Central Texas Teams Still In Pursuit Of A State Championship

 
There​ ​are​ ​currently​ ​176​ ​teams​ ​still​ ​in​ ​the​ ​UIL​ ​playoffs​ ​and​ ​of​ ​those​ ​176​ ​teams,​ ​12​ ​of​ ​those​ ​are from​ ​the​ ​Central​ ​Texas​ ​area.​ ​Below​ ​is​ ​a​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Central​ ​Texas​ ​teams​ ​that​ ​are​ ​still​ ​in​ ​pursuit of​ ​a​ ​state​ ​championship.

Class​ ​1A

Jonesboro:​ ​​Last​ ​season​ ​Coach​ ​Eddie​ ​Gallegos​ ​lead​ ​the​ ​Eagles​ ​to​ ​their​ ​first​ ​state title game ​appearance​ ​in​ ​school​ ​history,​ ​but​ ​Jonesboro​ ​was​ ​defeated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Borden​ ​County Coyotes​ ​60-12.​ ​The​ ​Eagles​ ​are​ ​on​ ​a​ ​roll​ ​once​ ​again​ ​this​ ​season​ ​and​ ​currently​ ​hold​ ​a​ ​record​ ​of 11-1,​ ​with​ ​their​ ​only​ ​loss​ ​coming​ ​from​ ​Milford​ ​71-44​ ​in​ ​Week​ ​2.​ ​

Jonesboro​ ​responded​ ​well​ ​after the​ ​loss​ ​and​ ​have​ ​scored​ ​over​ ​70​ ​points​ ​during​ ​five​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ten​ ​games​ ​played.​ ​The​ ​Eagles​ ​will have​ ​their​ ​hands​ ​full​ ​this​ ​week,​ ​as​ ​they​ ​play​ ​the​ ​12-0​ ​May​ ​Tigers​ ​Friday​ ​night​ ​in​ ​Dublin​ ​at 7:00pm.

Milford:​ ​
​The​ ​Bulldogs​ ​have​ ​put​ ​together​ ​an​ ​impressive​ ​resume​ ​this​ ​season,​ ​including​ ​a​ ​very impressive​ ​62-16​ ​shellacking​ ​of​ ​defending​ ​State​ ​Champions​ ​Richland​ ​Springs.​ ​Coach​ ​Crumpton has​ ​Milford​ ​(13-0)​ ​​ ​playing​ ​at​ ​a​ ​very​ ​high​ ​level​ ​at​ ​the​ ​right​ ​time,​ ​now​ ​the​ ​Bulldogs​ ​will​ ​see​ ​if​ ​they can​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​this​ ​week’s​ ​opponent​ ​Iredell.​

​Milford​ ​and​ ​Iredell​ ​will​ ​play​ ​Friday​ ​7:30pm​ ​at McGregor’s​ ​Bulldog​ ​Stadium​ ​and​ ​this​ ​will​ ​be​ ​the​ ​third​ ​overall​ ​meeting​ ​between​ ​these​ ​teams, who​ ​have​ ​split​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​games​ ​1-1.

Class​ ​2A

Bosqueville:​ ​​
The​ ​Bulldogs​ ​started​ ​the​ ​season​ ​off​ ​with​ ​a​ ​21-14​ ​win​ ​over​ ​Santo,​ ​but​ ​they dropped​ ​the​ ​next​ ​four​ in a row.​ ​District​ play had proven to be a different story for ​ ​Bosqueville​, winning four​ ​of​ ​five ​district​ ​games​ ​and​ ​they​ ​were​ ​the​ ​only​ ​district​ ​opponent​ ​to score​ ​a​ ​touchdown​ ​against​ ​Mart.​ ​

Bosqueville​ ​(7-5)​ ​will​ ​get​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​at​ ​redemption​ ​this​ ​week when​ ​they​ ​face​ ​the​ ​Crawford​ ​Pirates.​ ​Crawford​ ​beat​ ​Bosqueville​ ​55-38​ ​during​ ​week​ ​four,​ ​but​ ​the Bulldogs​ ​aren’t​ ​the​ ​same​ ​team​ ​that​ ​faced​ ​the​ ​Pirates​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time​ ​around,​ ​the​ ​game​ ​will​ ​be played​ ​Friday​ ​7:30pm​ ​in​ ​Robinson.

