Texas high school football playoffs: UIL small school regional final roundup
The fourth round of the Texas high school football playoffs wrapped up on Saturday and UIL state semifinal matchups were set.
Here is are recaps of the top games in the UIL Class 2A through 4A regional finals:
GILMER SHOCKS CARTAHGE
Carthage's chase for a 10th state title and the longest active win streak in Texas high school football have both been put to a halt.
Gilmer upset Carthage 47-44 in overtime of the UIL Class 4A Division II regional finals after the top-ranked Bulldogs rallied back eight points in regulation.
Carthage carried a 29-game win streak into Friday night's showdown.
Read more about the game here:
—
BROCK HOLDS OFF PARADISE TO ADVANCE TO 3A-DIVISION I SEMIS
Brock beat Paradise for the second time this season and this one sends the Eagles back to the Class 3A Division I semifinals with a 21-7 win on Friday.
On Oct. 20, Brock beat the Panthers 26-14.
Brock (11-3) has won 10 in a row now heading into a semifinal rematch with Malakoff next week.
The Eagles scored the first two touchdowns and built a lead they never relinquished
Quarterback Brody Woods scored two of Brock’s three scores. Camden Harris’ 2-yard run made it 7-0 early for Brock.
The only touchdown for the Panthers (12-2) was a 5-yard run by Austin Iglesias with 9:20 left. Wood’s last score secured the win from the 11-yard line on the next possession.
—
LATE SCORE LEADS DECATUR OVER BROWNWOOD
Jed Ross connected with Nate Palmer with 4 seconds left for the game-winning score for Decatur, a 38-35 victory over Brownwood on Friday at McLane Stadium in Waco.
Ross threw for 204 yards in the win, while Palmer did well for the Eagles (10-4) running and returning the ball.
The Eagles are into the Class 4A Division I semifinals and will get a rematch with Anna next week. Decatur lost to Anna, 37-30, in the first game this season.
Palmer ran for 187 yards on 24 carries and now has 4,228 yards in two years — becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher, according to the Wise County Messenger.
Decatur started the final drive at the 13-yard line with 1:26. Ross went 6-for-7 on the final drive and Palmer, a TCU pledge, had the game-winner. Palmer had a 3-yard catch from Ross in the first quarter, a 61-yard run in the second and a 95-yard kickoff return.
Ike Hall had three rushing scores for the Lions (12-2) in the second half and gave them a 35-31 lead before the game-winning drive.
—
BELLVILLE DOWNS JASPER, REACHES FIRST SEMIFINAL SINCE 2012
The Bellville Brahmas are back in the semifinals for the time since 2012 after a 31-7 win over Jasper on Friday at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah in a Class 4A Division II playoff game.
This year’s edition for Bellville is now 14-0 heading into the semifinals. The 2012 squad lost in the finals and finished 11-5.
The Brahmas got two touchdowns from D.D. Murray, who finished with 155 yards. He had a 15-yard and 73-yard score — the latter coming after he snared an interception.
Bellville quarterback Zach Leuschner threw a touchdown and ran for one as well.
Jasper (9-5) took an initial 7-0 lead in this contest. Kiotti Armstrong caught a 14-yard touchdown from Isaiah Coleman.
—
MALAKOFF RETURNS TO STATE SEMIS WITH WIN OVER WINNSBORO
Jerrion Hall ran for three touchdowns and Mike Jones added two more scores to help Malakoff hammer Winnsboro, 58-20, to advance in the Class 3A Division I tournament on Friday night in Forney.
The Tigers (14-0) built a 28-7 against the Red Raiders, who saw an undefeated season end after a 12-0 start.
Hall had touchdown runs of 50, 4 and 17 yards, while the quarterback Jones had a 1-yard run and 48-yard run for touchdowns.
Malakoff’s Chauncey Hogg had a kickoff return for a 70-yard score, an interception that led to a touchdown drive and blocked a point after attempt and ran it back for a safety.
Kyler Finney threw a pair of touchdowns and ran for another for Winnsboro.
—
STOEVER LEADS WIMBERLEY TO WIN OVER SINTON
Quarterback Cody Stoever accounted for four touchdowns to help Wimberley pick up a 38-13 win over Sinton on Friday night in a Class 4A Division II playoff game.
This is the fourth semifinal berth in five years for Wimberley (14-0), last year’s runner-up to Carthage.
Stoever ran for a tri of touchdowns — 4, 19 and 31 yards — and threw a 27-yard score to Nolan Waida.
Wimberley took a 24-7 lead at one point over the Pirates (10-3).
Noah Birdsong also added a 60-yard touchdown run for Wimberley, which plays Bellville next week.
Both of Sinton’s touchdowns included Triston Handson. The quarterback ran for a score and threw an 18-yard touchdown to Jacob James — both coming in the second quarter.
—
TYLER CHAPEL HILL ESCAPES WITH CLOSE WIN OVER KILGORE
Tyler Chapel Hill extracted a bit of revenge over Kilgore with a 21-19 win on Friday in a Class 4A Division I playoff game held in Lobo Stadium in Longview High School.
The two teams met on Nov. 3 in a District 9-4A matchup and Kilgore won that won 39-16.
All three scores for the Bulldogs came in the first quarter, which was enough to hold on for the win this time around.
SMU commits Rickey Stewart and Demetrius Brisbon, as well as Jabo Cook ran for touchdowns for Chapel Hill (12-2).
Derrick Williams threw a pair of touchdown passes for Kilgore, which finished 12-2.
—
GLEN ROSE PASSING ATTACK TOO MUCH FOR CANYON WEST PLAINS
Glen Rose quarterback Canyon Evans threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter to set the tone in a 45-13 win over Amarillo West Plains in a Class 4A Division II game Friday at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls.
The win was the ninth in a row for the Tigers, which opened the season with a 1-4 mark through September.
In the last six games, the Tigers have scored 40 or more points.
Evans completed 25 of 31 passes in the win and four different receivers had five catches each, causing issues the Wolves (12-2) to focus too much on one target. Kaleb Baker led the way with 5 catches for 134 yards.
The second-year school showed a 5-win improvement from its debut season in 2022.
Glen Rose moves on to play Gilmer in the state semifinals, the second straight trip for the Tigers.
—
CANADIAN ROLLS PAST WALL
Camren Cavalier accounted for three touchdowns to help Canadian pick up a 31-12 win over Wall in Class 3A Division II regional final on Friday night at Lubbock Cooper High School.
The senior quarterback ran 15 times for 115 yards and two scores, while completing 13 of 15 passes for 237 yards and touchdown completion to Preston Neumeier. Slayden Dickinson added a touchdown run as well for the Wildcats (14-0).
Wyatt Davis led the way with 18 tackles for Canadian, while Max Dumbauld chipped in with 17. The defense sacked Gunner Dillard eight times.
Dillard had a touchdown pass to Kellen Oliver and Nathan Pepper ran for a score as well for the Hawks (11-3).
Canadian will face Gunter in the semifinals. It is the eighth trip in the last night years for the Wildcats.
-- Cody Thorn | @sblivetx
