Here are our top five high school football games to watch in West Texas in the third round of the playoffs this week:
Richland Springs (12-0) vs. Oglesby (10-2)
2 p.m. Friday, Belton ISD Stadium
These two teams have been on a collision course all season, and the playoff rematch is finally here, though it comes a round earlier than last year, when Oglesby beat Richland Springs 62-48 in the state semifinals. The Coyotes haven’t lost since, and they’ve won every game by 45 points or more to reach this Class 1A Division II state quarterfinal matchup. Richland Springs is ranked No. 2, while Oglesby is No. 3. The Tigers went on to lose to Benjamin in last year’s state final, and they started this year 0-2 with losses to Abbott (68-40) and May (66-45). They’ve won every game since by 40 points or more, capped by last week’s 116-76 win over No. 6 Cherokee. Richland Springs ran past Zephyr 64-6 last week.
Oglesby has one of the best six-man players in the state in Kyler Fossett, who has rushed for 1,904 yards and 44 touchdowns in 11 games. Richland Springs can counter with its 1-2 punch in the backfield of Billy Perry and Cohen Ethridge. It will be interesting to see which defense is able to come up with stops with all of this talent on the field. Or will it just be a high-powered shootout?
The winner of this game will play Iredell or Oakwood in the state semifinals.
The pick: Richland Springs 72, Oglesby 66
Water Valley (10-2) vs. Westbrook (10-2)
6 p.m. Friday, Garden City’s Bearkat Stadium
Water Valley’s return to the six-man game has culminated with a trip back to the 1A Division I state quarterfinals. When they last reached this round in 2021, the Wildcats were without their all-state running back, Canon Wiese, who was injured a week earlier, and they lost 70-49 to May. After two years in 11-man football, Water Valley is finally back to where it left off, and the Wildcats’ roster is fully loaded with players like running back Anthony Quintana, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards, and quarterback Landon Lacy, who has over 2,000 yards of offense (1,300 passing, 700 rushing). Canon Wiese, the team’s anchor on defense, has added another 600 yards rushing, while wide receiver Gunnar Brooks has about 600 receiving yards.
Standing in their way is Westbrook, which has played in three straight state finals and won back-to-back titles in 2021 and ‘22. Westbrook has a potent 1-2 rushing attack with Grayson Jeffrey with 1,755 rushing yards and 35 TDs, and Case Custer with 1,064 yards and 20 TDs. They’ve powered a Westbrook offense that has scored 214 points in its last two outings (116-110 over Robert Lee and 98-52 over Newcastle). Can Water Valley.
All indications point to this being a classic playoff game. We think it’s Water Valley’s time to finally knock the door down and move into the state semifinals for the first time ever. The winner of this game will play Whiteface or Borden County
The pick: Water Valley 68, Westbrook 66
Junction (11-1) vs. Somerville (11-1)
6 p.m. Friday, Pflugerville ISD Pfield Stadium
Two years ago, each of these programs had losing records. Now they’re playing for a spot in the state quarterfinals. Somerville is having its winningest season in program history, while Junction is on its farthest playoff run since 2009. It will be interesting to see which one of these teams rises to the occasion and keeps its breakthrough season going.
Junction is coming off a 35-13 win over Falls City last week. Chasen Doyal threw four touchdown passes, including three to Brock Bierschwale. The Eagles are averaging over 48 points per game and allowing less than 12. Like Junction, Somerville ran through its district undefeated. The Yeguas are scoring 29 points per game and allowing 17. They defeated Ben Bolt 46-12 last week. Much of Somerville’s offense runs through quarterback Ian Teague, who has thrown for 1,224 yards and rushed for 757.
The winner of this game will play Shiner or Granger next week in the 2A Division II Region IV final.
The pick: Junction 28, Somerville 27
Wall (11-1) vs. Littlefield (8-4)
1 p.m. Friday, Sweetwater’s Mustang Bowl
The No. 4-ranked Wall Hawks have one of the state’s top defenses, but it faces a serious challenge this week against a Littlefield offense averaging 49 points per game. Wall is allowing only 12 points per game, and the most the Hawks have allowed was in a 25-24 win over Jim Ned. Wall is coming off a 49-14 win over Childress last week, while Littlefield beat Crane 59-0 last week.
Littlefield has a four-year starting QB in Chip Green, who was 12-of-14 passing last week for 177 yards and three TDs. He also had nine carries for 57 yards, and he even returned a punt 55 yards for a TD. Wall’s spread offense is led by Landon York, who has thrown for 2,850 yards and 31 TDs. He has three 500-yard receivers in Reid Robertson (47 catches, 678 yards), Briggs Jones (26-606) and Evan Boehle (29-539). Thomas Leanos leads Wall’s ground game with 807 rushing yards.
Littlefield shouldn’t be taken lightly, but Wall looks like a team capable of ending this season in the state championship game. The winner of this game will face Canadian or Idalou in the 3A Division I Region I final.
The pick: Wall 42, Littlefield 24
Mason (11-1) vs. Marlin (9-3)
7 p.m. Friday, Cedar Park's Gupton Stadium
The No. 6-ranked Mason Punchers will be tested Friday by a Marlin team with plenty of playoff experience. The Bulldogs reached the state quarterfinals last year and the state semifinals in 2021. Marlin has won seven straight games, including a 35-14 win last week over Schulenburg. The Bulldogs haven’t allowed more than 15 points in any game during their winning streak. Roderick Suiters has thrown for 1,334 and rushed for 603 yards. De’angelo Wright has rushed for 856 yards.
Mason is coming off a 56-28 win over Weimar. It was the first time Mason has allowed more than 15 points since Week 2. The Punchers are riding an 11-game winning streak since a season-opening 28-6 loss to Wall. Mason is led by running back Sutten Silerio, who has rushed for 2,129 yards and 35 TDs, averaging 14.5 yards per carry. Quarterback Carlton Schmidt has rushed for 986 yards and 17 TDs, averaging 10.3 yards per carry. Schmidt has also passed for 1,303 yards and 17 TDs.
The winner of this game will play Refugio or Ganado next week in the 2A Division I Region IV final.
The pick: Mason 35, Marlin 21
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