High school football storylines: North Crowley to clash with Allen, more from area
The UIL high school football regional finals are here, and there are also two TAPPS State Championship games.
Here are the games to watch for Fort Worth-area teams.
Big game Saturday: North Crowley, Aledo, Southlake Carroll
Saturday, Dec. 7 is a huge day for title contenders in the Fort Worth-area.
North Crowley (13-0) is taking on Allen (13-0) in a battle of undefeated programs at 2 p.m. at Newsom Stadium. The Allen Eagles are coming off a narrow victory vs. Euless Trinity, one of the best teams in the area.
The Panthers hope to advance to the state semifinals and book a potential rematch with Duncanville, the reigning, defending Class 6A D1 state champion.
One key for North Crowley is a strong defensive showing from start to finish. The Panther defense tends to thrive late in games, but the team could use some tone-setting stops early.
Aledo is set to face district rival Denton Ryan at 2 p.m. at Crowley ISD Stadium. The Bearcats defeated Ryan 42-27 in district play, but the game was closer than the score suggests; Aledo scored 34 unanswered points to erase a 27-14 halftime deficit.
The Raiders have the talent to compete, and the highly anticipated rematch has much higher stakes. The region final could be Aledo’s toughest 2024 playoff game, with Ryan arguably being the No. 2 Class 5A D1 team in the state.
Another big game is Southlake Carroll (13-0) vs. face Denton Guyer (10-3). The game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at DATCU Stadium in Denton. Carroll narrowly defeated Hebron and will play Guyer without star running backs Davis Penn and Riley Wormley.
Quarterback Angelo Renda and Christian Glenn took over rushing duties, paving the way for a Dragon victory. The key for Carroll will be consistent defense, considering Guyers’ athletic playmakers, such as quarterback Kevin Sperry.
If Carroll is victorious, a potential rematch with DeSoto, the reigning Class 6A D2 state champion, could be in store. The Eagles eliminated Carroll in the state semifinals in 2023 in what was arguably the Texas high school football game of the year.
Argyle, Alvarado, Stephenville look to advance
Argyle (12-1) has had a successful playoff run and is looking to advance against Lovejoy (10-3) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 at Prosper’s Children’s Health Stadium.
The Argyle Eagles are coming off a solid 52-35 victory over Walnut Grove, a team that bested Lovejoy 41-37 in the regular season. Lovejoy head coach Todd Dodge knows a thing or two about deep playoff runs, though.
If Argyle is victorious, the Eagles will have a state semifinal against South Oak Cliff or Port Neches-Groves.
Another big matchup is Alvarado (13-0) vs. Celina (13-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at Mustang Panther Stadium. The Bobcats eliminated the Indians last year with a dominant 55-14 win, but the Indians have made plenty of improvements since then.
Alvarado has a knack for winning close games and thriving in clutch moments. A double-overtime victory over Panther Creek and a close 42-39 win over Sulphur Springs make that evident.
Keep an eye on quarterback Cardea Collier and wide receiver Lance Sansom to lead Alvarado’s offense. They’ll need a strong showing to keep up with Celina, a team that put up 63 points vs. Aubrey last week.
The winner of Alvarado and Celina will match up with Canyon West Plains (10-3) or Stephenville (12-1) in the next round. The Yellowjackets will face the Wolves at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 at Midlands Astound Broadband Stadium.
Brock’s rematch vs. Graham
In the regular season, Graham (12-1) stunned the Texas high school football community with a 38-0 throttling of Brock (12-1). The Eagles will face the Steers at 7 p.m. on Friday at Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
Brock has had five weeks to make adjustments and improvements and has been rolling through the playoffs. They’ll have to contain the Steers in the trenches and allow playmakers, like quarterback Brody Woods, to make plays.
Two TAPPS title games: All Saints and Liberty Christian
Two area teams are preparing for TAPPS state championships games.
Fort Worth All Saints (13-0) will face Houston Second Baptist (11-2) at noon on Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium.
The Saints are looking for their first state title since 2016 when they won the SPC 4A title. All Saints have cruised through the playoffs thus far, picking up three victories by 16 or more points.
Argyle Liberty Christian and head coach Jason Witten will face Dallas Parish Episcopal at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium. The Warriors are looking for back-to-back state titles; they won a Division Two title in 2023 and are now competing at the highest level in Division One.
More Games to Watch
Duncanville (12-0) vs. Birdgeland (12-1) -- 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Waco Midway Stadium
DeSoto (11-2) vs. Longview (11-2) -- 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Baylor’s McLane Stadium
Shallowater (11-2) vs. Paradise (11-2) -- 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium
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