SAUNDERS: Semifinals portend must-see six-man title games

Each week, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football six-man insider Leman Saunders offers his thoughts on the six-man weekend that was. -Out west in Division II Balmorhea was tested late by Valley who had mounted a late rally and came within eight at one point in the fourth quarter, but the Bears dug deep and rallied themselves out scoring the Patriots 28-6 in the final half of the fourth quarter to win 96-66. Kyle Garcia rushed for 302 yards, 3 touchdowns on 26 carries and Marcos Mendoza added 180 yards rushing with six touchdowns on the ground. Mendoza also caught one of Marco Martinez’s two touchdown passes and he also lead the Bears in tackles with 18. Valley quarterback Parker Carson threw five touchdown passes in the loss. -In the east side of the Division II bracket Strawn took on the Milford Bulldogs. Milford led 52-46 at halftime in a back and forth battle. In the first 58 seconds of the third quarter Milford scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Taron Smith, Strawn’s Julian Fraga ran back the kickoff for a touchdown, and Smith threw another 39-yard touchdown pass on their first play of the ensuing drive. The score was 66-52 in favor of Milford. Strawn once again ran back the ensuing kickoff, this time it was Carlos Villanueva, to start an incredible 50 straight unanswered points for the Greyhounds. The Strawn defense stepped up big time after those two quick scores by Milford in the third quarter forcing three turnovers on downs, an INT, and a scoop and score fumble recovery on a Milford kickoff return that took the life out of Milford. The Bulldogs managed one more score late in the fourth quarter, but the damage was done and Strawn won in remarkable fashion 102-71. Julian Fraga led all rushers with 268 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries for the Greyhounds, his teammate Tanner Hodgkins scored six rushing touchdown, and Carlos Villanueva accounted for 245 yards of offense scored two touchdowns rushing, one on a 57-yard kickoff return, threw a TD pass and intercepted a pass on defense for good measure. In the loss Taron Smith threw for 470 yards and eight TDs and rushed for 186 yards with 1 TD and had 199 kick return yards with a TD. -In the Divison I west game Borden County took on Happy. The game lived up to the hype as both teams came out for battle and Borden County held a narrow 32-24 lead at the half. The difference in the first half was the Coyotes defense as they got a big fourth and goal at the 1 stop and two big fumble recoveries one of which was on a huge sack of Colton McCarley late in the second on a fourth down play. The two teams exchanged touchdowns to start the third quarter, but the offensive and defensive fronts of Borden County was starting to wear on Happy. At the end of the third quarter Borden had extended their lead just a little to 54-38. The final quarter the Coyotes’ size and outstanding defense took its toll on Happy. The Cowboys had four possessions in the fourth quarter and with great pass rushing and coverage Borden County forced three turnovers on downs and got a 35-yard pick six by Trace Richey. The final score would be Borden Co 70 Happy 38. Borden County scored all seven of its offensive touchdowns on the ground. RB Nick Proulx had a great game rushing for the Coyotes as he ran for 245 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively Ryan Willborn, Ben Justice, and Zane Allen were responsible for most of the pressure on McCarley as the three combined for 34 tackles, 6 tackles for loss. Trace Richey recorded 20 tackles to go along with his pick six. -Jonesboro battled with Tioga to see who got to represent the Division I east in the state title game and Jonesboro with a big second half defeated Tioga 83-56. Their win set up a rematch of last year’s division one state championship game with Borden County. This game started out slowly and built up as Jonesboro held a slim 16-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and then in the final 1:36 of the second quarter they scored three touchdowns, including a big momentum shifting 27-yard pick six by Wyatt Young, to Tioga’s one (a 71-yard kickoff return by Cade Kimbrell) as the Eagles took a 48-34 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the second half Jonesboro would score five more times all on the ground (Young 3 TDs, Ethan Lilljedahl 2 TDs) to Tioga’s three. Final score Jonesboro 83 Tioga 56. Wyatt Young rushed for 168 yards and scored six TDs rushing to go along with his pick six, and led his team with 16 tackles. Andy Sarmiento (15 tackles, 152 yards, 1 TD rushing) and Ethan Lilljedahl (96 yards, 2 TDs rushing; 10 tackles) had big nights for the Eagles as well.