Three of the four 5A Division II semifinalists are back from last year along with a newcomer in Frisco Emerson. Can any of them stop South Oak Cliff from going back-to-back-to-back?
Here’s what to watch for in the 5A Division II semifinals.
Frisco Emerson Mavericks (12-2) vs. South Oak Cliff Golden Bears (12-2) Friday 7 p.m. @ Frisco
Emerson had a statement 59-48 win over Colleyville Heritage last week to advance to the state semifinals in just its second varsity season. In its regional final, South Oak Cliff continued its stranglehold over Lovejoy with a dominant 42-0 victory.
For the Mavericks, they have quite the quarterback-receiver duo in Oklahoma commit Michael Hawkins and Texas State commit Kylen Evans. This season, Hawkins has thrown for 2,878 yards, rushed for 1,108 yards, and scored 53 total touchdowns. Remarkably, he has 40 passing touchdowns to just two interceptions.
I uploaded the wrong clip earlier. Here is Michael Hawkins’ sixth TD of the evening, which came on a remarkable off-platform throw to Kylen Evans.
Emerson now leads 49-40 with 2:10 left in the third. The Mavericks have needed a masterpiece from Hawkins tonight. He’s delivered. pic.twitter.com/8pGoZ0dK0g
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) December 2, 2023
His top target Evans is coming off a big game against Colleyville Heritage where he had eight catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
When it’s not those two connecting, running back Izzy Bills has rushed for 1,250 yards and is averaging 7.4 yards per carry.
For South Oak Cliff, look for it to lean on its running back duo of Khalil Ewell and Danny Green Jr. Both are over 1,000 yards rushing on the season. It’s not just the backfield either. The Golden Bears have a wealth of weapons at receiver as well in Arizona State commit Elijah Baesa, Texas Southern commit Rickey Evans, and Texas Tech commit Trey Jackson.
Its defense is stacked too with Louisiana Monroe commit linebacker Brandon Jones, three-star linebacker Jayden Shelton, and North Texas commit Kerry Williams just to name a few.
Emerson’s offense has been tough for anyone to stop. The Mavericks wouldn’t be afraid to get into a shootout in this one. Whether it can move the ball against South Oak Cliff consistently though remains to be seen.
Port Neches-Groves Indians (13-1) vs. Liberty Hill Panthers (10-4) Friday 7 p.m. @ Cypress
Both of these teams have made the title game in the past two years (Port Neches-Groves last year and Liberty Hill two years ago). However, they both have state title droughts. Liberty Hill hasn’t won since 2007, while the Indians haven’t won one since 1975.
This game is a rematch from last year’s semifinal where PNG blew past the Panthers 42-14.
Liberty Hill has had a bit of an up-and-down season, including a 2-3 start. The Panthers’ slot-T offense continues to churn out yardage, but its defense has allowed 34 points per game. That has led to some wild shootouts.
Offensively, Liberty Hill will rely on Ben Carter (2,381 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns) and Noah Long (1,478 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns) to move the football. Both were over 100 rushing yards last week in the Panthers’ 28-14 win over Pieper.
Port Neches Groves loves to run the football too. Isaiah Nguyen will get the ball early and often. He’s rushed for 1,835 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, including 100 yards in PNG’s 24-14 win over Huntsville in the regional final. Blair Chatagnier is also over 1,000 yards rushing this year, while sophomore quarterback Connor Bailey has stepped into the starting role well. He has thrown for 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions this year. The Indians also have three-star offensive tackle Jackson Christian anchoring their offensive line.
This game might be a quick one with both teams intent on keeping the football on the ground. The slot-T battling Isaiah Nguyen in the rushing yardage will be a fun matchup to watch as both these teams look to get back to Arlington and snap their state title droughts.
