Texas Football

By Travis Stewart/Texas Football

Tired of Dallas-area coverage? Come to Class 3A, where most of the Metroplex contenders were kicked to the curb in upset fashion this weekend. Argyle and Prosper (the reigning DI champ) both lost in the fourth quarter, and Kennedale came less than a minute away from passing up Pittsburg. And let's not forget Sinton, which is quietly putting together a second-straight Team of the Year-type effort.

Graham 28, Bridgeport 23
We all know that the margin for error in high-level high school football is next to nothing -- even minor mistakes lead to disaster. So when Bridgeport failed to convert a fourth down in Graham territory by about an index finger's length in the fourth quarter, that wasn't good. And when Graham converted a third-down by about the same length on the ensuing clock-killing drive, that was just about all she wrote. Of course, we should have assumed this one was going to be close after Graham somehow managed to beat Bridgeport, 49-48, earlier in the season on a blocked PAT with under a minute to go. Against an offense of Graham's caliber, turning the ball over is usually a fatal recipe -- Bridgeport's four turnovers (two fumbles, two interception) make it amazing that the Bulls even got within five. Had Graham not jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead, things could have been different.

Wimberley 24, Brownwood 17
Remember that talk about turnovers? Brownwood needed that one Saturday, as two costly fumbles in the fourth quarter enabled the Texans to hold onto a 24-17 win that pushed four-loss Wimberley into the fourth round of the postseason. Wimberley never led in the first half, but Chase Brown exploded for an 81-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter that gave the Texans a 17-10 lead. Almost a quarter and a half later, RB Dennis Smith added a touchdown (to pair with his 183 rushing yards) to make it 24-10. After a quick answering touchdown, Brownwood got the ball back twice more in the final five minutes -- and both times the ball (and the game) slipped through its fingers.

Texarkana Pleasant Grove 35, Argyle 19
Just one-half of the 9-3A expulsion this weekend, Argyle (and Prosper) fell this weekend in upset fashion. Pleasant Grove, which we ranked No. 24 in the preseason, exceeded even our expectations through the efforts of QB Antonio Graves, who finished with 177 rushing yards, 251 passing yards and three touchdowns. Though the score looks like a near-blowout, Argyle actually led, 19-14, with almost the entire fourth quarter remaining. But Graves ran for a score (and the two-point conversion), and then Argyle QB Austin Aune threw his second pick of the night to put Pleasant Grove in position to open up the lead. Six minutes later, Graves threw a touchdown pass, and then Argyle's desperation drive ended in a interception returned for a touchdown. In a little less than 12 minutes, Pleasant Grove outscored Argyle 21-0. Argyle's normally potent passing game managed just 82 yards on the night.

Pittsburg 21, Kennedale 17
Speaking of teams from 16-3A, Pittsburg made that district look pretty good by downing Kennedale this weekend -- now Pittsburg and Pleasant Grove are both still alive heading into the fourth round. But the more dramatic story here is Pittsburg's amazing win -- QB Mitch Manley threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to DeMarcus Armstrong with 29 seconds left to take its only lead of the game. It was the only one it would ever need. Kennedale led at halftime, 14-7, and midway through the fourth, 17-14, on the efforts of its powerful ground game, which churned out 251 yards. But Pittsburg's combo of Manley and Armstrong, which hooked up twice for touchdowns, turned out to be the difference. Now Pittsburg gets -- surprise! -- Pleasant Grove this weekend. That'll be fun.

Lorena 33, Coldspring Oakhurst 29
It looks like Lorena, which entered the regular season unranked and outside the playoff picture, which entered the postseason as a consensus underdog in the first round, which has been an underdog in every round of the postseason (including the upcoming one) ... is the real deal. Once again, Lorena managed to find a way to win, this time at the expense of high-powered Coldspring Oakhurst, which was held scoreless over its final three possessions. And Lorena's Evan Ward has quietly become one of 3A's brightest stars -- after weeks of productive play, his 234-yard, 4-touchdown performance Saturday might just take the cake. His short scoring run with just more than two minutes left gave Lorena its only lead of the night -- and it had to fight to even get to that point. Oakhurst scored on its first four possessions and led 29-13 in the third quarter, but Lorena's defense stopped the CO offense on back-to-back fourth down conversion attempts on the next two drives, setting up Ward's game-winning run.

Lucas Lovejoy 24, Prosper 14
Win was the last time Prosper held a double-digit halftime lead and lost? Considering it's only lost two games over the past two seasons, it certainly hasn't been recently. But second-year Lucas Lovejoy, one of a select few that has qualified for the fourth round in just its second season of varsity play, bounced back from a 14-3 halftime deficit and outscored the reigning DI champs 21-0 over the final 24 minutes to stake its claim as the best 3A team in the greater Metroplex area. Lovejoy managed just 74 yards of offense and 4 first downs in the first half, but star QB Michael Means threw two touchdown passes (one an 88-yarder) and rushed for a third to turn the tide. He finished with 172 passing yards and two scores and 75 rushing yards -- he accounted for all three Lovejoy touchdowns. Is this team beginning to feel like last year's Prosper one a little bit? It even plays Abilene Wylie in the state semis this weekend -- just like Prosper did last year.

Gilmer 42, Navasota 35
At some point this season, Gilmer had to play a close game, right? Apparently Navasota was the right team at the right time, and the Buckeyes, who had rarely been tested this season, held the Rattlers to just a touchdown over the final two frames and pounded the ball on offense to continue their trek towards a state title. Leading 35-28 in the third quarter, Gilmer's Ben Griffith swung the tide firmly in the Buckeyes' favor with a key tackle that kept Navasota from converting a critical fourth-quarter fourth down play. On the ensuing drive, Gilmer ran five minutes off the clock and picked up another touchdown to settle the final margin. Almost all of those yards on that drive came on the ground -- Gilmer actually only threw the ball five times in the second half. Now the Bucks' see Cuero this weekend in the state semis -- every game from here on out is a tough one.

Sinton 31, Brookshire Royal 24
Once again, those never say die Pirates managed to wrangle a win out of a close playoff game. While some thought Royal's run game was going to be the central story, it ended up being Sinton's passing attack that stole the show, as QB Josh Harrison chucked four touchdowns and 283 yards to pace the Sinton offense to a victory. But perhaps even more important was the defensive effort -- Sinton forced two turnovers (one fumble, one interception) inside its own 10-yard line in the second half to keep Royal playing from behind. Sinton got that lead courtesy of an 81-yard run by Keith Garcia, which set up a short score a few plays later. Royal didn't seem to play particularly badly, but all the big plays went Sinton's way, and that was enough for the victory.