Wylie proves again it's a dangerous underdog

John Tyler (Tyler) entered its Class 4A Division I regional final Friday with a powerful rushing attack, strong defense and a 12-game winning streak that vaulted it into the state rankings. Its opponent was an undersized, gritty team that had gone from third place in its district to four rounds deep in the playoffs.

That opponent was Wylie (Texas), which always seems to thrive as an underdog. The Pirates often scratch their way deep into the playoffs by knocking off powerhouses, and they did it again Friday.
 
Wylie's Vincent Bryan scored on a 1-yard run with 1:05 remaining Friday to give the Pirates (11-3) a 20-16 win over John Tyler (12-2). It put Wylie into a state semifinal for the second time in three years.

MaxPreps' Texas football playoff brackets
 
"We are tougher than anybody else," Wylie coach Bill Howard told his team after the game, "and we play for 48 minutes."
 
Wylie always plays hard until the final whistle, and that's one way the Pirates maximize their potential each season. They also embrace the role of underdog.
 
"I like being an underdog," senior outside linebacker Tyler Mathers said. "It just feels good when you win when you're not supposed to."
 
Like in 2004, when Wylie finished second in its district and then advanced four rounds in the Class 4A playoffs. Like in 2005, when Wylie was third in its district and then went four rounds in the playoffs. And like in 2008, when Wylie finished third in its district and then knocked off Cedar Hill and Copperas Cove and advanced to the 5A Division II title game.
 
Maybe Wylie shouldn't be considered an underdog anymore, considering the Pirates have a 17-5 playoff record since 2003.
 
"We're smaller than a lot of teams, and we don't have big superstars," said senior receiver Jermaine Merdock, "so people pick the other teams over us."
 
Those people will probably pick Ryan (Denton) in its semifinal matchup against Wylie. Ryan is 14-0 and was No. 2 in the final state 4A rankings of the regular season. But Wylie will be as dangerous as ever in the 5 p.m. game Saturday at SMU's Ford Stadium.
 
"We think we can do anything together," Howard said.

DENTON GUYER GETS ANOTHER SHOT AT LONGVIEW
Quarterback J.W. Walsh, an Oklahoma State commit, completed 12 of 16 passes for 165 yards and rushed for 150 yards as Guyer (Denton) beat Southlake Carroll, 24-14, in a 5A Division II regional final. Guyer (12-2) next plays Longview (10-4), which beat Mesquite Horn last week to earn a spot in the semifinals. Longview knocked Guyer out of the 4A playoffs the last two seasons, and both were moved up to 5A in the latest two-year realignment.



MESQUITE POTEET CONTINUES MAGICAL RUN
Poteet (Mesquite), which was a combined 1-19 the last two seasons, earned a berth in the 4A Division II semifinals with a 42-35 victory over Bastrop. The key to victory for Poteet (12-2) was much the same as it has been all season: takeaways. Bastrop had an incredible 623 yards of offense and 37 first downs in the game, but it turned the ball over three times and Poteet took advantage. The Poteet defense has 44 takeaways this season — 28 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries.

ROUND ROCK STONY POINT ENDS DeSOTO'S SEASON
As was the case most of the season, the DeSoto offense piled up big numbers in its 5A Division I regional final against Stony Point. But DeSoto's defense was lit up for 615 yards as Stony Point (14-0) won 72-48 to earn a spot in the state semifinals against Trinity (Euless) (14-0). Stony Point lost to Trinity in the semifinals last year.

PRESTONWOOD CHRISTIAN TOPS FORT WORTH NOLAN FOR TAPPS TITLE
Linebacker Zac Grogean intercepted a pass in the end zone with 34 seconds left to clinch a 38-35 victory for Prestonwood Christian (Plano) in the TAPPS Division I championship. Prestonwood, which last year won the TAPPS Division II title, ended the 31-game winning streak of Nolan, which had won the previous two Division I titles. Nolan beat Prestonwood earlier in the season, 24-21.

TOP PERFORMERS
* Brandon January, Parish Episcopal (Dallas): The senior running back rushed for 232 yards and a touchdown in Parish Episcopal's 49-41 victory over Fort Worth Christian in the TAPPS Division II title game.

* Jonny Paramore, Ryan (Denton) football: The senior linebacker had an interception and a blocked a punt that resulted in a touchdown in Ryan's 46-15 win over Wichita Falls Rider in a 4A Division I regional final.

FINAL THOUGHT
Only a few days removed from Trinity's 41-40 victory over Coppell, it's difficult to say where the game fits among the all-time greats. Crammed into the 12,600-seat Dragon Stadium in Southlake, the game couldn't draw anywhere near the 46,000 fans that Carroll and Trinity did four years ago. Trinity vs. Coppell also didn't have a crowning moment like the La Marque-Denton Ryan triple-overtime 4A title game in 2003 or the Trinity-Austin Westlake overtime battle in 5A last year. And it didn't have a beyond belief, "good gosh almighty Joe Friday" comeback like 1994's Plano East-Tyler John Tyler game.
 
But it was amazing.

More than two hours before kickoff, lines snaked around the stadium. Fans had tickets, but there were no reserved seats. Some fans had to stand, and even those with seats were standing most of the game. With two undefeated, state-championship worthy teams battling, every play felt intense.



After Tevin Williams won the game on a 2-yard run on the final play of the game, Trinity players spilled on to the field to celebrate. Some were so overwhelmed that they couldn't help but cry, which was easy to understand after a thrilling finish to one of the most thrilling high school football games ever.

Matt Wixon is the high school sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News. He can be reached at mwixon@dallasnews.com or on Twitter @mattwixon.