SportsDayHS staff writers Greg Riddle break down state semifinal football playoff games involving Dallas-area teams, as well as give their predictions.
Games below are listed in order of when they kick off. Find a full statewide schedule of games here.
Friday, Dec. 10
Class 5A Division I
Mansfield Summit (11-3) vs. College Station (14-0)
Game info: 7 p.m. Friday at Waco Midway’s Panther Stadium
Mansfield Summit (11-3)
Coach: Channon Hall (sixth year)
Regular season: District 4-5A Division I runner-up, finishing behind Colleyville Heritage. Summit started 4-3 but has won seven in a row.
How they got here: Beat Azle (38-14 in bi-district), beat El Paso Chapin (56-7 in area round), beat Midlothian (28-20 in regional semifinal), beat Colleyville Heritage (21-9 in Region I final)
Players to watch: Summit hasn’t thrown the ball much in the playoffs, as David Hopkins Jr. has averaged 12.8 pass attempts and 99 passing yards per game. But that’s because the running game has been so successful, with running backs Keon Hobbs and Orlando Scales combining to rush for 885 yards and eight touchdowns in four postseason games. For the season, Hopkins has accounted for 30 touchdowns (19 passing, 11 rushing), and he has only 10 interceptions after throwing 17 last season.
Scales leads Summit in rushing with 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns, while Hobbs has rushed for 1,112 yards and 14 scores. They have a combined nine 100-yard rushing game between them. Wide receiver Bryan Spotwood Jr. had two touchdown catches last week against Colleyville Heritage, giving him 10 for the season. Defensive end Joseph Adedire, committed to TCU, has 68 tackles and 20 tackles for loss.
College Station (14-0)
Coach: Steve Huff (10th year). Huff is the only head coach that College Station has ever had, landing the job when the school opened in 2012. College Station played its first season of UIL varsity football in 2014.
Regular season: District 8-5A Division I champion.
How they got here: Beat McKinney North (49-10 in bi-district), beat Frisco Lone Star (55-21 in area round), beat Frisco Wakeland (45-35 in regional semifinal), beat Denton Ryan (26-21 in Region II final).
Players to watch
College Station has outscored the opposition 714-151, averaging 51 points per game and allowing an average of 10.8 points per contest. Quarterback Jett Huff has thrown for 2,779 yards and 41 touchdowns, with only four interceptions, but the star of the team is junior running back Marquise Collins. The three-star recruit, rated the 34th-best running back in the nation in the Class of 2023, has run for 2,383 yards and 34 touchdowns and is averaging 170.2 yards per game. He ran for 216 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s win over defending 5A Division I state champion Denton Ryan. Traylen Suel is the team’s leading receiver with 78 receptions for 941 yards and 15 touchdowns, and he had nine catches for 78 yards against Denton Ryan. That was the fourth time this season that he has had at least nine catches in a game. Linebacker Jaxson Slanker has a team-high 150 tackles, including 16 against Ryan, while defensive linemen Korbin Johnson and Connor Lingren have combined for 47 tackles for loss.
Prediction: College Station 35, Mansfield Summit 21
— Greg Riddle
Class 5A Division II
South Oak Cliff (13-1) vs. Lubbock Cooper (13-1)
Game info: 7 p.m. Friday at Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium
South Oak Cliff (13-1)
Coach: Jason Todd (seventh year)
Regular season: Won District 6-5A Div. II championship, won nine regular season games in a row after season-opening loss to Duncanville.
How they got here: Beat Everman (49-28 in bi-district round), beat Frisco (35-24 in area round), beat Aledo (33-28 in regional semifinal), beat Lovejoy (42-21 in regional final)
Players to watch: Senior quarterback Kevin Henry-Jennings has been one of the Dallas-area’s most accurate passers all season. The Missouri State pledge has completed 66% of his passes for 2,649 yards, and has thrown 34 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He has eight rushing touchdowns, and scored twice on the ground against Lovejoy. The senior running back duo of Ke’Undrae Hollywood (1,048 yards, 16 touchdowns) and Qualon Farrar (944 yards, 14 touchdowns) has helped pace an offense that scores 51.85 points per game. Its defense allows just 13.88 points per game, and features a loaded secondary: four-star junior cornerbacks Malik Muhammad and Jayvon Thomas, as well as three-star senior Kyron Chambers.
