alaskacat
11-15-2007, 12:31 PM
Format means possible hits are missed
Two playoff divisions can prevent chance of a great matchup
04:10 AM CST on Sunday, November 11, 2007
• E-mail
After quarterback William Cole ran for 290 yards and three touchdowns in his final high school game last season, he talked a lot about what the state championship meant to Cedar Hill.
He also talked a lot about another state champion, Southlake Carroll.
"I'd really like to play them," he said. "I'd really like to see how we stack up against one of the best teams in the country."
A lot of people wanted to see that.
Undefeated Carroll, the Division I champion, against Cedar Hill, the undefeated Division II champion? It would've been a great matchup. Maybe the most anticipated since ...
Well, just a year earlier.
In 2005, Euless Trinity (Division I) and Carroll (II) finished the season as 5A champions. They didn't play, either, because Texas has broken the 5A playoffs into two brackets since 1990. It now breaks every class, from 5A to six-man, into two playoff divisions.
That means a lot of state champions – and a lot of excellent teams that never play each other. So with the playoffs less than a week away, here's a look at some matchups of champions that could've happened with just one bracket in each class.
1996
Lewisville (5A Div. I) vs. Austin Westlake (Div. II)
High Schools
HS GameTime/DFW
High Schools blog
Wixon: Format means possible hits are missed
Football roundup
Playoff pairings
Class 5A brackets:
Division I | Division II
More high school football
Lewisville (15-0) won its second state title in three years with a strong defense and Wishbone offense that overpowered playoff opponents by a combined score of 235-69. Westlake (16-0) clobbered Abilene Cooper, 55-15, in the Division II title game.
Another potential classic: In 4A, Division I champion Grapevine (15-0) against La Marque (14-2), which won its second straight state title.
1999
Midland Lee (5A Div. I) vs. Garland (Div. II)
Garland (15-1) opened the season with a loss, and then was unbeatable. The closest thing Garland had to a superstar was fullback Donte Hart, who rushed for 2,000 yards, but the Owls defeated powerhouses Lufkin, Austin Westlake and Plano East before beating Katy for the title. Midland Lee (15-0) won the second of three straight state titles with future Texas running back Cedric Benson.
Another potential classic: In 2A, Division I champ Mart (15-0) against Div. II Celina (16-0), which won the second of its four straight 2A titles.
2001
Denton Ryan (4A Div. I) vs. Ennis (Div. II)
These teams battled twice the following season, but in '01, Ryan (15-0) and Ennis (16-0) took separate paths to glory. Both teams had powerful offenses led by star quarterbacks – Ennis' Graham Harrell and Ryan's James Battle, the 4A state offensive player of the year.
Another potential classic: In 5A, Division I champ Mesquite (15-0) and its mighty defense against Division II champ Lufkin (15-1) and future Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal.
2002
Converse Judson (5A Div. 1) vs. Southlake Carroll (Div. II)
Carroll trailed Lufkin by 16 points in the third quarter of its semifinal, but survived that game and crushed Smithson Valley, 45-14, to win its first 5A state title. Judson had a bigger scare in the final, needing a 76-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds to beat Midland, 33-32, and win its sixth state title.
Another potential classic: In 4A, Division I champ Texarkana Texas High (14-1), which won its playoff games by an average of 30 points, against Division II Denton Ryan (15-1), which suffered its only loss of the season to Ennis.
2005
Highland Park (4A Div. I) vs. Hebron (Div. II)
Highland Park (15-0) won its first state championship since 1957, and Hebron (16-0) won its first state title in its sixth year of varsity play.
A matchup of these two would've certainly been more competitive than the state title games that they played. Hebron beat Corpus Christi Calallen, 28-0, and Highland Park obliterated Marshall, 59-0.
Another potential classic: As mentioned above, Carroll (16-0) vs. Trinity (15-1). We got the clash of the titans a year later, and it drew nearly 50,000 fans to Texas Stadium for an area-round game.
2007
Don't know yet, obviously. But one possibility is in 3A, where Celina and Royse City have been dominating. There are several excellent teams in 3A this season, but if Royse City runs the table in Division I and Celina wins in Division II, we'll have another missed matchup to discuss.
MISSED MATCHUPS
The UIL began dividing the 5A playoffs into two divisions in 1990. It did the same with 4A in 1996, with 3A and 2A in 1998, and with 1A and six-man starting last season. The times since divided brackets when undefeated state champions didn't face each other:
Year Class Division I champ Division II champ
2006 5A Southlake Carroll (16-0) Cedar Hill (16-0)
2005 4A Highland Park (15-0) Hebron (16-0)
2005 3A Wimberley (15-0) Tatum (15-0)
2005 2A Newton (13-0) Celina (16-0)
2004 2A Boyd (15-0) Crawford (16-0)
2001 4A Denton Ryan (15-0) Ennis (16-0)
2001 2A Blanco (15-0) Celina (16-0)
1999 4A Texas City (14-0) Stephenville (16-0)
1999 2A Mart (15-0) Celina (15-0)
1996 5A Lewisville (15-0) Austin Westlake (16-0)
1993 5A Converse Judson (13-0-2) Lewisville (15-0-1)
Two playoff divisions can prevent chance of a great matchup
04:10 AM CST on Sunday, November 11, 2007
After quarterback William Cole ran for 290 yards and three touchdowns in his final high school game last season, he talked a lot about what the state championship meant to Cedar Hill.
