CENTRAL TEXAS (KXXV) — Just 38 schools are still alive in playoff action as we head into the Area Round of the UIL Football Playoffs. Of those, two play in TAIAO state semi-final games and five in the TAPPS Regional round of the playoffs.
NOTEABLE GAMES ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE BRAZOS VALLEY
HARKER HEIGHTS KNIGHTS vs FORNEY JACKRABBITS
Harker Heights is the only 6A team to survive the bi-district round with a two touchdown win over Cedar Hill. Junior quarterback, Hudson Humble will try to lead the Knights to the third round for the first time since 2022 as they face Forney this week.
COLLEGE STATION COUGARS vs BEAUMONT UNITED TIMBERWOLVES
College Station started the season 0-4 but have found their stride as they have rattled off seven straight wins and into the second round of the playoffs for the tenth straight year. The Cougars travel to Channelview to play Beaumont United.
BRENHAM CUBS vs LIBERTY HILL PANTHERS
Brenham faces Liberty Hill in the area round for the second year in a row. Last year the Cubs won 30-27. But the Cubs have shown some vulnerabilities in close games with Killeen, Killeen Ellison, and a loss to University in week ten. Liberty Hill’s slot-T offense poses challenges for the Cubs defense as they will look to make it to the third round for the third time in four years.
LA VEGA PIRATES vs SILSBEE TIGERS
La Vega made easy work of La Grange in the bi-district round and matchup against Silsbee in the area. The Pirates know how to win in November, advancing to the third round or farther in eight of the last round ten years. A key to the Pirates being successful against the Tigers will be getting past senior, Mastyn Morris who has averages 12 tackles a game for a defense that gave up an average of 15 points per game in district play.
ROBINSON ROCKETS vs WEST ORANGE-STARK MUSTANGS
Until last week, Robinson last won a playoff game in 2016. The team they played in the second round that year was West Orange-Stark, the same opponent they will see Friday night in this year’s area round. Senior running back Evan Moreno is just 221 yards away from the school single-season rushing record.
CHINA SPRING COUGARS vs LA MARQUE COUGARS
In what might have been the upset of the playoffs so far, the China Spring Cougars beat ranked Bellville in the bi-district round. The Cougars are just one of 22 four-seeds across the state to get a win over a district champion in the first round. It’s just the Cougars fourth win of the year, but the two biggest wins, Franklin and Bellville, have both been against slot-t offenses. Cougars next face the 9-2 La Marque Cougars.
FAIRFIELD EAGLES vs YOAKUM BULLDOGS
Fairfield has quietly put together an undefeated season, but there are plenty of good teams in the playoffs and Yoakum is a good team. This is a game is for those that like offense. Fairfield averages 54 points per game and Yoakum averages 39.
LEXINGTON EAGLES vs GEORGE WEST LONGHORNS
Lexington moves on to the area round after a one-point victory over Wallis Brazos. As typical for the playoffs, the competition gets tougher this week as they meet eighth-ranked George West. Senior quarterback Kase Evans will have his hands full with the Longhorns defense that gives up an average of 14 point per game. The Eagles have battled injuries all year and their health in November will be a factor in their playoff run.
CRAWFORD PIRATES vs KENEDY LIONS
The Crawford Pirates head coach Ty Robinson is a defense guy and the Pirates defense has been taking care of business all season. A defense that averages just 11 points per game will have their hands full against Kenedy. The Lions light up the scoreboard with 43 point per game.
BREMOND TIGERS vs GRAPELAND SANDIES
Bremond vs Grapeland…… again. For the fourth time in the last 15 months, Bremond will play Grapeland in a football game. Last season, these two split the season series with Bremond winning the regional final 45-14. In week two this season, Bremond won 54-43 over the Sandies. The 11-point victory was by far the closest game the Tigers have played all year.
MART PANTHERS vs LOVELADY LIONS
Mart is the other four-seed in our area that won in the bi-district round and is part of 10-2A Division 2 district that swept the bi-district round of the playoffs (Bremond, Chilton, and Goldthwaite all won last week). The Panthers matchup against Lovelady, who are also part of a district that swept the bi-district round (Mount Enterprise, Grapeland, and Overton also won last week).
CENTRAL TEXAS CHRISTIAN LIONS vs LIVE OAK FALCONS
The Central Texas Christian Lions have only had one hiccup all year with a district loss to Brazos Christian. Running back Austin Evans has led the offense by rushing for 178 yards per game. Coming off of a state semi-final appearance in their first as an 11-man program, Live Oak looks to continue the winning tradition that they set as a TAPPS 6-man program. The stakes are high as a spot in the state semi-finals is on the line Thursday night in Lorena.
BVCHEA MUSTANGS vs AUSTIN ROYALS
Back in week nine, the Mustangs traveled to Austin to face the Royals and came back with a 30-28 win. These two teams met twice last year with the Royals winning in the regular season and the Mustangs getting the victory in the playoffs. This will be the fifth meeting in the last three years, with the Mustangs leading that series 3-1.
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 (11-0) – Bremond moves on with 55-24 win against Simms Bowie.
- AQUILLA COUGARS (11-0) – The Cougars cruise 70-6 through their bi-district matchup over Burkeville in the first round.
- FAIRFIELD EAGLES (11-0) – The Eagles fly high with a 62-21 win in the playoffs against Anahuac.
- RICHLAND SPRINGS COYOTES (9-1) – The Coyotes advance to the area round with a 62-0 shutout over Calvert.
- VALOR PREP KNIGHTS (11-0) – The Knights advance in the TAPPS playoffs with a 66-20 win over Lubbock Kingdom Prep.
Brenham, 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.