Lubbock-Cooper (13-1)
Coach: Chip Darden (three years)
Regular season: Won District 3-5A II title. Its only loss was to Wolfforth Frenship (14-13) in Week 3.
How they got here: Beat Fort Worth Southwest (42-0 in bi-district round), beat El Paso Parkland (51-14 in area round), beat Grapevine (27-7 in regional semifinal), beat Wichita Falls Rider (22-0 in regional final).
Players to watch: The duo of Texas linebacker pledge Kobie McKinzie (four-star recruit) and Baylor defensive line pledge Kyler Jordan (three-star recruit) have helped Lubbock-Cooper hold opponents to just over five points per game in the postseason. Senior running back Judge Thomason has been Lubbock-Cooper’s workhorse out of the backfield, and has scored three times in its last two playoff games.
Prediction: South Oak Cliff 35, Lubbock-Cooper 21
— Shawn McFarland
Class 4A Division II
Celina (12-1) vs. Gilmer (13-1)
Game info: 7 p.m. Friday at Children’s Health Stadium at Prosper ISD
Celina (12-1)
Coach: Bill Elliott (10th year)
Regular season: District 4-4A Division II champion. Celina’s only regular-season loss was 23-0 against Argyle on Sept. 10. Celina has won 10 in a row since. The closest win during the streak was 29 points.
How they got here: Beat Mineral Wells (66-7 in bi-district), beat Perryton (57-7 in area round), beat Snyder (46-6 in regional semifinal), beat Aubrey (34-0 in Region I final).
Players to watch: Running back Gabe Gayton has rushed for more than 100 yards in six straight games, including a 281-yard effort against Van Alstyne. For the season, he has run for 1,643 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 8.7 yards per carry.
Running back Troy Peterson has rushed for 291 yards and five touchdowns in four playoff games after having only 251 yards and two touchdowns in the entire regular season.
Noah Bentley has thrown for more than 200 yards only twice, but he has 33 touchdown passes and is completing 60% of his passes. The team’s top two receivers have been Collin Urich (626 yards, eight touchdowns) and Brower Nickel (620 yards, 15 touchdowns). Both average more than 18 yards per catch. Trae Hollins leads the team with nine sacks.
Gilmer (13-1)
Coach: Alan Metzel (second year)
Regular season: District 8-4A Division II champion. Gilmer’s only regular-season loss was 28-7 to defending 4A Division II state champion Carthage. Since then, Gilmer has won nine in a row, with an average margin of victory of 36.1 points.
How they got here: Beat Mexia (71-14 in bi-district), beat Caddo Mills (68-31 in area round), beat Van (56-35 in regional semifinal), beat Texarkana Pleasant Grove (36-15 in Region II final).
Players to watch: Three-star quarterback Brandon Tennison, who led Gilmer to a state runner-up finish last season, is committed to UT-San Antonio and is directing an offense that averages 47.9 points per game. He has thrown for 3,472 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 71% of his passes. He has thrown 15 touchdown passes in the last three games while averaging 342.7 passing yards per game.
Running back Ashton Haynes has rushed for 1,147 yards and 22 touchdowns, but he has been held to a total of 58 yards on 13 carries in the last two games. He has six 100-yard rushing games and two 100-yard receiving games.
Three-star wide receiver/defensive back Rohan Fluellen leads Gilmer with 72 receptions for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he also has a team-best eight interceptions. He’s not the only receiving threat, as Sam Houston State pledge Jay Rockwell and Parker Gilow each have nine touchdown catches.
Matthew Burton leads Gilmer in tackles (116), tackles for loss (25) and sacks (15).
Prediction: Gilmer 42, Celina 28
— Greg Riddle
Saturday, Dec. 11
Class 6A Division I
Southlake Carroll (14-0) vs. Duncanville (12-1)
Game info: 4 p.m. Saturday at McKinney ISD Stadium
Southlake Carroll (14-0)
Coach: Riley Dodge (fourth year)
Regular season: Won District 4-6A championship, finished regular season as top-ranked Dallas-area 6A team.
