State semifinal football preview: What’s in store for Southlake Carroll, Aledo, Brock and Decatur?
It’s Texas high school football state semifinal week.
There are a handful of Fort Worth-area teams still in the hunt for a state championship. At this point, the competition can’t get much better. Here is everything you need to know: storylines, players to watch and more.
Southlake Carroll vs. DeSoto
Southlake Carroll (13-1) is coming off a dominant, decisive victory against Trophy Club Byron Nelson, a team that beat the Dragons in the regular season. To say they have an abundance of momentum and confidence would be an understatement.
Southlake Carroll is playing its best football of the season at the right time and has all of its star players available heading into a matchup with DeSoto, the 2022 Class 6A D2 State Champions, on Saturday at Allen Eagle Stadium. Kickoff is at 2 p.m..
Head coach Riley Dodge and company will have their hands full with DeSoto (13-0). The Eagles defeated Duncanville, the 2022 Class 6A D1 State Champion, by 14 points. The Dragons must play a near-perfect game and execute a strong game plan to perfection. They’re certainly capable of that with the Byron Nelson performance as an example.
Carroll’s offense scored 55 points against Byron Nelson while DeSoto put up 65 points against Willis. Both offenses are as talented and the game will likely come down to which defense can make timely stops.
Byron Nelson’s talented offense struggled against Carroll, but DeSoto offers a different challenge. Running back Marvin Duffey Duffey averages 105 yards per game while quarterback Darius Bailey has thrown a whopping 38 passing touchdowns; against Duncanville’s elite defense, Bailey passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns.
Quarterback Graham Knowles has the talent to go toe-to-toe with anyone, and he must continue his efficient play for Carroll to be at its best. The Georgia Tech commit has thrown seven touchdowns and has only has one turnover in the postseason.
In Carroll’s and DeSoto’s last matchup in 2019, current Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for five touchdowns and 364 yards.
Other Southlake Carroll players to watch include junior running back Riley Wormley and sophomore running back Davis Penn. The “two-headed Dragon” has powered Carroll’s ground game with 188 combined rushing yards per game.
Wormley missed the second half of the Byron Nelson game, but Dodge said he was available if needed and will be ready to play against DeSoto. Wide receiver Jacob Jordan, who averages 95 receiving yards per game, is also available to play against DeSoto, and made a brief return against Byron Nelson after suffering an injury in October.
Charles Baggarly’s prediction: DeSoto 49, Southlake Carroll 41
Aledo vs. Forney
It’s the December, and Aledo is still in the hunt for a state championship. What a shocker! The Bearcats moved one step closer in their quest for a 12th state championship with a decisive 56-21 win over Abilene.
One question must be raised: Can anyone come close to stopping head coach Robby Jones and the Bearcats? Aledo will face Forney (13-1), a team that beat the undefeated Richland Royals, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Midlothian ISD Stadium.
The Jackrabbits, in the quarterfinal, bested Lancaster 43-41 in a hard fought double-overtime win.
The Bearcats and linebacker Davhon Keys, a LSU commit, will need to contain Forney’s Javion Osborne. The sophomore running back is averaging 3.6 touchdowns in his last five games.
Osborne has rushed for 150 yards or more in six of his last seven games, the exception was the quarterfinal against Lancaster. If Aledo can contain Osborne, who has offers from Texas, Oklahoma and TCU, they’ll be set up for success.
Offensively, the Bearcats will look to continue what they’ve been doing: Feed Raycine Guillory and let quarterback Hauss Hejny work his magic. Guillory has rushed for 198 and 188 yards against Lubbock-Cooper and Red Oak, respectively. He totaled 65 yards in a blowout win over Abilene, receiving only five carries in the lopsided affair.
Hejny will look to continue his offensive onslaught to wide receivers Kaydon Finley and Trace Clarkson. Clarkson led the way in the quarterfinal against Abilene with 98 yards and a touchdown on only two receptions. Finley, a sophomore, shined against Red Oak in the regional final with 161 yards and two touchdowns.
Hejny, a TCU commit, has completed 69% of his passes for 2,486 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2023. He has also rushed for 64.5 yards per game as an elite dual threat.
Charles Baggarly’s prediction: Aledo 42, Forney 21
Brock vs. Malakoff
Looking for a high school football playoff matchup on Thursday? Brock vs. Malakoff is the game to watch, and it starts at 7 p.m. at the Ford Center. The Brock Eagles have lost in the state championship in back-to-back seasons, falling to Franklin’s game-winning field goal in 2022 and losing to 35-18 to Lorena in 2021.
Now, they’re one win away from getting back to the grandest stage in Class 3A D1. Is this the year Brock gets over the hump and wins a state championship for the first time since 2015? Malakoff, a team Brock beat 21-10 in the 2022 state semifinal, stands in the way, once again.
The Eagles have won 10 consecutive games after losing three of four to start the season. In the quarterfinal win against Paradise, senior wide receiver Britton Burrows led the way 108 receiving yards on 4 receptions; he is a nominee for the Fort Worth-area player of the week.
Charles Baggarly’s prediction: Brock 24, Malakoff 21
Decatur vs. Anna
Decatur will face Anna at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Collins Complex in Denton in a rematch of the first game of the Texas high school football season. Anna defeated Decatur 37-30 on Aug. 25. Will the rematch have the same ending?
The Eagles dropped three of four to start the season but proceeded to win nine straight.
In the Class 4A D1 quarterfinal against Brownwood, Decatur running back Nate Palmer led the charge. The TCU commit rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score.
Anna (13-1) is coming off a 41-21 win over Stephenville, which advanced the Coyotesto their first state semifinal in program history. Will Anna continue on the upward trajectory?
Decatur has also never been to a state championship game, thus, one school will secure a program-defining win on Friday.
Charles Baggarly’s prediction: Anna 24, Decatur 21
North Crowley vs. Duncanville
The undefeated North Crowley Panthers and head coach Ray Gates have their toughest challenge yet in the Class 6A D1 State Semifinal: Duncanville (12-1). The two teams will play on Saturday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium at 3 p.m. CT.
Duncanville, the 2022 Class 6A D1 state champions, defeated Westfield 70-28 in the quarterfinals. North Crowley won a hardfought matchup against Allen 49-37.
North Crowley’s record breaking offense averages 56 points per game, but they must continue the efficient play against Duncanville and defensive end Colin Simmons, a five star prospect committed to Texas.
North Crowley’s junior quarterback, Chris Jimerson Jr., must lead his team to match the production of Duncanville and running back Caden Durham, an LSU commit.
Charles Baggarly’s Prediction
Duncanville 49, North Crowley 42
This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 10:55 AM.
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