Crawford:​ ​​
This​ ​season​ ​didn’t​ ​start​ ​off​ ​the​ ​way​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Pirates​ ​were​ ​hoping​ ​it​ ​would.​ ​Crawford was​ ​upset​ ​in​ ​week​ ​2​ ​by​ ​Clifton​ ​21-20,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​worst​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​loss​ ​wasn’t​ ​the​ ​game​ ​itself,​ ​it​ ​was the​ ​loss​ ​of​ ​running​ ​back​ ​Garrett​ ​Dutschmann.​ ​The​ ​Pirates,​ ​like​ ​any​ ​true​ ​champions,​ ​made​ ​the necessary​ ​adjustments​ ​and​ ​were​ ​able​ ​rely​ ​on​ ​other​ ​players​ ​to​ ​step​ ​up​ ​in​ ​the​ ​absence​ ​of Dutschmann.​ ​

Crawford​ ​(10-2)​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​riding​ ​a​ ​seven​ ​game​ ​winning​ ​streak​ ​and​ ​looking​ ​for another​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​AT&T​ ​Stadium,​ ​where​ ​they​ ​lost​ ​the​ ​championship​ ​game​ ​to​ ​Refugio​ ​23-30​ ​in 2016.

Mart:​ ​​
The​ ​Panthers​ ​are​ ​no​ ​strangers​ ​to​ ​the​ ​postseason​ ​and​ ​this​ ​year’s​ ​team​ ​is​ ​reminiscent​ ​of the​ ​state​ ​championship​ ​teams​ ​that​ ​Mart​ ​has​ ​had​ ​before.​ ​Lexington​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​defeat​ ​Mart (11-1)​ ​in​ ​Week 1 ​40-38,​ ​but​ ​since​ ​that​ ​night​ ​the​ ​Panthers​ ​have​ ​been​ ​unstoppable.​

​Mart​ ​was able​ ​to​ ​outscore​ ​their​ ​district​ ​opponents​ ​290-14​ ​and​ ​they​ ​have​ ​won​ ​their​ ​two​ ​playoff​ ​games​ ​by​ ​a combined​ ​score​ ​of​ ​120-9.​ ​Mart​ ​will​ ​face​ ​a​ ​very​ ​talented​ ​11-0​ ​De​ ​Leon​ ​team​ ​this​ ​Friday​ ​7:30pm at​ ​Whitney’s​ ​Wildcat​ ​Stadium.



Class​ ​3A

Teague:​ ​​
The​ ​Lions​ ​have​ ​two​ ​losses​ ​this​ ​season​ ​and​ ​both​ ​of​ ​those​ ​losses​ ​came​ ​against​ ​teams still​ ​in​ ​the​ ​playoffs,​ ​West​ ​and​ ​Madisonville.​ ​Teague​ ​has​ ​been​ ​eliminated​ ​from​ ​the​ ​playoffs​ ​by​ ​the Cameron​ ​Yoe​ ​every​ ​season​ ​since​ ​2014,​ ​but​ ​this​ ​season​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​Lions​ ​who​ ​eliminated​ ​the Yoe​ ​from​ ​the​ ​playoffs​ ​40-14.​ ​

The​ ​Lions​ ​will​ ​test​ ​their​ ​pride​ ​against​ ​another​ ​pride​ ​of​ ​lions​ ​this week,​ ​the​ ​10-2​ ​Franklin​ ​Lions,​ ​the​ ​game​ ​will​ ​be​ ​Friday​ ​night​ ​7:30​ ​at​ ​Waco​ ​ISD​ ​Stadium.

