MaxPreps Texas Top 25 high school football rankings

DeSoto (12-0) is back on top of this week's MaxPreps Texas Top 25 thanks to its overpowering performance in a 42-14 elimination of previously-unbeaten Coppell Saturday in a Class 5A Division I area playoff.

It was just enough to pass No. 2 Katy (12-0) despite the Tigers' impressive result of their own, a 49-0 blanking of 9-3 Langham Creek (Houston) in a Class 5A Division II area playoff.

DeSoto's third-round opponent, 11-1 Bowie (Arlington), was cleared on Monday by the University Interscholastic League to go forward in the playoffs. The UIL had been investigating the paperwork of a mid-season Bowie transfer.

No. 2 Katy will play for the second consecutive week in Houston's Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. The opponent is 11-1 La Porte.



View the complete Texas high school football playoff brackets

Reliant Stadium will host four games this weekend, including a triple-header once again on Saturday.

Thanks to the recent acquisition of a portable artificial turf field, Reliant Stadium is becoming a popular site for high school playoff games much like the Astrodome was for many years.

Here's the MaxPreps Texas Top 25 going into the regional playoff round in Week 13.

MaxPreps Texas Top 25 Football Rankings

1. DeSoto 12-0 (Last Week 2)
The Eagles passed a test against one of the state's best defenses in impressive fashion, rolling over 11-1 Coppell with 545 offensive yards. Oregon commit Dontre Wilson scored four touchdowns and Desmond White threw for 209 yards and rushed for 120. The Eagles advance to a Class 5A Division I Region I semifinal against 11-1 Bowie (Arlington) Saturday afternoon at Bedford's Pennington Field.



2. Katy 12-0 (1)
Isaiah Brown's school-record tenth interception set the tone for a great Tigers' defensive performance in a 49-0 blanking of 9-3 Langham Creek (Houston). Katy's defense allowed only 159 total yards, including negative 15 yards rushing in the Class 5A Division II bi-district playoff. Meanwhile, LSU commit Adam Taylor rushed for 159 yards and three scores. Up next in a Region III semifinal is 11-1 La Porte set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

3. Steele (Cibolo) 12-0 (4)
The Knights defense did not allow a first down until the final two minutes of the third quarter in a 45-0 bashing of 9-3 Roosevelt (San Antonio). Steele's first-team defense has allowed a combined total of 64 yards in two playoff games. Matthew Mayle led the offense with five receptions for 113 yards and three touchdowns. Up next is 10-2 Edinburg North Saturday evening in Kingsville's Javelina Stadium in a Region IV semifinal.

4. Allen 11-1 (5)
Sophomore quarterback Kyler Murray threw for two scores and rushed for two in a 42-28 triumph over 11-1 Mesquite in a Class 5A Division I area playoff. Murray had 196 passing yards and added 85 rushing yards. Allen's defense held Mesquite's high-powered offense to 205 yards. Up next is 9-3 Round Rock Westwood (Austin) in a Region II semifinal scheduled for Saturday night at Waco ISD Stadium.

5. Carroll (Southlake) 11-1 (6)
The defending Class 5A Division I state champion flexed its muscle in a 73-23 elimination of 7-5 El Dorado (El Paso) in an area playoff in Midland. Senior quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 371 yards and three touchdowns and added 150 rushing yards and four scores. Carroll scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions. Up next is a Region I semifinal against 10-2 Trinity (Euless) set for Saturday evening at Birdville Fine Arts Stadium in North Richland Hills.

6. Abilene 12-0 (7)
Marcell Porter carried 32 times for 226 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles' 53-34 Class 5A Division II area playoff victory over 6-6 Lamar (Arlington). Quarterback Evin Abbe threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Up next is a Region I semifinal against 12-0 Midway (Waco) set for Saturday afternoon at Northwest ISD Stadium in Justin.

7. *Coppell 11-1 (3)
The Cowboys' emotional season ended in a 42-14 loss to a fleet DeSoto team in a Class 5A Division I area playoff. The defense that limited opponents to 215 yards and 8.1 points per game was hit for touchdowns on DeSoto's first three possessions. Coppell experienced the midseason tragedy of the death of one of its captains, Jacob Logan.



