The Cooldown: Week 18
We’re playing football on the other side of Christmas! The last weekend of 2020 went out with a bang and set up plenty of tasty matchups for the first weekend of 2021! Let’s recap some of the biggest games from last weekend and provide a full preview of the weekend to come!
Trinity outlasts Allen
Another week and another big, thrilling win for the Trinity Trojans! Trinity had to mount a big comeback against Midland Lee to set up this game. The Trojan defense picked off Allen quarterback General Booty twice to help seal the win. A second effort from Ollie Gordon to move the chains late in the game was enough to sustain Trinity’s 49-45 lead over the Eagles. Now we get another classic playoff showdown between Trinity and Southlake Carroll!
DeSoto defeats Spring
DeSoto used halftime adjustments to mount another come-from-behind win on this playoff run. The Eagles trailed Spring 14-0 going into halftime but won the game 27-21 over the Lions. Samari Collier got the scoring started for DeSoto with a jump pass to defensive end Shemar Turner in the 3rd quarter. DeSoto would put up 499 yards of offense in the win and score all four touchdowns through the air. Jerand Bradley caught two touchdown passes and Jaedon Wilson was the recipient of the other Collier touchdown pass. Both Collier and Turner told me after the game that DeSoto can’t afford a slow start against Duncanville this weekend.
Player of the Week
My player of the week is Trinity running back Ollie Gordon and the Trinity offensive line! I try not to pick players from the same team as player of the week, especially in back-to-back weeks. Gordon made it impossible for me to not pick him for player of the week this week. Gordon finished with 455 yards on 49 carries and six touchdowns! TCU and Missouri took notice of the performance, extending scholarship offers the day after Trinity’s big win over Allen! He'll be the first to tell you that there's no offensive line he'd rather run behind. For a school that's known for running the football with the best of them, this performance set the bar at a level that may never be reached again.
Team of the Week
My team of the week is the Red Oak Hawks! Red Oak survived Lubbock Coronado in overtime 42-41! The Hawks blocked a Lubbock Coronado extra point attempt in overtime to end the game and advance to the next round. Chris Parson rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one more to go with Josh Ervin’s two touchdown passes. Red Oak will advance to face Mansfield Summit in the next round.
Games to Watch
Thursday, December 31
Aledo vs Lovejoy
The last game of 2020 will be between Aledo and Lovejoy at Globe Life Park. This game will be an 11 a.m. kickoff between the Bearcats and Leopards. Lovejoy put up 64 points in a win over Mansfield Timberview last weekend but will face a big challenge this weekend against Aledo. The Bearcats are looking to add another State Championship to the collection but getting past Lovejoy will be no easy task.
Friday, January 1
Highland Park vs Denton Ryan
Denton Ryan defeated its toughest challenge of this playoff run last weekend 27-9 over Longview. The Raiders will have another tough challenge against Highland Park at 3:15 on Friday at Globe Life Park. Highland Park took down a Frisco Lone Star team that beat it in the playoffs a year ago. Now, Highland Park will face the same team that ousted Lone Star in the playoffs last year. Can the Scots be the team to take down Denton Ryan? We’ll find out on Friday afternoon.
Saturday, January 2
Trinity vs Southlake Carroll
The first game at Globe Life Park will be a classic between two longtime rivals. Carroll and Trinity have provided us with plenty of incredible games, and I hope Saturday is no different. This game kicks off a triple-header at Globe Life Park that football fans won’t want to miss.
Prosper vs Denton Guyer
A rematch from Denton Guyer’s 24-23 win over the Prosper Eagles will take place at 1 at McKinney ISD Stadium. Denton Guyer took down Abilene and Prosper defeated Eaton last weekend to set up this matchup. I expect another one score thriller between these two talented squads.
Rockwall-Heath vs Cedar Hill
The afternoon game at Globe Life Park features two high-powered offenses. Rockwall Heath put up 48 points in a win over Bridgeland to advance and Cedar Hill took down Tomball Memorial 38-21 last weekend. I expect a lot of points and a close game between these two teams, but I am picking Cedar Hill to move on to the next round!
DeSoto vs Duncanville
That just leaves the night cap at Globe Life Park on Saturday. This is the district matchup we all wanted but didn’t get back in the regular season. Duncanville has steamrolled most of its opponents this season and DeSoto has just the lone loss to Cedar Hill. The Eagles have started slow in their last two playoff games but mounted comebacks in the 2nd half to win each game. The same luxury won’t be afforded against the 2nd ranked team in the state. I expect DeSoto to have a better start and for this to be the close game fans are hoping for.