West:​​​
The​ ​Trojans​ ​faced​ ​some​ ​growing​ ​pains​ ​last​ ​season​ ​going​ ​5-6,​ ​but​ ​that​ ​experience​ ​has paid​ ​dividends​ ​as​ ​West​ has doubled their win total (10) and ​has​ ​given​ ​their​ ​community​ ​the​ ​second​ ​double​ ​digit​ ​win​ ​season​ ​in over​ ​twenty​ ​years.​ ​

The​ ​Trojans​ ​losses​ ​came​ ​against​ ​Mart​ ​and​ ​Malakoff,​ ​but​ ​in​ ​the​ ​playoffs​ ​they have​ ​outscored​ ​opponents​ ​83-14.​ ​The​ ​Trojans​ ​will​ ​face​ ​Rockdale​ ​for​ ​the​ ​second​ ​time​ ​this season​ ​on​ ​Friday​ ​7:30pm​ ​at​ ​Belton’s​ ​Tiger​ ​Stadium. ​West​ ​won​ ​the​ ​first​ ​meeting​ ​over​ ​Rockdale 42-24.



Class​ ​4A

Waco La​ ​Vega:​​​
The​ ​Pirates(12-0)​ ​​​have​ ​lost​ ​just​ ​one​ ​game​ ​over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​three​ ​seasons​ ​and​ ​captured the​ ​school’s​ ​first​ ​State​ ​Championship​ ​in​ ​2015.​ ​La​ ​Vega​ ​is​ ​averaging​ ​45.4​ ​points​ ​per​ ​game​ ​this season​ ​and​ ​the​ ​most​ ​points​ ​their​ ​defense​ ​has​ ​allowed​ ​to​ ​an​ ​opponent​ ​this​ ​season​ ​was​ ​23​ ​to Fredericksburg.​

​The​ ​Pirates​ ​will​ ​face​ ​Canyon​ ​Lake​ ​Friday​ ​7:30​ ​at​ ​Kelly​ ​Reeves​ ​Stadium​ ​in Round​ ​Rock,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time​ ​these​ ​teams​ ​have​ ​ever​ ​faced​ ​one​ ​another.

China​ ​Spring:​ ​​The​ ​Cougars​ ​currently​ ​sit​ ​at​ ​9-3​ ​on​ ​the​ ​season,​ ​but​ ​their​ ​three​ ​losses​ ​have​ ​been by​ ​a​ ​total​ ​of​ ​14​ ​points.​ ​China​ ​Spring​ ​is​ ​the​ ​only​ ​team​ ​that​ ​has​ ​been​ ​able​ ​to​ ​beat​ ​La​ ​Vega​ ​since 2015​ ​and​ ​they​ ​are​ ​averaging​ ​45.5​ ​points​ ​per​ ​game​ ​this​ ​postseason.​ ​

One​ ​of​ ​China​ ​Spring’s losses​ ​came​ ​in​ ​an​ ​epic​ ​59-58​ ​game​ ​on​ ​the​ ​road​ ​to​ ​Liberty​ ​Hill,​ ​now​ ​the​ ​Cougars​ ​will​ ​get​ ​a second​ ​chance​ ​against​ ​the​ ​Panthers​ ​Friday​ ​7:30​ ​at​ ​Leo​ ​Buckley​ ​Stadium​ ​in​ ​Killeen.

Salado:​ ​​The​ ​last​ ​time​ ​Salado​ ​(11-1)​ ​had​ ​a​ ​double​ ​digit​ ​win​ ​season​ ​was​ ​in​ ​2007,​ ​since​ ​then​ ​they have​ ​only​ ​made​ ​the​ ​playoffs​ ​once​ ​and​ ​this​ ​is​ ​only​ ​the​ ​fourth​ ​time​ ​in​ ​school​ ​history​ ​that​ ​Salado has​ ​reached​ ​the​ ​eleven​ ​win​ ​mark.​ ​The​ ​Eagles​ ​only​ ​loss​ ​this​ ​season​ ​came​ ​in​ ​week​ ​6​ ​against Fairfield​ ​42-35​ ​in​ ​overtime.​ ​S

