From quarterback duals to a seemingly David-versus-Goliath matchups, there is plenty of exciting action to look forward to in the second round of the UIL 6A-Division 1 sector of the playoffs. Here are four matchups to keep an eye on this coming weekend:
Coppell Cowboys (10-1) vs. Mesquite Horn Jaguars (10-1)
Coppell, the District 9-6A champions, and Mesquite Horn, the District 11-6A champions, will square off in a highly anticipated playoff encounter at Allen Eagle Stadium on Friday, Nov. 24. Coppell defeated Rowlett 37-6 in the first round, while Mesquite Horn turned around an early 10-0 deficit in its 45-24 win over Oak Ridge. All signs point to a shootout as both teams feature high-flying offense with the Cowboys averaging 44.2 points per game and the Jaguars averaging 45.7 points per game. The Cowboys can air the ball out with Memphis quarterback commit Brady McBride at the helm. He has thrown for 1,922 yards and 34 touchdowns on the season. When asked about the key to McBride’s offensive success this year, Coppell coach Mike Dewitt responded, "his experience and decision making along with a strong running game." The aforementioned running game is led by junior Ryan Hirt, who has 1,175 yards on the season and is averaging an impressive eight yards per carry. 5-foot-10 junior wide receiver Blake Jackson has been the Cowboys’ most dangerous receiver with 15 touchdown catches and over 700 yards. Defensively, the Cowboys have allowed only 22.8 points per game and are anchored by safety Jonathan McGill, who has offers from Stanford and Syracuse. They will be in for a tough task against the Jaguars, who are a led by the extremely athletic quarterback Jermaine Givens. Givens has thrown for 2,441 yards and 27 touchdowns, while also leading the team in rushing with 1,144 yards. "Jermaine is very elusive and quick, making it difficult to get a solid hit on him," Mesquite Horn head coach Mike Overton said. "Secondly, he has great awareness in the pocket, so when things break down, he can get out of trouble with his legs." Givens has a very talented receiving core to target. 5-foot-8 speedster Cornell Caldwell is always a threat to go the distance as evidenced by his 69-yard touchdown against Oak Ridge in the first round of playoffs. Across from him is Maureese Wren, who has 750 yards receiving on the season and offers from Washington, Arizona, Colorado and Texas Tech. This is certain to be a highly contested matchup between two teams with very talented quarterbacks. This very well may be a game where the offense that has the ball last walks away with a spot in the third round of the playoffs.
Sachse Mustangs (11-0) vs. Rockwall Yellowjackets (6-5)
Sachse will be aiming to preserve its perfect season on Saturday at Allen Eagle Stadium when it faces a Rockwall team coming off a stunning 23-7 win over The Woodlands, the No. 7 team in the state in the Texas AP High School Football Poll. Sachse itself is ranked No. 4 in the poll. The Mustangs took down Lake Highlands 49-28 in the first round of the playoffs. Senior running back Christian Cole will be a big component of a Sachse offense that averages a staggering 48.7 points per game. He ran for 300 yards last week, bringing his season total to 1,660 yards. “He runs behind his pads. He is a very physical runner,” Sachse coach Red Behrens said. “It takes more than an arm tackle to get him down. The O-Line has done a very good job as well.” Cole is also dangerous in the passing game, as he caught two passes for 56 yards and a touchdown last week. “He has great hands,” Behrens said. “He is a very driven young man.” Quarterback Jalen Mayden is another dangerous weapon that the Yellowjackets will have to account for. Mayden, a Mississippi State commit, has thrown for 1,690 yards and 22 touchdowns and racked up 633 yards on the ground as well. Drue Jackson, a Washington State commit, has been Mayden’s favorite target with 597 yards so far on the season. Rockwall will not be fazed, though, after holding a Highlander offense that had been averaging 46.7 points per game to just seven points. “We’ve got to play a mistake-free game on Saturday,” Rockwall coach Rodney Webb said. “We played with tremendous emotion last Saturday against The Woodlands, and we’ll need to match that emotion this week.” Against The Woodlands, the Yellowjacket defense was helped out by the run game, which grinded out yards, running down the clock and keeping The Woodlands’ offense off the field. Sophomore Zach Henry ran for 126 yards and a touchdown on a day where gusty winds put a greater emphasis on the run. Although, if conditions are favorable, do not be surprised if this game turns into a quarterback dual. Jacob Clark has thrown for 2,726 yards and 29 touchdowns on the season for the Yellowjackets, while his favorite target Jaxon Smith, also a sophomore, has 74 receptions for an astonishing 1,204 yards, prompting SMU to already offer him. Across from Smith is Cameron Crayton, who has 869 yards receiving and offers from Bowling Green and Louisiana Monroe. Sachse does have safety Isaiah Humphries, a Penn State commit, who will be looked upon to help slow down this Rockwall passing attack. Both teams feature prolific offenses that can put points up in a hurry. Sachse will be favored, but Rockwall have nothing to lose as they come in looking to knock another Goliath out of the playoffs.
