Another round of the Texas High School football playoffs is in the books, and now only 16 teams remain in each division.
The second round gave us upsets, powerhouses reinforcing their superiority, and schools grabbing revenge against teams that eliminated them last year.
In 5A-Division I, Frisco Wakeland defeated six-time state champion Highland Park 29-28 in a thrilling upset.
Highland Park scored with 1:35 left in the game to go up 28-21. However, Wakeland quickly drove 75 yards down the field thanks to a 50-yard passing play. Then, with 27 seconds left on the clock, they scored on a trick play when star running back Jared White passed for a six-yard touchdown.
Instead of tying the game with an extra point, Wakeland went for two points and converted for the win to give Highland Park their earliest exit from the playoffs since 2015.
White finished with 112 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns to go along with his passing score. Wakeland is now the last Frisco school left in the playoffs following the losses of Frisco, Frisco Liberty, Frisco Lone Star, and Frisco Reedy.
Wakeland reaches the third round of the playoffs for only the second time in the school’s history and will again be underdogs. Wakeland will face undefeated and second-ranked College Station at Corsicana’s Tiger Stadium on Friday at 2 pm.
In 5A-Division II, Mansfield Timberview pulled off an upset as they overtook previously undefeated Ennis 42-21. Timberview started the year 3-4 but have not lost since, making them one of the hottest teams in the state.
They will look to keep the win streak going as they match up against one-loss Lovejoy at Frisco’s Ford Center on Friday at 7 pm.
In 6A-Division I, Allen dominated in a 49-24 win over Lake Highlands at Globe Life Field in Arlington. 2021 has been considered a down year for the five-time state champions as they entered the playoffs with more than one loss for the first time since 2005 and had their record-setting win streak snapped.
There were many doubts to be had about Allen’s chances to make a deep playoff run this year, and those doubts looked to be true when Lake Highlands led 24-14 at halftime. However, Allen eliminated those sentiments as they outscored their opponent 35-0 in the second half for a resounding win.
Their next matchup against one-loss Euless Trinity at Allen’s Eagle Stadium at 2 pm on Saturday.
Also, in 6A-Division I, Lewisville avenged a 68-0 loss to Arlington Martin in last year’s second round of the playoffs, winning this year’s battle 38-15. Lewisville was led by running back Damien Martinez, who ran for 239 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. They now face an enormous challenge in the third round.
They will next face undefeated Southlake Carroll at Coppell’s Echols Field at 2 pm on Saturday. Carroll is the highest-ranked 6A team in the Dallas area and is the defending state runner-up. Martinez will again need a huge game to pull off Lewisville to pull off the upset.
A complete list of third-round matchups involving Dallas-area teams with their times and locations is below. Go to UILTexas.org for access to the entire football bracket.
Euless Trinity (11-1) vs Allen (10-2), 2 p.m. Saturday at Allen’s Eagle Stadium
Southlake Carroll (12-0) vs. Lewisville (11-1), 2 p.m. Saturday at Coppell’s Echols Field
Duncanville (10-1) vs Spring (11-1), 7 p.m. Saturday at Frisco’s Ford Center
DeSoto (10-2) vs Spring Westfield (12-0), 4 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio’s Alamodome
Trophy Club Nelson (9-3) vs Denton Guyer (11-1), 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Frisco’s Ford Center
El Paso Eastwood (8-4) vs Prosper (8-4), 1 p.m. Saturday at Lubbock’s Lowrey Field
Cedar Hill (8-4) vs Cypress Bridgeland (10-2), 2 p.m. Saturday at Waco’s Waco ISD Stadium
Rockwall-Heath (11-1) vs Tomball (9-3), 8 p.m. Saturday at San Antonio’s Alamodome
Mansfield Summit (9-3) vs Midlothian (8-4), 7 p.m. Friday at Grand Prairie’s Gopher Bowl
Amarillo Tascosa (10-2) vs Colleyville Heritage (11-1), 3 p.m. Saturday at Wichita Falls’ Memorial Stadium
Denton Ryan (11-1) vs Longview (9-3), 3 p.m. Friday at Mesquite’s Memorial Stadium
Frisco Wakeland (9-2) vs College Station (12-0), 2 p.m. Friday at Corsicana’s Tiger Stadium
Lubbock Cooper (11-1) vs Grapevine (10-2), 4:30 p.m. Friday at Abilene’s Anthony Field
Aledo (12-0) vs South Oak Cliff (10-1), 2 p.m. Friday at Mansfield’s Newsom Stadium
Lovejoy (11-1) vs Mansfield Timberview (8-4), 7 p.m. Friday at Frisco’s Ford Center
Stephenville (12-0) vs Argyle (11-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Mansfield’s Newsom Stadium
Melissa (10-2) vs Waco La Vega (9-3), 7 p.m. Friday at McKinney’s McKinney ISD Stadium
Aubrey (11-1) vs Monahans (9-3), 12:30 p.m. Friday at Abilene’s Sandifer Stadium
Snyder (9-3) vs Celina (10-1), 2 p.m. Friday at Mineral Wells’ Ram Stadium