MaxPreps Texas Top 25 high school football rankings

Allen vs. DeSoto matchups in the previous two seasons decided which Dallas-area heavyweight would advance to the championship game in Texas' largest classification.

A third confrontation unfortunately comes much earlier this season. Allen (11-0) and DeSoto (10-1), No. 1 and No. 4 in the MaxPreps Texas Top 25, will face off in a Class 6A Division I area playoff set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Arlington's AT&T Stadium.

Biennial realignment by the University Interscholastic League moved Allen from Region II to Region I, leading to a second-round playoff collision instead of those fifth-round showdowns. Allen went on to win state titles after defeating DeSoto, 51-36 two years ago and 42-35 last season.

Since naming Kyler Murray the starting quarterback as a sophomore at mid-season in 2012, Allen has reeled off 38 straight wins. Murray, a Texas A&M pledge, as a senior has thrown for 3,375 yards and 38 touchdowns. He's rushed for 900 yards and 18 scores.

Faced with rebuilding its defense this fall, Allen coach Tom Westerberg has relied even more on Murray and Notre Dame-bound receiver Jalen Guyton (67 catches, 1,503 yards, 18 touchdowns) to put up lots of points.

DeSoto lost starting quarterback Tristen Wallace to injury in Week 2. Sophomore Jaylin Nelson filled in, accounting for 2,842 total yards and 32 touchdowns. Wallace returned to play in the second half of last week's bi-district victory over Coppell.

Running back Larry Nixon keeps the chains moving for DeSoto with 1,374 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.

The area playoff round this weekend features several other premature showdowns:

*In the San Antonio area, No. 8 Steele (Cibolo) with a 10-1 record will face 11-0 Brennan (San Antonio), ranked No. 9.

*In the Houston area, 2013 state finalist Pearland (10-1), ranked No. 7, takes on No. 23 Dickinson (11-0).

*Back in the Dallas area, No. 5 Carroll (Southlake) brings an 11-0 record into a battle with 10-1 Guyer (Denton), ranked No. 17.

Here's the MaxPreps Texas Top 25 following the first round of the playoffs.

See the MaxPreps Texas Computer Rankings and the MaxPreps Texas pro photo galleries.


1. Allen 11-0 (1 last week)
The Eagles extended their winning streak to 38 behind Kyler Murray's 404 passing yards and six touchdowns in a 59-21 rout of 6-5 Keller Central (Keller) in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Jalen Guyton had four catches for 177 yards and three scores. David Feliciano rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown. Up next is 10-1 DeSoto in a Region I area playoff set for 11 a.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

2. Skyline (Dallas) 11-0 (2)
Quarterback K.C Johnson rushed for a touchdown and threw for two more in a 41-14 victory over 4-7 Lake Highlands (Dallas) in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Johnson accounted for 212 combined yards. Daleon Ward rushed for 99 yards and a score. Carlos Strickland and Savon Rollison had touchdown catches. Rollison added an 80-yard kickoff return for a score. Up next is 6-5 Belton in a Region II area playoff set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium.

3. Manvel 11-0 (3)
D'Eriq King threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-22 victory over 5-6 West Brook (Beaumont) in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Gary Haynes rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Sean Dykes made five catches for 65 yards and two scores. The Mavericks move on to face 7-4 Fort Bend Travis (Richmond) in a Region III area playoff set for 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Houston's TDECU Stadium.

4. DeSoto 10-1 (4)
Tristen Wallace, sidelined since Week 2 with an ankle injury, returned to rush for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-35 6A-DI bi-district playoff victory over 6-5 Coppell. Larry Nixon rushed for 157 yards and four touchdowns as DeSoto dealt Coppell a season-ending loss for the third straight season. The victory sets up a Region I area showdown against 11-0 Allen set for 11 a.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

5. Carroll (Southlake) 11-0 (5)
Senior quarterback Ryan Agnew threw four touchdown passes in the final 13 minutes of a 38-31 victory over 7-4 Mansfield in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. The Dragons rallied from a 17-point third-quarter deficit to advance to the second playoff round for the 15th consecutive season. The Dragons face 10-1 Guyer (Denton) in a Region I area playoff set for 8 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

6. Katy 10-1 (6)
Sy Slater, Joshua Blair and Travis Whillock returned interceptions for touchdowns in a 73-7 humbling of 4-7 Westside (Houston) in a 6A DII bi-district playoff. Austin Bargas added a fumble return for a score. Despite limited action, Rodney Anderson and Kadarius Page each ran for two scores and Garrett Doiron passed for two. Up next the Tigers face 8-3 Memorial (Houston) in a Region III area playoff set for 7 p.m. Friday at Houston‘s Tully Stadium.