Cypress Ranch Mustangs (8-2) vs. Katy Tigers (9-0)
Revenge is on the line when the Mustangs and Tigers square off on Saturday at NRG Stadium. The past two years, Katy has knocked the Mustangs out of the playoffs by scores of 59-20 in 2015 and 31-14 in 2016. The Tigers this year are led by their stingy defense which has only given up 6.9 points per game, while recording three shutouts. When asked about the key to the Tigers’ defensive success, Katy head coach Gary Joseph responded “unselfishness and consistency!” The Tiger secondary is coming off an impressive performance, where they picked off Fort Bend Travis three times in their 45-14 first round victory. On the other side of the ball, the Tigers rely on their rushing attack anchored by junior Deondrick Glass, who has offers from Alabama, Texas and Ohio State, among many others. Josh Oglesby stepped up in a big way against Travis, rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns, while Glass added 92 yards and three more touchdowns. “They have a great offensive line and two very good running backs,” Cypress Ranch coach Gene Johnson said. “The most important factor in this game will be controlling the offensive and defensive line of scrimmages.” The Tigers trust quarterback Austin Marshall to be more of a game manager and he did just that in the first round, completing four of five passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. The Mustangs boast an impressive running back of their own in Elias Pinot. He ran for 123 yards and a touchdown in his team’s first round 48-12 victory over Bellaire. "Katy is very good at ‘fitting’ the run and is allowing less than 40 rushing yards per game,” Johnson said. “If we can’t find a way to run the ball it will make it extremely difficult.” Quarterback Logan McDougald added five touchdowns of his own, while throwing for 148 yards against Bellaire. Freshman receiver Edwin Smith will be a player to keep an eye on, especially in the red zone, after he caught two touchdowns in the Mustangs’ first round victory. Both teams will look to the ground game for success on Saturday. It should be an emotionally charged thriller as Cypress Ranch looks to overturn two years of frustration and heartbreak.
Trinity Trojans (9-2) vs. Duncanville Panthers (11-0)
Duncanville will look to keep its undefeated season alive against Euless Trinity, the district five champions, in a showdown at AT&T Stadium on Saturday. The Panthers accumulated 525 yards on the ground in their 62-0 rout of Killeen Ellison and are led by running back Keilon Elder, who has run for over 1,000 yards on the season and added 109 yards and three touchdowns to his name in the win over Ellison. Sophomore Ja'Quinden Jackson, a wide receiver and quarterback for the Panthers with offers from high profile schools such as Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech, will be the player to watch as he has thrown for 245 yards, run for 677 yards, and amassed 334 yards receiving. In the passing game, dual threat quarterback Trazon Connley has thrown for 1,117 yards and rushed for 377 more, while junior Gyasi Smith has been his top target hauling in 29 catches for a team-high 342 yards. The Trinity offense, which averages 29.4 points per game, will have to be at its best to keep up with a Duncanville team averaging 44.3 points per game. The Trojans are coming off a thrilling 28-21 overtime victory against Plano. They also have a prolific rushing attack led by Courage Keihn who is coming off a 241-yard, two touchdown showing against Plano. Keanu Hill is the Trojan’s top receiver with 28 catches and 397 yards receiving on the year, while Toby Harrah caught what turned out to be the game winning touchdown on a 25-yard pass from quarterback Laki Ellis, who has thrown for 769 yards so far this year. Duncanville continues to prove doubters wrong, but Trinity will be no easy task, especially with the momentum it has coming into the game after a tight win last week.
