The Cooldown- Week 13
Cover Photo courtesy of the Dallas Morning News and Staff Photographer Shafkat Anowar.
The word a lot of coaches and players use to describe playing in the regional quarterfinal round is thankful. That would make a lot of sense, given that the regional quarterfinals are played over the two days immediately following Thanksgiving Day. This week is a big inflection point for the teams left playing. Just about every team in the state makes practicing on Thanksgiving Day a goal. It’s a good time to reflect on how far each of these teams has come and what still needs to be done to reach the ultimate goal of winning a state championship. After all, there are only 16 teams remaining in each division. As Waxahachie coach Shane Tolleson told his team after its win over North Forney on Saturday, there are no turkeys left in the field.
With all that being said, all of us at Inside High School Sports would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. In particular, I am thankful for all of you who read The Cooldown each week. In my seven years of covering Texas high school football, seeing all the pictures from teams practicing on Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite events to see all year. Of course, the actual football that follows is a lot of fun to watch as well. Now, let’s recap some of the area round action from around the metroplex before a quick preview of the regional quarterfinal round.
Denton Guyer eliminates Richardson Pearce
Let’s start with the game I attended on Friday night. Denton Guyer is no stranger to the regional quarterfinals. Last year was a rare break from the third round for the Wildcats after four straight seasons of practicing on Thanksgiving. Denton Guyer returns to the regional quarterfinals this year thanks to a 45-28 win over Richardson Pearce. The Wildcats led this one 42-12 to start the fourth quarter before Richardson Pearce cut into the lead and made it a game late. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the comeback attempt fell short and ended what was a good season at 9-3. Often, Richardson Pearce found itself in wild offensive shootouts this season, and this was the case in its season finale. Despite only scoring 12 points in the first three quarters, Pearce racked up 426 yards of total offense. Add in Denton Guyer’s 546 total yards of offense and nearly 1,000 total yards were gained in this one.
Denton Guyer quarterback Kevin Sperry completed 12 of his 15 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, and chipped in 152 yards and three more scores on the ground. Kaedyn Cobbs led the way on the ground for the Wildcats with 152 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. DJ Reese led the receivers with six receptions for 39 yards and a score, but Denton Guyer did most of its damage on the ground.
Richardson Pearce quarterback Presley Harper completed 21 of his 49 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns. Harper mainly spread the football around to three different receivers. Blake Bates led the way with two receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Trent Holley added nine receptions for 84 yards and a score while Andrew Casagrande chipped in five receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown. Casagrande also led the way on the ground with 20 carries for 89 yards.
Denton Guyer faces a Crowley team that eliminated Midland 26-21 last week. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Mustang-Panther Stadium in Grapevine. I think Denton Guyer should win this game if it plays like it did against Richardson Pearce. Kevin Sperry’s ability to extend plays and use his legs will make the Wildcats offense that much harder to defend.
Waxahachie eliminates North Forney
Now for the game I attended on Saturday. Waxahachie ended North Forney’s season with a 32-12 win in a game where PAT’s were at a premium. North Forney made it a one-score game early in the 3rd quarter, but this game was never really that close. I was impressed with Waxahachie’s physicality and team speed on defense. The Indians mostly shut down an explosive North Forney offense, aside from a few explosive plays. The Falcons’ two touchdowns came right before the end of the half and right out of halftime to cut a 19 point lead down to seven points before Waxahachie ended the game with 13 straight points.
Waxahachie quarterback Jerry Meyer III completed 12 of his 15 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Meyer’s favorite target was Tristian Gardner, who caught six passes for 98 yards and a score. Bryson Linnear led the way on the ground with 27 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns and Kohen Brown chipped in four carries for 70 yards and a score.
North Forney quarterback Legend Bey completed eight of his 19 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Eli Otieno did most of the damage with three receptions for 144 yards and two scores. Andikan Asuquo led the way on the ground with 37 yards on 12 carries and Bey added 36 yards on 14 attempts.
Meyer moved to Waxahachie from Nevada and is playing his first season of Texas high school football, but even he knows the importance of practicing on Thanksgiving. He told me after the game that practicing on Thanksgiving is something that has been discussed since the summer. Several Waxahachie players, including Meyer, Brown and linebacker Kaden Tolleson, expressed how thankful they are to have the opportunity to play another game. Waxahachie takes on Cypress Bridgeland on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Pfield in Pflugerville.
Frisco Reedy eliminates Georgetown
Look, I usually don’t write about games that don’t feature two DFW teams until we get to state, but this game featured a comeback wild enough that I had to write about it. Frisco Reedy beat Georgetown 49-45 to advance to the regional semifinals despite trailing 45-7 in the second quarter. It took 42 unanswered points for the Lions to rally and win the game. Two Jake Ferner touchdown passes to Mason Easley sandwiched around an interception in the last :90 seconds of the first half gave Frisco Reedy enough life to complete the comeback in the second half.