8. Bowie (Arlington) 11-1 (8)
The long trip west to Midland was marked by three turnovers, but the Volunteers managed to hold off 10-2 Franklin (El Paso) 31-14. Sophomore quarterback Tony James rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns in the Class 5A Division I area playoff. Don Jerry chipped in with 114 yards and a score. Up next for Bowie is 12-0 DeSoto in a Region I semifinal Saturday afternoon at Bedford's Pennington Field.

9. Westfield (Houston) 12-0 (9)
The Mustangs jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 31-7 victory over 7-5 Bowie (Austin) in a Class 5A Division I area playoff in Brenham. The only Bowie touchdown was set up by a Mustangs' fumble. Up next is 11-1 Skyline (Dallas) in Region II semifinal Saturday afternoon in Georgetown.

10. Skyline (Dallas) 11-1 (10)
The Raiders exploded for four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to finally put away stubborn 8-4 Horn (Mesquite) 47-28 in a Class 5A Division I area playoff. Ra'Shaad Samples' 40-yard touchdown, his second of the game, eight seconds into the fourth quarter put the Raiders in the lead for good. Samples, the son of Skyline head coach Reginald Samples, had five catches for 167 yards. Up next is a Region II semifinal against 12-0 Spring Westfield (Houston) set for Saturday afternoon in Georgetown.

11. Trinity (Euless) 10-2 (12)
The Trojans earned a berth in the regional semifinals for the eighth time in nine seasons by smothering 7-5 Mansfield, 28-7. Trinity owned a 14-0 lead before Mansfield ran its first play thanks to a long opening touchdown drive and then a 12-yard fumble return for a score on the kickoff that followed. Matt Hawkins threw for a score and ran for one for Trinity. Up next is 11-1 Carroll (Southlake) in a Class 5A Division I Region I semifinal in North Richland Hills.

12. Dawson (Pearland) 12-0 (14)
Workhorse running back James White, a Texas A&M commit, rushed 40 times for 222 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-35 elimination of 9-3 Stratford (Houston). Tony Upchurch had three catches for 135 yards in the Class 4A Division I area playoff. Up next is 11-1 Nederland in a Region III semifinal Friday evening at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

13. La Porte 11-1 (15)
Hoza Scott's 3-yard touchdown run three minutes into the fourth quarter put the Bulldogs ahead for good in a difficult 21-17 victory over 10-2 Fort Bend Bush (Richmond). La Porte trailed 17-7 until Jahvey Mark's 62-yard touchdown catch from Jordan Jackson in the third quarter of the Class 5A Division II area playoff. Up next is 12-0 Katy in a Region III semifinal set for a Saturday morning kickoff at Houston's Reliant Stadium.



14. North Shore (Houston) 11-1 (16)
Quarterback Micah Thomas raced 48 yards for a touchdown and also connected with Herbert Hunter on a 23-yard scoring pass to help the Mustangs defeat 6-6 Clear Brook (Friendswood) 31-9 in a Class 5A Division I area playoff. North Shore's defense came up with five turnovers, including three interceptions, and held Clear Brook without a touchdown until the final three minutes. Up next is 9-3 Alief Elisk (Houston) in a Region III semifinal Saturday afternoon at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

15. *Mesquite 11-1 (11)
The Skeeters' unbeaten season came to a sudden end at the hands of 11-1 Allen, 42-28. Mesquite was outscored 28-7 in the final 25 minutes of the Class 5A Division I area playoff. Senior quarterback Alex Cooper, under heavy pressure, was held to 168 passing yards and two touchdowns. The 11 wins were the most for Mesquite since its 2001 state championship season.

16. Manvel 11-1 (17)
Tavares Garner opened the scoring just two minutes into the Class 5A Division II area playoff with a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 39-26 triumph over 7-5 Fort Bend Dulles (Sugar Land). Shane McCarley passed for three touchdowns, two to Carlos Thompson, and rushed for two. Up next is 8-4 Cypress Ranch (Houston) in a Region III semifinal Saturday afternoon at Cypress' Berry Center.

