It’s the matchup Texas High School Football fans have had circled on their calendars ever since the 6A divisions were announced. We all knew it would come down to a game like this. It’s the best team that’s come out of West Texas since 2009 vs. the quintessential Dallas team.
San Angelo Central doesn’t just beat you, they bludgeon you. They don’t just get on a roll, they snowball out of control. Quarterback Cal Vincent, 6’8 wideout Adam West, and tough running back Daven Manning are a force that isn’t to be trifled with. Teams have been tied with them at points, people have come out strong against them, there are those who have played them well. However, no one’s finished within two touchdowns of this team.
They haven’t only played West Texas teams, either. They beat Kerrville Tivy and Killeen Shoemaker down, and dropped a whopping 72 points on Trophy Club Byron Nelson (Byron Nelson scored 35, but 28 of those points came in the second half after Central was already up by 5 touchdowns). They’re simultaneously the underdog and the favorite, depending on who you talk to.
Allen is a power, the holder of one of the the longest winning streaks in Texas High School Football history, state title winners three years in a row from 2012-2014, and the owners of a perfect record in 2016. They’ve made their name this year with tough defense, especially in recent weeks where teams have really stepped up to the plate and challenged their playoff dominance.
They needed a late touchdown to pull away from Euless Trinity and a solid second half to pull away from an upstart Belton squad, but this is the playoffs, and a win is a win, and all that matters is surviving to play another week. You can’t ignore Allen’s strong secondary, and middle linebacker Misi Tupou hits like a sledgehammer.
In order to get here, San Angelo asked for a home-and-home. They won the coin flip. They then won the coin flip for the right to host. Allen will travel out of the DFW area to San Angelo, where home side tickets sold out in ten minutes. Saying that people around there are excited for this one is an understatement.
It’s not the only titanic clash in the playoffs this week. Galena Park North Shore and Katy will square off, and Cedar Park and Manvel are playing in what’ll end up being a classic. This is our Game of the Week for the narrative.
It’s Allen, trying to get back to the state championship winning ways. It’s San Angelo Central, who is carrying the torch for West Texas whether they want to or not. It’s Texas High School football at its biggest, and we’ll find out on Friday whether it’s Texas High School football at its best.
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