Area has trio of semifinalists
And then there were three. North Shore, Summer Creek and Bellville are the only Houstonarea teams remaining in the UIL playoffs, and all three have tough matchups in the state semifinals this week.
Can North Shore get back to the state championship game for a fifth time in six years?
Will Summer Creek extend its historic season even further?
How will Bellville fare against its toughest opponent to date?
We take a look at those games this week, as well as the corresponding semifinal matchups. We will soon find out which teams will be headed to Arlington next week to compete for the coveted state championships.
Friday Gilmer (11-3) vs. Glen Rose (10-4)
Class 4A Division II semifinal
7 p.m. at Prosper’s Children’s Health Stadium
Gilmer is two years removed from its last appearance in a state championship game, which also coincides with its last trip to the state semifinals.
The Buckeyes have won eight straight games, including a massive win over defendingchampion Carthage last week. Gilmer won 47-44, handing the Bulldogs their first loss in 29 games.
Gilmer quarterback Cadon Tennison threw touchdown passes to three different receivers in the win.
Glen Rose began the season 1-4 but finds itself on the cusp of a state championship game appearance. The Tigers have reeled off nine straight wins, including four playoff wins where they weren’t challenged much.
Glen Rose is outscoring opponents 215-67 so far in the playoffs, including a 45-13 regional championship win over West Plains last week.
Junior quarterback Canyon Evans has thrown for 45 touchdowns and 4,246 yards. Glen Rose reached the state semifinals for the first time last season before falling to Carthage. Rob Tate
Jon’s prediction: Gilmer 42, Glen Rose 35.
Rob’s prediction: Glen Rose 35, Gilmer 28.
Bellville (14-0) vs. Wimberly (14-0)
Class 4A Division II semifinal
7:30 p.m. at Pflugerville’s The Pfield
Can Bellville keep its dominant run going? The Brahmas will face perhaps their toughest test of the season against Wimberley this week.
The game is one of just three semifinal matchups to feature a pair of undefeated teams.
Bellville played its closest game of the season last week, beating Jasper 31-7 to win the Region III championship.
The Brahmas are back in the state semifinals for the first time since 2012. If they are able to knock Wimberley from the ranks of the unbeaten, it will mark the program’s first championship game appearance since 1977.
Bellville has outscored its opponents at a staggering rate of 758-76. The defense has been lights out, allowing just 5.4 points per contest.
Senior linebacker Connor Gaines leads the team with 135 tackles, and senior Jacob Shepherd has 109. D.J. Sanders, an uncommitted four-star defensive lineman, and fellow senior Cory Richardson each have 13 sacks.
Bellville has a tough test against Wimberley, the 2022 state runner-up.
The Texans have been dominant in the playoffs, outscoring their opponents 218-34. That includes a 38-13 victory against Sinton in the Region IV championship game last week.
Junior quarterback Cody Stoever has enjoyed a standout season, passing for 2,717 yards and 41 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He accounted for four scores against Sinton.
The most recent meeting between these programs came in 2012, when Bellville prevailed with a 21-7 victory in the area playoffs.
Jon Poorman Jon’s prediction:
Bellville 28, Wimberley
21.
Rob’s prediction: Bellville 53, Wimberley
13.
Saturday Duncanville (12-1) vs. North Crowley (14-0)
Class 6A Division I semifinal
3 p.m. at Mesquite Memorial Stadium
Duncanville is one victory away from its sixth trip to the state championship. The defending champions have played for the title each year since 2018 except one, 2020.
The Panthers built a 50-point lead in the first half against Westfield last week before finishing with a 70-28 victory. The 70 points scored were a season high, and Duncanville has won five straight games.
The Panthers are averaging 61 points per game in the playoffs. LSU commit Caden Durham ran for five touchdowns for the second time this postseason and has 26 this season.
North Crowley has won 26-of-27 games dating back to the beginning of last season.
Last year, the Panthers were eliminated in the regional semifinals by Prosper. This year, North Crowley avenged the Prosper loss in the same round and followed up with a 49-37 defeat of Allen on Saturday.
The Panthers have 70 rushing touchdowns as a team, led by senior Ashton Searl’s 31.
North Crowley’s last state semifinal came during its 2003 championship season. These two programs haven’t met since the 2010 and 2011 seasons, when Duncanville won both times.
Rob Tate Jon’s prediction:
Duncanville 42, North Crowley 34.
Rob’s prediction: Duncanville 37, North Crowley 31.
