5 Friday football playoff storylines: Fort Worth-area team heads to Texas Tech
The Texas high school football area round is here.
Check out the top Fort Worth-area storylines heading into Friday night’s playoff action:
Richland heading to Texas Tech
Richland (8-3), in the Class 5A Division I bracket, will receive a rare opportunity to play at a Big 12 stadium.
The Royals are set to face El Paso El Dorado (10-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Texas Tech’s Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.
From time to time, we’ve seen universities open their athletic facilities to local high schools, whether it was Dallas Baptist hosting UIL playoff baseball or Texas hosting state softball and track.
A chance to play football at Texas Tech will create lifelong memories for Richland as it looks to advance to the third round.
Can Lake Ridge continue special season?
After finishing 1-9 last season, Mansfield Lake Ridge (9-2) has nearly flipped its record this season entering the area round.
The Eagles solidified a marvelous bounce-back season with a bi-district victory over state power Euless Trinity. Now, they have an opportunity to keep the season going in the Class 6A Division I bracket.
Lake Ridge will face Odessa Permian (10-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Abilene Christian’s Wildcat Stadium in Abilene.
Last season, Permian lost 72-14 to North Crowley, the eventual state champion. Permian has six state titles in its storied history, with its last coming in 1991.
Eagle Mountain aims for program history
Eagle Mountain made program history in the bi-district round, defeating Fort Worth Benbrook 28-12 to secure its first football playoff victory ever in its second varsity season.
Now, the Knights (8-3) will look to move past the area round for the first time against Midland Greenwood (11-0) in a Class 4A Division II battle at 7 p.m. Friday at Clyde.
Greenwood has outscored opponents 506-141, but handling deep playoff runs is something Knights head coach Jeremy Mullins is accustomed to. Before taking over Eagle Mountain, he led Tolar to a Class 2A state championship appearance.
Local games to watch
Although many teams are heading west, plenty of Fort Worth-area teams are staying in the Metroplex.
There are two highly competitive games slated in Class 4A Division I. Springtown (11-0) is facing Frisco Panther Creek (9-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Birdville Fine Arts/Athletics Complex, and Alvarado (10-0) will clash with Sulphur Springs (10-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Children’s Health Stadium in Prosper.
Fort Worth Eastern Hills (6-5) has a tall task ahead with defending 4A Division I state champion Celina (11-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Pennington Field. The Highlanders have reached the area round for the first time since 1999.
Other local games include Denton Ryan (10-1) against Abilene (9-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium and Argyle (10-1) against Abilene Cooper (7-4) at 7 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium in Godley.
Top contenders look to advance
As Aledo continues on the road to the Class 5A Division I state championship, the Bearcats (11-0) will make the long journey to Big Spring to face Amarillo Tascosa (7-4) at 7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium.
With a win, Aledo will move one step closer toward a potential rematch with district rival Denton Ryan. One player to watch is Notre Dame wide receiver pledge Kaydon Finley, a nominee for the Star-Telegram’s Bi-district MVP after a 139 yard, two-touchdown performance against Saginaw.
In the Class 6A Division II realm, No. 1 Southlake Carroll (11-0) will face San Angelo Central (8-3) at 7 p.m. Friday at Art Briles Stadium in Stephenville.
Briles Stadium opened this season, and Carroll’s matchup will be just the second playoff game held there after last week’s Class 3A Division I bi-district game between Boyd and Jim Ned.
Although the top-ranked Dragons will be heavy favorites, they can’t underestimate any opponent. Last season, Carroll narrowly avoided elimination in the area round, defeating Wolfforth Frenship 49-42 in a thriller.
This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 4:30 AM.
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