Previews and predictions for the best Texas high school football regional semifinal playoff games
North Crowley (12-0) vs Coppell (12-0), 2 p.m. Saturday at Mansfield’s Newsom Stadium: A showdown featuring two unbeaten teams in the state’s largest classification will certainly draw attention on Thanksgiving weekend as Coppell looks to try and contain North Crowley. NCHS looked sharp from the jump last week as the Panthers destroyed an overmatched Odessa Permian squad, 72-14. North Texas QB commit Chris Jimmerson threw for 274 yards and five touchdowns; he added a rushing touchdown as well. Four of those scoring passes went to WR Quentin Gibson, who now has 30 touchdown receptions on the season. The Panthers defense didn’t allow points until the fourth quarter when backups were in. Coppell doesn’t come into this one with the flash or big numbers of North Crowley, but the Cowboys have one of the state’s top signal-callers in Baylor commit Edward Griffin. After getting a scare in the first round against Prosper, Coppell had no such issues with Lake Highlands in a 38-10 victory last week. Coppell’s defense played one of their best games of the season holding LHHS to just 155 yards of offense, while Griffin threw for 232 yards and two scores, completing 16 of his 20 passes. Coppell head coach Antonio Wiley’s team won’t be able to keep up with North Crowley on the outside. They’ll have to find a way to control the pace and somehow get a stop or two and the key to that formula may be to key in on the run game and try to contain Jimmerson to the confines of the pocket. If he gets loose, NCHS is impossible to stop. That is a task easier said, than accomplished. Stepp’s Pick: North Crowley by 20