North Shore (14-0) vs. Austin Westlake (14-0)
Class 6A Division I semifinal
3 p.m. at Pflugerville’s The Pfield
North Shore didn’t allow a 14-0 deficit against Atascocita to faze them last week in the regional championship. The Mustangs answered the bell as Kaleb Bailey connected with Christopher Barnes for two key touchdowns in the 34-28 win over the Eagles.
North Shore, last year’s state runner-up, is playing in the state semifinals for the sixth consecutive year and 10th time overall.
The Mustangs have won 44 of their past 47 games dating back to the 2021 season. The Atascocita win was their smallest margin of victory all season.
Westlake’s only loss so far this decade came against North Shore in the state semifinals last year.
The Chaparrals have reeled off 14 straight wins this season while outscoring their opponents 635-136. That includes a 21-14 win over Lake Travis last week for the regional championship.
Westlake’s top prospect is three-star UH commit Heath McRee, a senior wide receiver with 503 yards and seven touchdowns.
North Shore is 2-1 against the Chaparrals since 2015. The lone loss was in the 2020 playoffs. The two proud programs have combined for nine state championships.
Rob Tate Jon’s prediction:
North Shore 34, Westlake 28.
Rob’s prediction: Austin Westlake 35, North Shore 34.
Southlake Carroll (13-1) vs. DeSoto (13-0)
Class 6A Division II semifinal
2 p.m. at Allen’s Eagle Stadium
These two Dallas-area powerhouses are no strangers to deep playoff runs, and with both teams ranked in the top 25 nationally by USA Today, this could be a classic.
DeSoto, No. 5 in the country, is the defending Class 6A Division II state champion and has won 26 of its last 28 games dating back to the beginning of last season.
The Eagles have some impressive wins under their belts, including a 49-35 drubbing of Duncanville, ranked 11th nationally, in late October.
They took care of business against a previously unbeaten Willis team and record-setting fivestar quarterback D.J. Lagway in the regional semifinals with a 65-31 win.
DeSoto then rolled to a 59-16 triumph against Cedar Hill last week to capture the Region II crown.
Senior quarterback D.J. Bailey, a Sam Houston commit, has passed for 2,884 yards and 38 touchdowns against just one interception. He will be a handful for Southlake Carroll, the No. 25 team in the country.
The Dragons have won five consecutive games since suffering their only loss of the season against Byron Nelson in late October. Carroll exacted revenge last week, eliminating its district foe with a 56-7 victory in the Region I championship game.
Sophomore running back Davis Penn was the catalyst in that game, rushing for 143 yards and four touchdowns.
Southlake Carroll is 3-2 against DeSoto since 2012, including three straight wins. The last meeting between the programs came in 2019, when the Dragons earned a 37-15 area playoff win.
Jon Poorman Jon’s prediction:
DeSoto 38, Carroll 31.
Rob’s prediction: DeSoto 45, Carroll 28.
Summer Creek (13-1) vs. Cibolo Steele (13-1)
Class 6A Division II semifinal
4 p.m. at Baylor’s McLane Stadium
What a ride it’s been for Summer Creek. The Bulldogs are enjoying the best season in program history and have a chance to secure their spot at AT&T Stadium with a victory this weekend.
Summer Creek had a close call in the Region III championship game, rallying from an 11-point deficit with less than seven minutes to play against Hightower. The Bulldogs ultimately pulled out the 35-31 victory to reach the state semifinals for the first time.
Senior running back Lloyd Avant continued to be the workhorse for the offense with 139 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries against Hightower.
He is less than 150 yards from reaching 2,000 for the season.
Steele displayed the strength of its run defense during a 28-21 victory against Dripping Springs in the Region IV championship game last week.
The Knights limited the Tigers to just 53 rushing yards on 27 attempts, an average of 2 yards per carry.
Steele has won 12 consecutive games since suffering its only loss of the season in Week 2 against Lake Travis.
The Knights have two stars in their secondary with four-star safety Dontae Carter and threestar cornerback Alvin Williamson Jr., both Vanderbilt commits. Cater leads the team with seven interceptions this season.
Senior edge rusher Abdon Mata has a teamhigh 12 sacks and 26 tackles for loss.
This will be the first meeting between Summer Creek and Steele. Steele is 48-15 in the playoffs since 2007 and last reached the state championship game in 2016.
Jon Poorman Jon’s prediction: Steele 31, Summer Creek
30.
Rob’s prediction: Summer Creek 28, Steele
21.
Jon’s record: 6-0 last week; 120-48 overall (.714).
Rob’s record: 5-1 last week; 120-50 overall (.706).