Check out the preview for Fort Worth-area teams during the fourth round of the playoffs
Another week of the high school football playoffs and there are 11 games featuring at least one Fort Worth-area team. The UIL is in the regional final round while TAPPS is playing for state championships.
Take a look at some notable facts, top games and players to watch in the Fort Worth-area:
Number
4
There are 12 rematches this week across the state and four of them have an area team.
Three of the four games are between district opponents.
Whitesboro and Brock face off for the fourth time in the past two years with Brock winning the previous three. The Eagles beat the Bearcats 39-35 earlier this season and 49-14 in last year’s regional final.
Aledo and Burleson Centennial meet up seven weeks after the Bearcats blew out the Spartans 64-21 in District 3-5A Division 1. Aledo quarterback Hauss Hejny accounted for 425 yards and six touchdowns.
Decatur beat Wichita Falls 31-27 in overtime during Week 8. The Eagles have won 10 in a row.
Grandview and Malakoff have built a rivalry with their eighth meeting in the last five seasons.
The Zebras beat the Tigers 21-17 back in Week 2.
Playing for the title
Fort Worth All Saints beat Fort Worth Christian to advance to the TAPPS D2 state title game. It’s the first championship game for the Saints since 2016 when they won the Southwest Preparatory Conference.
All Saints was also SPC champs in 2015.
Fort Worth Covenant Classical took down Abilene Christian to advance to the TAPPS 6-man D2 state championship. The Cavs look to defend their crown after winning the championship last season.
Both teams will play in Waco this week with the Saints playing Fort Bend Christian and Covenant playing Pasadena First Baptist.
Top 5 games
Denton Guyer (13-0) vs. Southlake Carroll (13-0)
2 p.m. Saturday, Northwest ISD Stadium, Justin
The Wildcats and Dragons face off in one of the most anticipated playoff games in the Riley Dodge coaching era. Guyer put up 59 points to beat Byron Nelson last week while Carroll rallied in the second half to beat McKinney.
Guyer is scoring 46 points per game this season while giving up 17. The Wildcats have given up over 40 points in the past two playoff games but have scored 63 and 59.
Guyer is led by 5-star OU committed quarterback Jackson Arnold, the No. 2 ranked QB in the state. 5-star Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen highlights the defense. He scored on a punt return against Byron.
The Dragons have fared slightly better with 49 points per game and giving up 13. They’re led by top area running back and one of the most productive players in program history Owen Allen.
Allen put up 200 yards for the 10th time in his career and scored four times against McKinney.
Expect a battle until the end, give me Carroll 38-35.
Whitesboro (11-1) vs. Brock (9-4)
7 p.m. Thursday, Collins Complex, Denton
The Whitesboro Bearcats have only one loss this season, a 39-35 defeat in Week 8 against Brock.
Brock lost its first four games of the season, all state-ranked teams in higher classifications. But the Eagles have won nine in a row, including 57-21 last week against Bushland.
The Eagles trailed 27-7 in the second quarter before scoring 44 straight points against the Falcons.
Whitesboro has only allowed 35 points in three playoff games against Paradise, Dalhart and Vernon.
Give me Brock in another close one, 35-31.
Grandview (11-2) vs. Malakoff (12-1)
7:30 p.m. Friday, Lumpkins Stadium, Waxahachie
It’s the eighth installment of the Zebras-Tigers rivalry since 2018.
Grandview is 6-1 with Malakoff’s only win coming 24-21 in the third round of the 2020 playoffs.
Since losing 38-21 to West in Week 9, Grandview has won five straight games by a combined score of 219-35. Grandview beat Pottsboro 29-7 last week. Quarterback Ryder Hayes completed 17 of 21 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. Kason English added 123 yards total and two scores.
Take out the Grandview game and Malakoff’s defense has given up 106 points in 12 wins. The Tigers have scored at least 50 points six times this season with a high of 77 in Week 8 against Eustace.
Grandview gets another game in the win column vs. Malakoff, give me the Zebras 28-24.
Tolar (13-0) vs. Crawford (13-0)
7 p.m. Friday, Burleson ISD Stadium
Tolar is in the regional final for the first time since 2015. The Rattlers are enjoying their best season as an 11-man team. They moved up to 11-man in 2010.
They also sport one of the largest point differentials in the state.
Tolar has outscored its opponents 674-95. The Rattlers have scored 50 points in 10 games, including in their past seven. During the playoffs, they have scored 61, 71 and 63.
Running back Peyton Brown has rushed for 2,500 yards and 48 TDs.
Crawford is playing in the regional final for the third straight season and six in eight. The Pirates haven’t scored as much as Tolar, but they have only allowed 62 points in 13 games, which includes six shutouts.
The Pirates beat Riesel 41-3 last week.
I still like the Rattlers, give me Tolar 35-28.
Mansfield Timberview (13-0) vs. Longview (13-0)
7 p.m. Friday, Mesquite Memorial Stadium
The Class 5A D1 Region 2 title game features a pair of “View” teams as the Timberview Wolves face the Longview Lobos in an undefeated showdown.
Timberview beat Frisco Reedy 28-26 to clinch its first regional final since 2011.
That year, the Wolves played in the state semifinals.
Timberview is among the highest scoring teams in the state with 706 points for 54 a game. The defense has been good too as its allowing 14.6 points per game.
Longview is back in the fourth round since 2018. That year, the Lobos won the state championship. They are coming off a 51-7 over Port Arthur Memorial. They are allowing nine points per game.
Longview edges out Timberview, 42-35.
Here are Fort Worth-area players to watch for each team:
Phillip Hamilton, Sr., QB, Centennial
Owen Allen, Sr., RB, Carroll
Hauss Hejny, Jr., QB, Aledo
Chris Palfreeman, Sr., WR/DB, All Saints
Preston Escobar, Sr., QB, Decatur
RJ Bunnell, Sr., RB, Argyle
Jarvis Reed, Sr., RB, Timberview
Hudson White, Sr., QB, Glen Rose
Kason English, Sr., WR/DB, Grandview
Lanham Briley, Sr., QB/LB, Covenant
Carson Finney, Jr., DB/WR, Brock
Peyton Brown, Soph., RB, Tolar
