by four points to claim Region IV. Now, two teams capable of scoring points in bunches face off for a berth in the state title game. Yoakum is home of the Moore brothers – two of the most gifted 2018 prospects in all of Texas. Malakoff is ranked higher and enters as the favorite. The Tigers are undefeated and have knocked off title contenders Rockdale and Cameron Yoe in consecutive weeks. Class 3A Division II: Canadian vs. Gunter Small-school fans in the state of Texas know about Canadian. The Wildcats ran Class 2A before moving up a classification after the latest realignment. This gave Canadian a chance to prove it could win titles against bigger schools – something we all theorized about as Canadian was mopping teams up in Class 2A Division I championship games. Canadian is now two wins away from the proof. To reach the championship game in Arlington, Canadian must get through a game Gunter squad. The Tigers haven’t allowed more than 22 points in a game all year and could be considered the favorite. Class 2A Division I: Abernathy vs. Crawford Abernathy filled the void left by Canadian, claiming the Region I championship in a three-point win over Anson. Crawford was in this same position last year when a 61-14 loss to Canadian ended the Pirates’ season in the state semifinals. Unlike last year, Crawford is the favorite to reach the state championship game this year. The Pirates haven’t lost since Week 1 to Tolar. Abernathy wasn’t ranked in our top 10 entering the playoffs and overcame a 1-2 start to the season to peak at the right time. Class 2A Division II: Wellington vs. Iraan The winner of this game likely becomes the final obstacle in Bremond’s quest to finish the three-peat. Iraan faced real-life tragedy last weekend and that, rightfully, will be heavy on the minds and in the hearts of everyone involved. This is just football and we’re all served to remember how insignificant it can be in the big picture. On the football field, it is hard to find a better matchup in the entire state. Both teams put up points and are playing their best football at the right time of year.

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