Video: Top 10 Games of the Week
Texas has several marquee matchups as semifinal weekend hits the Lone Star State.
The UIL 11-man playoffs have reached the fifth round. State semifinals will be contested this weekend in five classifications, 6A-2A.
Each classification has two divisions, translating to 20 games scheduled Thursday through Saturday. The winners advance to the state championships Dec. 20-23 at Arlington's AT&T Stadium.
Five games in Round 5 will match undefeated teams. Seven additional undefeated teams will face a team with one loss.
As far as playoff trends, it is shaping up to be a good year for Central Texas. The Austin area is represented by five schools with two more representing Waco. Central Texas' success in Class 6A, with Lake Travis (Austin), Westlake (Austin) and Cedar Ridge (Round Rock) comes at the expense of Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio teams. Only Allen among D/FW schools remains alive in the largest classification. Allen is ranked No. 4 nationally in MaxPreps Xcellent 25. San Antonio has no teams remaining.
Here's a rundown of this week's top games:
Cy-Fair (Cypress) 13-0 vs. Westlake (Austin) 14-0, 3 p.m. Saturday at Houston's NRG Stadium; Class 6A-DII
Trenton Kennedy has rushed for 1,685 yards and 25 touchdowns to pace Cy-Fair.
Cam Arnold has thrown for 1,784 yards and 16 scores. Linebacker
Patrick Atkinson, an Air Force pledge, leads the defense with 111 tackles. Playoff travels continue for Westlake, No. 20 nationally in MaxPreps Xcellent 25, having already beaten two San Antonio teams on the road. Junior quarterback
Taylor Anderson has accounted for 44 touchdowns (32 from the air) and 3,845 yards (1,070 on the ground). Wisconsin pledge
Nakia Watson is the main rushing threat with 1,886 yards and 27 scores.
Manvel 13-0 vs. Angleton 13-0, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Houston's NRG Stadium; Class 5A-DI
Manvel has won 26 of 27 games over the last two seasons and avenged that lone defeat in 2016 with a 49-34 victory over Temple. The high-powered Maverick attack features quarterback
Kason Martin, a North Texas pledge and the son of Manvel head coach Kirk Martin, surrounded by a talented contingent of runners and receivers. Angleton hangs its hat on a defense that has allowed only 80 points this season with four shutouts and no more than 14 points allowed in any of four playoff victories.
Evrin Hawkins owns the team lead in interceptions with four.
Graham 14-0 vs. Pleasant Grove (Texarkana) 14-0, 7 p.m. Thursday at Frisco's Ford Center; Class 4A-DII
Graham has been held under 47 points just once thanks to its version of the triplets:
Tucker Horn has thrown for 4,018 yards and 53 touchdowns,
Chase Gilmore has rushed for 1,942 yards and 30 scores and
Cameron Parker has 1,13 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. Pleasant Grove rushed for 370 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry in a 55-14 rout of Melissa in the Region II title game.
TJ Cole paced the Hawks with 139 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Chauncey Martin added 110 yards and two scores.
Carthage 14-0 vs. La Vega (Waco) 14-0, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Frisco's Ford Center; Class 4A-DI
Carthage, 2016 state champion in this division, faces 2015 state champion La Vega. Carthage owns a 24-game winning streak and on opponent has been closer than 18 points this season. In last week's 35-0 victory over Henderson, Texas pledge
Keaontay Ingram rushed for 111 yards and two scores while defender
Mekhi Colbert had an interception and a fumble recovery. La Vega, 43-1 over the last three seasons, turned to
John Richards when
Kemoche' Hobbs was injured in the first half. Richards rushed for 164 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Canadian 14-0 vs. Gunter 14-0, 7 p.m. Friday at Vernon's Lion Stadium; Class 3A-DII
Canadian won back-to-back 2A-DI state titles in 2014-15. Canadian is more reliant on the pass than its opponent.
Casen Cavalier has thrown for over 2,200 yards and receiver
Matthew Lynch has over 1,300 receiving yards. Gunter is defending champion in this classification and is counting on running backs
Dylan Jantz (1,061 yards, 24 touchdowns) and
Braiden Clopton (849 yards, 15 touchdowns) to remain in high gear.
Spencer Sanders, Ryan
Photo by Rob Nerpel
A highly-anticipated rematch of a classic playoff in this very round a year ago won by Highland Park 31-24. Ryan star quarterback
Spencer Sanders was sidelined by injury in that game, but the Oklahoma State pledge this season has thrown for 3,621 yards and 51 touchdowns to go with 1,220 rushing yards and 14 scores.
