Stepp's Ten Thoughts from the area round of the playoffs

Katy-Galena Park/North Shore showdown
The much-anticipated rematch between the two top teams in the Houston area will take place at the premier football venue in the area as unbeaten Galena Park North Shore takes on Katy. The two teams met in Week 1 with North Shore making quite the opening statement with a 35-21 win over Katy at Legacy Stadium. Since that game, North Shore hasn’t played a game closer than 32 points and Katy has rattled off 11-straight wins and is playing its best football of the year. These two powers have met in the playoffs the last two seasons, with the two teams splitting, North Shore won in 2016 and Katy won last year’s game. Expect a big crowd at NRG Stadium Friday night for this matchup.

Amarillo Tascosa stuns Arlington
There may not be a hotter team in the state at the 6A level than Ken Plunk’s Rebels who made a massive statement Friday night with an impressive 35-24 win over previously unbeaten Arlington High. Tascosa jumped out to a 35-3 lead in the second quarter and behind their punishing flexbone offense, as Joseph Plunk ran for three touchdowns and threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Purdue commit RB King Doerue halfway through the second quarter that all but put the game away. The Rebels were able to put it on cruise control and milk away the final two quarters of the game and earn some respect for the large schools in West Texas in the process.