How they got here: Beat North Crowley (42-20 in bi-district round), beat Midland Legacy (42-7 in area round), beat Lewisville (52-0 in regional semifinal), beat Allen (47-21 in regional final)
Players to watch: Junior running back Owen Allen has been one of the Dallas-area’s premier rushers since his sophomore season. He leads Carroll with 2,114 yards and 32 touchdowns on 7.42 yards per carry. Boston College tight end pledge RJ Maryland (1,110 yards, 14 touchdowns) and South Carolina wide receiver pledge Landon Samson (752 yards, 14 touchdowns) provide a stable of weapons for first-year starting quarterback Kaden Anderson, a junior who’s passed for 2,797 yards and 34 touchdowns while completing 60% of his throws. Senior cornerback Avyonne Jones, a Wisconsin pledge, has 52 tackles, two interceptions and a sack on the season. Linebacker Barrett Jones, also a senior, has a team-high three sacks and five tackles for loss.
Duncanville (12-1)
Coach: Reginald Samples (seven years)
Regular season: Won District 11-6A title. Duncanville’s only loss was to Mater Dei (Calif.), MaxPreps’ top-ranked team in the country.
How they got here: Beat Belton (63-7 in bi-district round), beat Mesquite (52-2 in area round), beat Spring (42-7 in regional semifinal), beat DeSoto (38-20 in regional final).
Players to watch: Duncanville’s loaded defense, which held teams to an average of 12 points per game in its first 14 contests, includes a host of star recruits. Five-star senior defensive lineman Omari Abor holds offers from Alabama, Oklahoma and Ohio State. Three-star senior linebacker Jordan Crook is committed to Arkansas, and four-star junior cornerback Deldrick Madison holds offers from Oklahoma, Baylor and Michigan. Senior running back Malachi Medlock, a Toledo commit, leads Duncanville’s offense with 1,556 yards and 24 total touchdowns.
Prediction: Southlake Carroll 28, Duncanville 24
— Shawn McFarland
Class 6A Division II
Denton Guyer (13-1) vs. Tomball (11-3)
Game info: 7 p.m. Saturday at Waco’s McLane Stadium
Denton Guyer (13-1)
Coach: Rodney Webb (second year)
Regular season: Tied Allen for first place in District 5-6A. Guyer’s only loss was 38-31 against Allen.
How they got here: Beat Flower Mound (34-14 in bi-district), beat Jesuit (56-7 in area round), beat Trophy Club Byron Nelson (43-36 in regional semifinal), beat Prosper (25-22 in Region I final).
Players to watch: In his first season as Guyer’s starting quarterback, four-star junior Jackson Arnold has thrown for 3,611 yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 66.7% of his passes and throwing only five interceptions. Arnold, rated the seventh-best quarterback in the nation in the Class of 2023, has five 300-yard passing games.
Guyer has three receivers with over 500 yards and more than 40 receptions — Dartmouth pledge Grayson O’Bara (75 catches for 997 yards), Brody Noble (50 for 693) and UT-San Antonio pledge Jace Wilson (49 for 595). O’Bara has four 100-yard games. Byron Phillips leads the running game with 788 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Arnold has nine touchdown runs.
Tomball (11-3)
Coach: Kevin Flanigan (fifth year)
Regular season: Fourth place in District 15-6A
How they got here: Beat Cypress Park (52-29 in bi-district), beat Willis (37-7 in area round), beat Rockwall-Heath (35-21 in regional semifinal), beat Cypress Bridgeland (48-13 in Region II final).
Players to watch: Dual-threat quarterback Cale Hellums, committed to Army, has thrown for 1,910 yards and 22 touchdowns and has run for 1,775 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has thrown for more than 200 yards in a game just twice, but he has run for more than 100 yards seven times, with a season high of 317 yards.
Running back Christian Womack has run for 1,222 yards but has been held below 100 yards in each of the last five games. Derrick Taylor had his 10th touchdown catch of the season last week against Bridgeland. The senior wide receiver had a 10-catch, 234-yard game against Klein Cain in the regular season.
Prediction: Denton Guyer 24, Tomball 21
— Greg Riddle
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