Emani Bailey has added 1,233 rushing yards and 14 scores. Highland Park needed late heroics to slip past Lake Ridges (Mansfield) 37-35 last week. Scots quarterback
John Stehpen Jones, grandson of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has thrown for 3,828 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Cade Saustad is his favorite target with 67 catches for 1,270 yards and 16 scores.
Midway (Waco) 14-0 vs. Longview 13-1, 6 p.m. Saturday at Allen's Eagle Stadium; Class 6A-DII
Quarterback
Tanner Mordecai, an Oklahoma pledge, ran for four touchdowns and threw for another in a 42-28 Region I title game victory over Carroll (Southlake). He has accounted for 68 touchdowns, 47 of them through the air. Middle linebacker
Matthew Barnhill leads the team in tackles with 138. Longview squeaked past Lufkin 33-32 in the prior round. Sophomore
Haynes King has thrown for 1,662 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Keilyn Williams is the Lobos rushing leader with 1,125 yards and 17 scores. Defensively,
Jalen Carr has seven interceptions.
Tenaha 14-0 vs. Burton 13-1, 7 p.m. Thursday at Crockett's Driskell Stadium; Class 2A-DII
Tenaha, 1A-DII state champion in 2011, has a balanced offense with the passing of
CJ Horn(2,636 yards, 36 touchdowns), rushing of
Onterio Thompson (2,221 yards, 30 touchdowns) and receiving of
Trai Gardner (1,045 yards, 16 scores). Since losing its opener, Burton has reeled off 13 consecutive wins including a 69-45 takedown of Falls City for the regional title. De'Monderick Winters, a junior, led the way with eight touchdowns (six by rush, two receiving) and accumulated 362 total yards.
Stratford 13-1 vs. Mart 13-1, 7 p.m. Thursday at Snyder's Tiger Stadium; Class 2A-DI
Since losing to Canadian 40-7, Stratford has won 11 in a row. The defense has forced 28 turnovers led by six interceptions from
Iuden Romero.
Kade McBryde has seven sacks in addition to 1,136 passing yards. Mart, a five-time state champion with its most recent title in 2010, has outscored four playoff opponents by a combined 214-22. The offense is led by
Jace Terry (1958 passing yards, 30 touchdowns),
Tyrek Horne (1,981 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns) and on defense by middle linebacker
Cooper Baize (157 tackles).
Katy 12-0 vs. Lake Travis (Austin) 12-2, 3 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio's Alamo Stadium; Class 6A-DI
A rematch of the 2015 Class 6A-DII state title game won by Katy 34-7. Katy, No. 6 nationally in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25, is tied for most UIL state titles with eight. The formula remains the same for Katy, great defense and a power running game. Junior
Deondrick Glass is the main rushing threat while the Tigers defense is allowing a paltry 5.5 points per game. Lake Travis, No. 23 in the Xcellent 25, is defending state champion after winning its sixth title a year ago. Ohio State pledge
Matthew Baldwin has thrown for 3,397 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Garrett Wilson is his top receiver with 1,425 yards and 23 touchdowns. Sophomore
Mauricio Trevino is the leading tackler with 120.
Other top matchups this week:Allen 14-0 vs.
Cedar Ridge (Round Rock) 13-1, 2 p.m. Saturday at Waco's McLane Stadium; Class 6A-DI.
Aledo 14-0 vs.
Mansfield Legacy 12-2, 2:30 p.m. Saturday a North Richland Hills' Birdville Fine Arts & Athletic Complex; Class 5A-DII.
College Station 12-2 vs.
McCallum (Austin) 14-0, 7 p.m. Saturday at Houston's NRG Stadium; Class 5A-DII.
Stephenville 12 -2 vs.
Kennedale 13-1, 5 p.m. Friday at Arlington's AT&T Stadium, Class 4A-DI.
West Orange-Stark (Orange) 12-0 vs.
Wimberley 13-1, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Katy's Legacy Stadium; Class 4A-DII.
Brock 12-2 vs.
Kemp 13-1, 7 p.m. Thursday at Arlington's AT&T Stadium; Class 3A-DI.
Rockdale 11-3 vs.
Yoakum 13-1, 7 p.m. Friday at Cypress' FCU Stadium; Class 3A-DI.
Newton 13-0 vs.
Boling 9-3, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Porter's Texan Drive Stadium; Class 3A-DII.
San Augustine 14-0 vs.
Refugio 12-1, 7 p.m. Thursday at Cypress' FCU Stadium; Class 2A-DI.
Wellington 13-1 vs.
Muenster 14-0, 7 p.m. Thursday at Vernon's Lion Stadium; Class 2A-DII.