It was only a couple of weeks ago I wrote about the wild ending to the dramatic Frisco Wakeland win over Frisco Lone Star and mentioned it not being often I can say I saw something for the first time. Well, Frisco Reedy did it again. I can’t think of another team trailing 45-7 and coming back to win. Surely it’s happened at some point in Texas high school football history, but not in my time. Needless to say, it’s been an entertaining year for Frisco ISD. Just the fact this thrilling come-from-behind win might not even be the craziest game involving a Frisco ISD team is slightly insane.
Frisco Reedy quarterback Jake Ferner completed 20 of his 32 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Mason Easley led the Lions receiving corps with eight receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns while Darren Nickerson contributed six receptions for 67 yards and a score. Cade Hebel led the way on the ground with 101 yards and three touchdowns on six carries. Triston Airy chipped in 92 yards and a score on 21 attempts.
Frisco Reedy won’t be able to afford a slow start in the regional semifinals. The Lions are set to take on Highland Park on Friday night at 7 at the Ford Center in Frisco. Highland Park is coming off a 38-10 win over Frisco Wakeland and has one of the better defenses in the metroplex.
Games to Watch
Friday, November 29
Anna (9-3) vs Lovejoy (9-3)
Anna and Lovejoy meet for a District 4-5A D-II rematch Friday afternoon at 2 at Kenny Deel Stadium in Melissa. Lovejoy took the first meeting in a 66-62 thriller. That game went back-and-forth all night. With the amount of offensive firepower each team has, I have a hard time believing this won’t turn into another shootout. I don't know that either team will surpass 60 points again, but I would expect a lot of points in this one.
Allen (12-0) vs Trinity (11-1)
Trinity’s last dominant run came in the ‘00s, ending in 2010. Allen won a title in 2008, but its dynastic run came in the ‘10s. Neither have appeared at the state championships in the ‘20s as Duncanville has dominated the metroplex in 6A D-I. One of these two teams will face the winner of North Crowley and Coppell, and the team that emerges from that group will get a shot to keep Duncanville (who I expect to emerge from Region II) from reaching another 6A D-I state title game. Kickoff is set for Friday afternoon at 5 at Southlake’s Dragon Stadium.
Prosper Walnut Grove (11-1) vs Argyle (11-1)
The upstart program vs the dynasty. Prosper Walnut Grove won a district championship and will practice on Thanksgiving in its first season in a UIL district. Argyle hasn’t won a state title since 2020 and is looking for its first championship in 5A D-II. Kickoff for this one is set for Friday night at 7 from Children’s Health Stadium in Prosper. Beating Argyle would put another exclamation point on what has been an emphatic statement of a season for Walnut Grove, but that will be much easier said than done. For Argyle, a win would get it back to the regional final for the first time in two years.
Saturday, November 30
North Crowley (12-0) vs Coppell (12-0)
If outdated dynasties (Allen, Trinity) aren’t your thing and you want to see if a DFW team can knock off Duncanville this year, these are the best two candidates. Both teams are undefeated with high flying offense. North Crowley and Coppell are set to face off on Saturday afternoon at 2 from Mansfield’s Newsom Stadium. Quarterbacks Chris Jimerson Jr. and Edward Griffin are fun to watch and there should be a few points scored in this one.
DeSoto (10-2) vs Willis (12-0)
We have DFW vs Houston bragging rights on the line in this one, not to mention bragging rights with our sister show, IHSS Houston. DeSoto wallopped Willis last year as part of its dominant title run. This time Willis is making the trip up to DFW. Kickoff is set for Saturday night at 7 from the Ford Center in Frisco.
Offensive Player of the Week
My Offensive Player of the Week is Frisco Reedy receiver Mason Easley! As I mentioned above, Frisco Reedy’s improbable comeback would not have been possible without Easley’s eight receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns. The two touchdowns came at the end of the first half to give Frisco Reedy enough life to complete the comeback in the second half. Quarterback Jake Ferner and Easley will need another big night against Highland Park this week to stay alive and advance to the regional final.
Defensive Player of the Week
My Defensive Player of the Week is Denton Guyer defensive end Zane Rowe! Denton Guyer eliminated Richardson Pearce 45-28 to advance to the regional semifinal. The Wildcats defense actually held Richardson Pearce to 21 points as the Mustangs got a touchdown on a pick-six. If you didn’t know, holding Richardson Pearce to 21 points is fairly impressive. Rowe racked up 9 tackles, 5 tackles-for-loss, 4 sacks and forced a fumble in the win! Rowe’s ability to disrupt an offense will be important for the Denton Guyer defense to continue to put pressure on opposing offenses throughout these playoffs.