He also talked a lot about another state champion, Southlake Carroll.
"I'd really like to play them," he said. "I'd really like to see how we stack up against one of the best teams in the country."
A lot of people wanted to see that.
Undefeated Carroll, the Division I champion, against Cedar Hill, the undefeated Division II champion? It would've been a great matchup. Maybe the most anticipated since ...
Well, just a year earlier.
In 2005, Euless Trinity (Division I) and Carroll (II) finished the season as 5A champions. They didn't play, either, because Texas has broken the 5A playoffs into two brackets since 1990. It now breaks every class, from 5A to six-man, into two playoff divisions.
That means a lot of state champions – and a lot of excellent teams that never play each other. So with the playoffs less than a week away, here's a look at some matchups of champions that could've happened with just one bracket in each class.
1996
Lewisville (5A Div. I) vs. Austin Westlake (Div. II)
High Schools
HS GameTime/DFW
High Schools blog
Wixon: Format means possible hits are missed
Football roundup
Playoff pairings
Class 5A brackets:
Division I | Division II
More high school football
Lewisville (15-0) won its second state title in three years with a strong defense and Wishbone offense that overpowered playoff opponents by a combined score of 235-69. Westlake (16-0) clobbered Abilene Cooper, 55-15, in the Division II title game.
Another potential classic: In 4A, Division I champion Grapevine (15-0) against La Marque (14-2), which won its second straight state title.
1999
Midland Lee (5A Div. I) vs. Garland (Div. II)
Garland (15-1) opened the season with a loss, and then was unbeatable. The closest thing Garland had to a superstar was fullback Donte Hart, who rushed for 2,000 yards, but the Owls defeated powerhouses Lufkin, Austin Westlake and Plano East before beating Katy for the title. Midland Lee (15-0) won the second of three straight state titles with future Texas running back Cedric Benson.
Another potential classic: In 2A, Division I champ Mart (15-0) against Div. II Celina (16-0), which won the second of its four straight 2A titles.
2001
Denton Ryan (4A Div. I) vs. Ennis (Div. II)
These teams battled twice the following season, but in '01, Ryan (15-0) and Ennis (16-0) took separate paths to glory. Both teams had powerful offenses led by star quarterbacks – Ennis' Graham Harrell and Ryan's James Battle, the 4A state offensive player of the year.
Another potential classic: In 5A, Division I champ Mesquite (15-0) and its mighty defense against Division II champ Lufkin (15-1) and future Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal.
2002
Converse Judson (5A Div. 1) vs. Southlake Carroll (Div. II)
Carroll trailed Lufkin by 16 points in the third quarter of its semifinal, but survived that game and crushed Smithson Valley, 45-14, to win its first 5A state title. Judson had a bigger scare in the final, needing a 76-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds to beat Midland, 33-32, and win its sixth state title.
Another potential classic: In 4A, Division I champ Texarkana Texas High (14-1), which won its playoff games by an average of 30 points, against Division II Denton Ryan (15-1), which suffered its only loss of the season to Ennis.
2005
Highland Park (4A Div. I) vs. Hebron (Div. II)
Highland Park (15-0) won its first state championship since 1957, and Hebron (16-0) won its first state title in its sixth year of varsity play.
A matchup of these two would've certainly been more competitive than the state title games that they played. Hebron beat Corpus Christi Calallen, 28-0, and Highland Park obliterated Marshall, 59-0.
Another potential classic: As mentioned above, Carroll (16-0) vs. Trinity (15-1). We got the clash of the titans a year later, and it drew nearly 50,000 fans to Texas Stadium for an area-round game.
2007
Don't know yet, obviously. But one possibility is in 3A, where Celina and Royse City have been dominating. There are several excellent teams in 3A this season, but if Royse City runs the table in Division I and Celina wins in Division II, we'll have another missed matchup to discuss.
MISSED MATCHUPS
The UIL began dividing the 5A playoffs into two divisions in 1990. It did the same with 4A in 1996, with 3A and 2A in 1998, and with 1A and six-man starting last season. The times since divided brackets when undefeated state champions didn't face each other:
Year Class Division I champ Division II champ
2006 5A Southlake Carroll (16-0) Cedar Hill (16-0)
2005 4A Highland Park (15-0) Hebron (16-0)
2005 3A Wimberley (15-0) Tatum (15-0)
2005 2A Newton (13-0) Celina (16-0)
2004 2A Boyd (15-0) Crawford (16-0)
2001 4A Denton Ryan (15-0) Ennis (16-0)
2001 2A Blanco (15-0) Celina (16-0)
1999 4A Texas City (14-0) Stephenville (16-0)
1999 2A Mart (15-0) Celina (15-0)
1996 5A Lewisville (15-0) Austin Westlake (16-0)
1993 5A Converse Judson (13-0-2) Lewisville (15-0-1)