7. Pearland 10-1 (7)
Sophomore Davier Pinkston rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-12 thrashing of 8-3 Deer Park in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Jacob Whitehead rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns and added 124 passing yards and one score. Cody Williams had five catches for 67 yards and a score. Up next is 11-0 Dickinson in a Region III area playoff set for 7 p.m. Friday at Deer Park's Abshire Stadium.

8. Steele (Cibolo) (10-1) (8)
Bryson Denley rushed for 189 yards and three touchdowns in a 70-21 elimination of 5-6 MacArthur (San Antonio) in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Travell Lumpkin rushed for 85 yards and two scores. Jaylen Harris had six catches for 147 yards and two score. L.G. Williams threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Malik Perez had an interception return for a score. Up next is a Region IV area playoff showdown with 11-0 Brennan (San Antonio) set for 8 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio's Alamodome.

9. Brennan (San Antonio) 11-0 (10)
Da'Shawn Key threw for one touchdown and rushed for two in a 29-0 victory over 7-4 King (Corpus Christi) in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Key amassed 221 combined yards. Makai Green had a 33-yard scoring run and Dayne Thomas had a scoring catch. Up next is a Region IV area playoff showdown with 10-1 Steele (Cibolo) set for 8 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio's Alamodome.

10. Midway (Waco) 11-0 (12)
By the end of the first quarter, the Panthers had fashioned a 41-7 lead and went on to scorch 5-6 Lee (Tyler) 76-47 in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Eric Clayburn rushed for 132 yards and Baylor commit Devontre Stricklin had four catches for 76 yards and four score. University of Houston pledge Ben Hicks threw for 179 yards and three scores. Next is an area playoff against 10-1 Highland Park (University Park) set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Midlothian ISD Stadium.

11. Trinity (Euless) 10-1 (9)
The Trojans stormed back from a 29-7 halftime deficit to squeeze out a 32-29 overtime win over 5-6 South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie) in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Luis Martinez's 25-yard field goal won it after South Grand Prairie missed on a 37-yard attempt in overtime. Quarterback Tyler Natee had touchdown runs of 35 and 19 yards in the second half and Ja'ron Wilson (19 carries, 131 yards) scored on a 32-yard run. The Trojans advance to face 8-3 Plano West (Plano) in a Region I area playoff set for 5 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

12. Cedar Hill 9-2 (13)
The Longhorns overcame a slow start by rushing for 429 yards in a 50-26 bi-district playoff victory over 5-6 Colleyville Heritage. Denvre Daniels accounted for 138 yard and one touchdown on the ground and Aca'cedric Ware had 131 yards and three touchdowns. Damarkus Lodge had four catches for 107 yards and scored his 17th receiving touchdown of the season. The Horns advance to face 8-3 Boyd (McKinney) in a 6A-DII Region I area playoff set for 2 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

13. Westfield (Houston) 10-1 (14)
A.J. Tisdel rushed for two touchdowns and caught another in a 49-21 elimination of 3-8 College Park (The Woodlands). Rayquan Jones rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Dillon Sterling-Cole threw for 140 yards and two scores. Up next is 8-3 Hendrickson (Pflugerville) in a Region II area playoff set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Brenham's Cub Stadium.

14. Lake Travis (Austin) 10-1 (15)
Abe Willows rushed for a pair of third-quarter touchdowns and also had a scoring catch in a 54-7 rout of 4-7 Rouse (Leander). Dominic Delira threw for 284 yards in the 6A-DII bi-district encounter. Lake Travis improved its playoff record to 35-2 since 2007. The Cavaliers advance to face 8-3 Spring in a Region II area playoff set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Bryan's Green Stadium.

15. Brandeis (San Antonio) 10-1 (16)
Jaylon Dukes rushed for 147 yards and five touchdowns in a 63-14 trouncing of 9-2 Carroll (Corpus Christi) in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Paul Lozano ran for a score and connected with Peyton Hall on a touchdown pass. Oscar Deleon returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Broncos advance to a Region IV area playoff against 6-4 Johnson (San Antonio) set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at San Antonio's Alamodome.