17. Midway (Waco) 12-0 (18)
The rushing combination of B.J. Kelly (205 yards) and DeChaar Greer (151) helped the Panthers outlast 10-2 Heritage (Colleyville) 54-44 in a Class 5A Division I area playoff. Kelly and Greer each scored three touchdowns, with Greer giving Midway a two-score lead with a 2-yard touchdown run with seven minutes to go. Up next is a Region I semifinal against 12-0 Abilene Saturday afternoon at Northwest ISD Stadium in Justin.

18. Tyler 11-1 (19)
Quarterback Greg Ward, a University of Houston commit, threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in 38-10 knockout of 5-7 Wylie in a Class 4A Division I area playoff. Fred Ross had five catches for 132 yards and DeQuante Wood rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions. Up next is 9-3 Frisco in a Region II semifinal Friday evening at Allen's Eagle Stadium.

19. Brandeis (San Antonio) 11-1 (20)
A blocked punt by Cameron Rogers helped the Broncos overcome a 10-point halftime deficit in a 28-20 Class 5A Division II area playoff victory over 11-1 Smithson Valley (Spring Branch). Trinton Ynclan rushed for 194 yards and a touchdown to help Brandeis avenge a 34-point loss to Smithson Valley in the season opener. Up next is a Region IV semifinal against 10-2 Del Rio set for Friday evening in Eagle Pass.



20. Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City) 12-0 (21)
An injury gave J.W. Ketchum a chance to play quarterback this season and he continues to make the most of his opportunity. He rushed for three touchdowns and threw for three in a 49-28 elimination of 9-3 Texas City in a Class 4A Division II area playoff. Marshall, past the second playoff round for the first time in school history, now takes on 8-4 Elgin Saturday evening at Cypress‘ Berry Center.

21. *Smithson Valley (Spring Branch) 11-1 (13)
A kickoff return for touchdown by Lawrence Mattison and an interception return for another score by Diego Hodges helped stake the Rangers to 10-point halftime lead on 11-1 Brandeis. But the second half belonged to the Broncos in a 28-20 season-ending loss in a Class 5A Division II area playoff.

22. Lamar (Houston) 12-0 (23)
Darrell Colbert threw a pair of touchdown passes and Cedric Lancaster contributed a 71-yard interception return in a 30-14 victory over 8-4 Alief Taylor (Houston) in a Class 5A Division I area playoff. The Redskins came up with five Taylor turnovers. Up next is 8-4 Fort Bend Travis (Richmond) in a Region III semifinal Saturday evening at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

23. *Fort Bend Bush (Richmond) 10-2 (24)
Ronald Monroe threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns and the Broncos had a 100-yard rushing game from Dominique Rogers, but failed to score a touchdown in the second half of a season-ending 21-17 loss to 11-1 La Porte in a Class 5A Division II area playoff.

24. Lancaster 11-1 (NR)
DeMarcus Ayers threw for 184 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 103 yards and two scores in a 41-16 elimination of 11-1 Lovejoy (Lucas) in a Class 4A Division II area playoff. The Tigers defense recorded four interceptions and four fumble recoveries. Up next is 10-2 Prosper in Region II semifinal at Garland's Homer Johnson Stadium.

25. Georgetown 12-0 (NR)
Randy Knightner rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns and scored a third on a fumble recovery in a 38-21 defeat over 11-1 Summer Creek (Houston). Jake Hubenak threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns for the Eagles in the Class 4A Division I area playoff. Up next is 10-2 Angleton in a Region III semifinal Saturday at Leander.



*Indicates season over

Dropped out: No. 22 Heritage (Colleyville); No. 25 North Forest (Houston)

On the bubble
Alief Elsik (Houston) 9-3
Arlington 10-2
Guyer (Denton) 10-2
Centennial (Frisco) 11-1
Longview 9-3
Madison (San Antonio) 10-2
Navasota 12-0
O'Connor (Helotes) 10-2
Round Rock Westwood (Austin) 9-3
Sharyland (Mission) 12-0