Galena Park North Shore (12-2) vs Lake Travis (14-0), 3 p.m. Saturday at Houston’s Thorne Stadium: North Shore rolled to their eighth consecutive Region III title last week in a 46-29 win over previously undefeated Dickinson at the University of Houston. Utah State QB commit Kaleb Maryland continued his sensational run in the playoffs as he threw three touchdown passes and ran for two other scores to pace the Mustangs attack. In a battle of unbeaten teams, it was defense that made the difference for Lake Travis as the Cavaliers took down San Antonio Johnson 27-19. The Cavs faced some early adversity trailing 13-0, but they stayed the course and their sensational defense led by TCU DE commit Carter Buck and Kentucky DE commit Ben Duncum came up with several big plays to get back in the game. Two interceptions and a Johnson special teams miscue got the Cavs back in front at 20-13. After Johnson cut the lead to 20-19 and had the ball in the red zone with a chance to take the lead back the Cavs defense came up with a huge fourth-down stop and then RB Van Hopping ripped off a 76-yard run to get the Cavs into scoring position, where Buck caught a touchdown pass from QB Luke McBride. Despite Lake Travis only getting one first down in the second half, the Cavs defense held their water in the second half with six sacks and holding San Antonio’s best offense in check. North Shore’s offense, with their array of speed and playmakers, will be a major challenge for this Lake Travis defense. But can North Shore’s offensive line, which has struggled this year, hold up and protect Maryland? The game comes down to this matchup and I think Maryland is elusive enough to make some things happen on the fly and the Mustangs get back to the state title game. Stepp’s Pick: Galena Park North Shore by 7
Southlake Carroll (14-0) vs DeSoto (11-3), 2 p.m. Saturday at Mansfield’s Newsom Stadium: One of the state’s best playoff rivalries is renewed as unbeaten and top-ranked Southlake Carroll tangles with an explosive DeSoto team looking to get to their third state title game in four years. It seems like when these two programs clash in the playoffs it always winds up being a classic. When they played two years ago, Carroll came in as the underdog against top-ranked DeSoto and nearly pulled the upset on the eventual state champions. This time the roles are reversed as Carroll comes in as the state’s No. 1 team and DeSoto sits in the role of underdog, a role Claude Mathis’ squad thrives in. After a slow start last week, the Dragons got things rolling in a major way racing past Denton Guyer 51-19. Trailing 13-7 halfway through the first quarter, the Dragons ripped of 38-straight points to put the game out of reach, as RB Davis Penn ran for 161 yards and a score, while QB Angelo Renda threw for 235 yards and two scores. Carroll’s defense played well and even had a fumble return for a score in the second half that put the game on ice. DeSoto knocked off Willis for the third straight year in a chippy, penalty-filled affair that lasted over fours. When the dust settled, DeSoto pulled away late for a 60-41 win in a game that featured 1,057 yards of offense, 35 enforced penalties and 355 yards of enforced penalty yardage. Obviously, DeSoto can’t expect to beat Carroll with 22 penalties and 200 yards of penalty yardage; that has to be cleaned up. But DeSoto would like to bring that running game with them on Saturday as the Eagles rolled up 438 yards on the ground and averaged over 10 yards per attempt. RB SaRod Baker continued his incredible season as he ran for 384 yards and seven touchdowns as DeSoto gashed Willis. The question in this game is simple: which defense can get stops? I think DeSoto at this point in the season is easier to diagnose because they are so heavily reliant on Baker. If you slow Baker, you probably beat DeSoto. But he’s the best player on the field in my view, so it’s a difficult task. I think the Dragons are up to it and get back to the state title game for the second straight season. Stepp’s Pick: Southlake Carroll by 10