16. Klein Collins (Spring) 10-1 (18)
The Tigers rushed for 474 yards on 53 attempts in a 38-20 elimination of 7-4 Oak Ridge (Conroe) in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Justin Pratt rushed for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Nate Edmonds threw only three times, but rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns. Collin Lester added a field goal. Up next is 10-1 Round Rock in a Region II area playoff set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Waller ISD Stadium.

17. Guyer (Denton) 10-1 (19)
Shawn Robinson threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns in a 59-28 elimination of 7-4 Plano in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Anthony Taylor ran for four touchdowns and Robinson rushed for 189 yards and a score. Alex Honey had two catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. Up next 11-0 is Carroll (Southlake) in a Region I area playoff set for 8 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

18. Aledo 10-1 (21)
Isaiah Mallory rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns in a 69-0 rout of 4-7 Trimble Tech (Fort Worth) in a 5A DI bi-district playoff. Pat Peek, Michael McCay and Byron Keil returned interceptions for touchdowns. Ryan Newsome broke a 46-yard punt return for another score. The Bearcats advance to face 8-3 Denton in a Region I area playoff set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Justin's Northwest ISD Stadium.

19. Rockwall 11-0 (22)
Will Reed threw for 357 yards and four touchdowns in a 70-42 rout of 7-4 Copperas Cove in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Chris Warren rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns.Xavier Castille made 13 catches for 211 yards and three scores. Up next is 8-3 Jesuit (Dallas) in a Region II area playoff set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Wylie ISD Stadium.

20. Horn (Mesquite) 10-1 (23)
Chris Robison threw for 402 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-34 victory over 7-4 MacArthur (Irving) in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Jordan Shavers rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Jarrison Stewart had 11 catches for 180 yards and two scores. Up next is 8-3 Rowlett in a Region II area playoff set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Dallas' Cotton Bowl.

21. Ridge Point (Missouri City) 11-0 (24)
The Panthers passed a big 5A-DI bi-district test with a 27-18 victory over 9-2 Foster (Richmond). Remus Bulmer led the way with 211 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jesse Crebbe threw for 210 yards and a touchdown to Deante Ford. Jax Biggers had four catches for 107 yards. Up next is a Region III area playoff against 10-1 King (Houston) set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Galena Park ISD Stadium.

22. Martin (Arlington) 9-2 (25)
Nic Smith rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns in a 43-14 victory over 5-6 Midland in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Tre Brown connected with Jess Trussell on a touchdown pass. Josh Watson returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown, one of three turnovers forced by the Warriors. Up next is a Region I area playoff against 10-1 Amarillo set for 7 p.m. Friday at Wichita Falls' Memorial Stadium.

23. Dickinson 11-0 (NR)
Brad Woodard rushed for 153 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of 6-5 Alief Taylor (Houston) in a 6A-DII bi-district playoff. Cameron Martin rushed for a touchdown and threw for another. The Gators defense for the sixth time this season limited an opponent to seven or fewer points. Up next is 10-1 Pearland in a Region III area playoff set for 7 p.m. Friday at Deer Park's Abshire Stadium.

24. George Ranch (Richmond) 10-1 (NR)
Timon Nolan rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-20 victory over 9-2 Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City) in a 5A-DI bi-district playoff. Xavian Marks ran for 118 yards and two scores. Darius Anderson carried 27 times for 144 yards. Up next is 7-4 Kingwood Park (Humble) in a Region III area playoff set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Cypress' Berry Center.

25. Reagan (San Antonio) 10-1 (NR)
The Rattlers won their 10th straight, withstanding a late rally by 6-5 Smithson Valley (Spring Branch) for a 21-14 victory in a 6A-DI bi-district playoff. Sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond accounted for 330 total yards (208 on the ground) and two touchdowns. Jairdan Walker-Chambers had seven receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. Next is 8-3 Stevens (San Antonio) in a Region IV area playoff set for 4 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio's Alamodome.

Dropped out: No. 11 The Woodlands; No. 17 Langham Creek (Houston); No. 20 Atascocita (Humble).

On the bubble
San Angelo Central (San Angelo) 10-1, Boerne-Champion (Boerne) 11-0, Ennis 9-2, Highland Park (Dallas) 10-1, King (Houston) 10-1, Lamar (Houston) 10-1, Mansfield Timberview (Arlington) 10-1, Poteet (Mesquite) 10-1, Round Rock 10-1, Temple 9-1