CENTRAL TEXAS (KXXV) — There are 704 UIL football teams with games to be played this week as the Bi-District round of the playoffs get underway.
58 of those schools are in Central Texas and Brazos Valley. Another twelve teams in the private school divisions are alive in the postseason as well.
The goal of a state championship is still alive for these teams over the next six weeks we see if anyone can make it to AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
RED ZONE GAME OF THE WEEK
MOODY BEARCATS (6-4) vs THORNDALE BULLDOGS (7-3)
Thursday 7 p.m. Wildcat Stadium, Temple
- Moody is in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and has a record above .500 for the first time since 2011. The six wins by the Bearcats is quite the improvement from last year when they went 0-10.
- Ross Petree leads the Bearcats secondary with five interceptions on the year. The Bearcats win as long as the defense comes to play. In all six of their wins they have not given up more than a touchdown and average 6.5 points given up game. In the four losses, that number jumps to 36 point per game.
- Thorndale has almost two times more playoff appearances than Moody has games played in the played in the playoffs. Thorndale has made the playoffs 34 times since its first year of football in 1921. Moody has played 18 games in the playoff ten trips to the playoffs
- Thorndale is led on the defensive side of the ball by Kale Meadows, who averages 13 tackles per game. The Bulldogs give up an average of 19 points per game.
OTHER NOTABLE GAMES ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE BRAZOS VALLEY
MIDWAY PANTHERS (9-1) vs WAXAHACHIE INDIANS (8-1)
Friday, 7 p.m. Panther Stadium, Hewitt
- Midway is four-points away from an undefeated regular season. The offense averages 46 points per game and is led by running back Lathan Whisenton. Just a junior, Whisenton has scored 25 touchdowns rushed for 1,400 yards.
- Waxahachie stunned the world in week four with a 28-27 win over Duncanville but followed that with a 17-40 loss at DeSoto. The Indians have beaten the Panthers in the bi-district round in each of the last two seasons.
HARKER HEIGHTS KNIGHTS (6-4) at CEDAR HILL LONGHORNS (6-3)
Friday 7 p.m. Leo Buckley Stadium, Killeen
- The Knights have only advance past the first round three times in the 14 trips to the playoffs since the school opened in 2000. In 2022 the Knights made it to the state quarterfinal where they lost to eventual state champion DeSoto.
- Hudson Humble has the led the Knights with 2,855 yards passing and 31 touchdowns in an offense that averages 36 points per game.
- Cedar Hill last made the playoffs in 2023 but have a pedigree for deep playoff runs. Since Harker Heights opened in 2000, Cedar Hill has played in five state championship games and have won three of them.
UNIVERSITY TROJANS (6-4) at FORT BEND MARSHALL BUFFALOS (6-3)
Friday 7 p.m. Waco ISD Stadium, Waco
- The 10-5A district champion, University Trojans make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, just one shy of the school record five straight playoff appearances from 2000-2004. For the second year in a row, the Trojans host the Buffalos in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
MADISONVILLE MUSTANGS (6-4) at ROBINSON ROCKETS (8-2)
Friday 7:30 p.m. Tiger Stadium, Corsicana
- For the third time ever these two schools meet in the Bi-District round of the playoffs. The series in the playoffs is tied at one. The series all-time is tied at three as well.
- The punishing rushing attack for the Rockets has set up the passing game for Brice McCurdy. But in week 11 that run game took a hit as Senior running back Evan Moreno left the game in the second quarter with an injury. Moreno’s health will help the Rockets with a deep playoff run.
- Jaden Simpson looks to lead the Mustangs past the first round of the playoffs. The senior running back has rushed for 1,852 yards and scored 30 touchdowns on the year.
GATESVILLE HORNETS (7-3) at SEALY TIGERS (9-1)
Friday 7 p.m. Tiger Stadium, Rockdale
- Rematch of last year’s regional playoff game where Sealy won 56-21.
- The Hornets defense gave up an average of nine points in non-district play. That number grew to 19 in 12-4A play. Gatesville will need their defense to be in that non-district form as they try to contain Sealy quarterback Kane Killough and an offense that averages 46 points per game.
You can find information on every playoff game in the area throughout the playoffs here.
MIDFIELD RANKINGS
The Midfield Rankings is a listing of the pound-for-pound best teams in Central Texas and the Brazos Valley regardless of their classification.
- BREMOND TIGERS (10-0) – Bremond capped off a perfect regular season with win over Frost. They open the playoffs with a bi-district matchup against Simms Bowie.
- AQUILLA COUGARS (10-0) – A 54-6 win over rival Abbott avenges their only two losses from 2025. Aquilla gets Burkeville in the first round.
- FAIRFIELD EAGLES (10-0) – The Eagles get a win over Crockett in the regular season finale and face Anahuac in the playoffs.
- RICHLAND SPRINGS COYOTES (8-1) – Richland Spring outscored district opponents 270-6 and start the playoffs against Calvert.
- VALOR PREP KNIGHTS (10-0) – The Knights get the win over Wichita Falls Christian and start the TAPPS playoffs against the Lubbock Kingdom Prep Warriors.
Brenham, Lexington, Chilton, and Jewett Leon sit just outside the Midfield Rankings Top 5.
Don’t forget to watch Red Zone on Friday where Shahji Adam and Donna Conrad will have all the high school football action starting at 10:10 p.m.
