STATE SEMIFINALS
6A Division I NORTH SHORE (13-1) VS. LAKE TRAVIS (13-1) 4 p.m. Saturday, Kelly Reeves Stadium, Round Rock
This isn’t your older brother’s North Shore team, wich won by wearing teams down with depth and defense. These highly explosive Mustangs are overwhelming foes with big play after big play on offense. They’re averaging 62.5 points per game in the postseason after dropping 76 on Atascocita, which piled up 49 points – and still lost by four touchdowns. By comparison, North Shore allowed only 16.2 ppg in the playoffs in its 2015 state championship run – and only 31 total points in five playoffs games en route to the 2003 6A Division I title. The Mustangs racked up a mind-blowing 804 yards against Atascocita, and QB Dematrius Davis continued to run wild, rushing for 293 yards and three TDs after rushing for 283 yards and three TDs against Katy. Oh, and he still threw for 446 yards and five TDs in the two games combined. This is North Shore’s second consecutive state semifinals matchup with Lake Travis, which it walloped 51-10 last season. Lake Travis is in the semis for the fifth straight year.
6A Division II DENTON GUYER (13-1) VS. WESTFIELD (13-1) 1 p.m. Saturday, Panther Stadium
The Houston area supplied half the 6A Division II field, but both will be hard-pressed to overcome favored opponents this week. Westfield survived three first-half turnovers to eliminate Dallas Jesuit 38-28 and claim its first regional title under Matt Meekins, whose brother Corby was the head coach the last time it reached the fifth round in 2015. That year, the Mustangs lost 64-33 to Cedar Hill in the semis. Their only state finals appearance (which was the fifth round at the time) was back in 2004. Guyer is back in the state semis for the first time since winning back-toback 5A Division I championships in 2012 and 2013. The Wildcats edged Cedar Hill 50-41 in the area playoffs and routed Amarillo Tascosa 48-7 for the Region I crown. This is the first meeting between Westfield and Guyer, which is averaging 46.9 ppg to Westfield’s 38.1. The Mustangs have the advantage on defense, allowing 9.8 ppg to the Wildcats’ 21.5, but as with Jesuit last week, Guyer faced the tougher schedule, with games against Aledo and Southlake Carroll in the first half of the season.
KATY TAYLOR (9-5) VS. AUSTIN WESTLAKE (13-1) 2:30 p.m. Saturday, McLane Stadium, Waco
How’s this for an unlikely fifthround matchup: fourth-place district team Katy Taylor vs. eighttime state finalist and perennial championship contender Westlake. In the immediate aftermath of the program’s first regional title, secured with a 58-20 rout of Cypress Creek, Taylor coach Chad Simmons said he was just happy to be playing another week, but there’s no doubt the Mustangs would like to win another week, too, and that likely means needing to stave off any nerves with another fast start. Against Creek, they were up 20-0 less than 10 minutes in. Westlake, in its third consecutive state semi and 15th overall, is allowing only 10.1 ppg and has outscored opponents 668-141 for the season. Conversely, Taylor had allowed more points than it scored until dropping 51 on Creek, giving it 426 points scored to 408 allowed.
5A Division I SHADOW CREEK (14-0) VS. SAN ANTONIO WAGNER (13-1) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Alamo Stadium, San Antonio
It’s a rematch. Shadow Creek was down 24-21 in the fourth quarter of last year’s matchup at NRG Stadium before erupting for 20 points in the final 7:40, including a 100-yard return of a missed field goal with 2:37 remaining, of a 41-24 victory. Both teams have new personnel at key positions, including quarterback, but both remain explosive. The Sharks, who will have to go on the road to win this time, rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit against rival Foster to secure their second regional title in as many tries last week, with QB Kyron Drones throwing for 316 yards and three TDs and rushing for 118 yards and one TD. Wagner destroyed Corpus Christi 74-14 in Region IV. Sophomore QB Isaiah Williams ran for 210 yards and two TDs, and he also completed two passes – both for scores.
5A Division II FORT BEND MARSHALL (13-1) VS. BOERNE CHAMPION (13-1) 3 p.m. Saturday, Kyle Field, College Station
This matchup features two relative newcomers to the state semifinal stage, with Champion making its first appearance and Marshall only its second after making its debut last season in a 19-17 win over Corpus Christi Calallen. The Buffalos duo of QB Malik Hornsby and RB Devon Achane continues to be one of the state’s most explosive. They combined for 267 yards on only 26 carries last week, helping Marshall avenge a 38-34 district loss to Manvel with a 40-10 rout in the regional final. Achane rushed for four TDs and Hornsby threw for two TDs. Champion clipped Calallen 49-42 in the Region IV final after surviving 45-38 in overtime against Mission Pioneer in the regional semis. Marshall is scoring 47.9 ppg and allowing 11.6 ppg, while the Chargers are scoring 43.7 and surrendering 20.1.
3A Division I GRANDVIEW (13-1) VS COLUMBUS (12-2) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Kelly Reeves Stadium, Round Rock
Columbus running back Tyree Simcik keeps getting better. He erupted for a playoff-high 281 yards and five touchdowns on 32 rushes in last week’s 48-25 win over Hallettsville. He scored two TDs in each of the first two playoff games and three against Vanderbilt Industrial, giving him 12 in the playoffs to go with 776 rushing yards. The Cardinals now are in the state semifinals for only the second time in a long school history, and the first since 1993, when they ended up falling 32-0 to Cuero. This is their first matchup with Grandview – the reigning 3A Division I champion. The Zebras ousted Troy 34-13 to return to the state semis for the second time in school history.
3A Division II OMAHA PEWITT (13-1) VS. EAST BERNARD (14-0) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Waco ISD Stadium
While East Bernard took care of business early in the regional final, Pewitt saved its best for last, rallying from a 17-point halftime deficit and scoring the go-ahead TD with less than 2 minutes remaining in a 45-42 win over Daingerfield that avenged a 42-38 loss to the district rival last month. East Bernard led Ganado 30-10 at halftime last week – after jumping out to a 16-0 lead in the first five minutes – and the score didn’t change in the second half. The Brahmas are playing without leading rusher Kobe Brown, forcing RBs Tanner Baggett, Devin Chapman and Kameron Matthews to elevate their play, and they’ve answered the challenge, combining for 232 yards and four TDs on 28 carries against Ganado. Pewitt is averaging more points per game than East Bernard (44.4 to 39.9), but East Bernard has the edge on defense, holding opponents to 7.4 ppg, compared with 22.4 for Pewitt.