alado​ ​has​ ​an​ ​explosive​ ​offense​ ​that​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​score​ ​56 consecutive​ ​points​ ​last​ ​week​ ​in​ ​their​ ​63-14​ ​victory​ ​over​ ​Liberty.​ ​The​ ​Eagles​ ​will​ ​face​ ​Bellville​ ​this Saturday​ ​8:00pm​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Alamodome.​ ​Bellville​ ​eliminated​ ​Salado​ ​from​ ​the​ ​playoffs​ ​last​ ​season​ ​in the​ ​area​ ​round​ ​34-14.

Class​ ​5A

Temple:​ ​​Last​ ​season​ ​the​ ​Wildcats​ ​managed​ ​to​ ​ride​ ​a​ ​wave​ ​of​ ​momentum​ ​all​ ​the​ ​to​ ​AT&T Stadium,​ ​where​ ​they​ ​came​ ​up​ ​short​ ​to​ ​Highland​ ​Park​ ​16-7.​ ​Temple​ ​(9-3)​ ​finds​ ​themselves​ ​in​ ​an almost​ ​identical​ ​situation​ ​as​ ​last​ ​season,​ ​where​ ​they​ ​lost​ ​to​ ​Midway​ ​and​ ​College​ ​Station​ ​during the​ ​regular​ ​season​ ​and​ ​then​ ​rolled​ ​in​ ​the​ ​playoffs.​ ​

Temple​ ​will​ ​face​ ​Port​ ​Arthur​ ​Memorial​ ​Friday 7:00pm​ ​at​ ​Prairie​ ​View​ ​A&M.​ ​Last​ ​season​, ​the Wildcats ​dominated​ ​the​ ​Titans​ ​39-7​ ​and​ ​they​ ​will​ ​be looking​ ​to​ ​do​ ​the​ ​same​ ​thing​ ​this​ ​go​-round.



Class​ ​6A

Waco​ ​Midway:​ ​​The​ ​Panthers​ ​are​ ​off​ ​to​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​best​ ​seasons​ ​in​ ​school​ ​history​ ​and​ ​the​ ​man leading​ ​the​ ​regime​ ​is head​ ​coach​ ​Jeff​ ​Hulme.​ ​The stakes are a little higher this week ​Midway​ ​takes​ ​the​ ​field​ ​against Mansfield, which happens to be Hulme’s former team. ​Hulme​ ​led​ ​Mansfield​ ​to​ the ​semifinals​ ​in​ ​2015, before​ ​heading​ ​to​ ​Midway​ ​and​ ​he​ ​had​ ​an​ ​overall​ ​record​ ​of​ ​59-37​ ​during​ ​his​ ​eight​ ​year​ ​tenure​ ​with the Tigers.

The​ ​Panthers​ ​have​ ​playmakers​ ​on​ ​both​ ​sides​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ball,​ ​lead​ ​by​ ​Oklahoma​ ​commit QB​ ​Tanner​ ​Mordecai​ ​and​ ​Tulsa​ ​commit​ ​DE​ ​Jaxon​ ​Player.​ ​The​ ​Midway​ ​offense​ ​averages​ ​515.5 yards​ ​per​ ​game​ ​and​ ​they​ ​have​ ​3372​ ​passing​ ​yards​ ​and​ ​2810​ ​rushing​ ​yards​ ​on​ ​the​ ​season.

Defensively​ ​the​ ​Panthers​ ​have​ ​a​ ​knack​ ​for​ ​forcing​ ​turnovers,​ ​they​ ​have​ ​15​ ​interceptions,​ ​10 forced​ ​fumbles,​ ​and​ ​13​ ​fumble​ ​recoveries​ ​this​ ​season.​ ​Midway​ ​and​ ​Mansfield​ ​will​ ​play​ ​Friday 7:00pm​ ​at​ ​McLane​ ​Stadium.

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