Texas HS football playoff picture changes drastically

By JAIME ARON / Associated Press

Throw away the high school football playoff brackets you clipped out of the newspaper a few weeks ago and get out the scissors again. After just two weekends, the eight state titles chases have changed drastically.

Two teams you may have had written in ink - North Mesquite in Class 5A Division II and Alto in 2A - were both knocked off this past weekend after having spent the entire regular season ranked No. 1 in their classes.

Other ink-worthy picks already eliminated include defending 2A champion Celina, which was ranked second to Alto; 5A's second-ranked Marshall; 4A's third-ranked Waxahachie; and nearly the entire bottom-half of the 3A top 10.

Meanwhile, if any team would've been written in pencil, or maybe even invisible ink, it would've been Waco, which qualified for the playoffs despite a 3-7 record.

But the Lions, who are competing in the ultra-tough Region II of the 5A Division II race, are still alive.

Maybe all this shouldn't be so surprising. After all, this postseason got off to such a wacky start with Plano and Houston Memorial being in-out-then-in-again, and Palestine and Dallas Adams simply being out.

Going on a limb and saying things may return to normal, here's an idea of what to expect over the next three to four weeks:

5A Division I - Converse Judson has been to finals four of the six times this bracket has existed and could do it again this year. Yet, this isn't one of their better teams and the road is as tough as it has ever been.

The Rockets, who face Eagle Pass this weekend, would likely take on undefeated Galena Park North Shore in the semifinals and could meet undefeated Lewisville in the finals.

5A Division II - All hail Tyler John Tyler.

The 11-1 Lions, who ended the regular season ranked sixth, won this crown two years ago and sent notice Saturday they might do it again this year by evicting North Mesquite 17-6.

The Stallions were without star rusher Jason Coffey, who suffered internal bleeding during a hit in the first round, but David Warren and the rest of the John Tyler defense probably had more to do with North Mesquite getting only four first downs after halftime.

JT plays Temple (10-2) this weekend, and probably will next have Richardson Lake Highlands after it bursts Waco's bubble. Undefeated Midland Lee is likely to be the Region I semifinalist.

As for the bottom half of the bracket, Houston Yates is still the favorite with Austin Westlake being its biggest hurdle. Westlake faced John Tyler in the '94 title game.

4A Division I - The inaugural edition of this title is, was and will be Grapevine's. The biggest challenge for the Mustangs appeared to be Waxahachie. With the Indians out of the way, undefeated Hays Consolidated seems like the top threat, providing it stays alive.

Grapevine, which plays Waxahachie-beater Mount Pleasant (6-4-2) on Saturday, must beware Azle in the semis, providing it beats Pampa on Friday.

4A Division II - La Marque. Stephenville. Highland Park. Denison.

Great programs all, and all are still alive in this battle for what most believe is the "pure" 4A title and what looks like the best of the eight races.

The early nod here goest to Corpus Christi Calallen, which has lost to La Marque in the last three semifinals.

Calallen's hurdles are Marble Falls (9-3) on Friday, either Waco University or archrival Gregory-Portland the following weekend, then the survivor of Region III. Here's a hint: it may not be La Marque.

The top half of the bracket is pretty evenly matched, with 7-4-1 Stephenville holding the worst record. Yet coach Art Briles is always tough to beat in the postseason, as previously unbeaten Saginaw Boswell learned Saturday. Undefeated Sweetwater and Dallas Lincoln, however, may be better bets.

3A - Sealy has won this the last two years and coach T.J. Mills has said the window of opportunity is closing after this season. Expect Jaron Dabney to keep it open until then.

The Tigers (11-1) take on Port Isabel (8-3), then could take on district rival Hitchcock, whom they handed their only loss. After that, the foe would be one of the Killer C's - Coldspring (11-1), Columbus (10-0-1), Cameron (11-1) and even Center (8-3) - from the evenly matched Region III.

Sealy may have enough firepower left to make it to the finals, probably against top-ranked Vernon. It would take a big upset to keep the 12-0 Tigers out of its first championship game since winning it all in '90.

2A - Groveton's 14-13 stunner over Alto and Italy's 17-0 blanking of Celina (which was an extra bitter ending to the career of Jarrod Martin, the all-time national leader for career PATs) leaves this race wide open.

Third-ranked Groveton (12-0) is now the highest-ranked team left, but it has to get past Grand Saline (11-1) then likely 11-1 Rosebud-Lott - not to mention the Region IV survivor among East Bernard (11-1), Refugio (11-1), Ganado (12-0) and Freer (10-1).

Iraan and Lockney are both undefeated and both in Region I. Whichever makes it out will eventually face the remaining Region II team, probably either Italy or Mart (both 11-1).

1A - Of the eight remaining teams here, six finished the season ranked.

Springlake-Earth (12-0) was on top and Windthorst (11-0) was second; they play Saturday. That winner obviously becomes the favorite, but there's no dominant force around like the Thorndale machine that crushed everyone en route to the last two 1A crowns.

Six-man - Gordon may be Sports Illustrated's darlings, but Whitharral and Milford may be better picks. All three teams have jockeyed for top spots in the rankings all season, so it's no surprise they're still alive.

What may be more surprising is this nugget uncovered by six-man guru Granger Huntress: for the first time since two teams were allowed into the playoffs in 1981, all eight semifinalists are district champions.