Ranking The 10 Wildest Regional Semifinals
Waxahachie Indians score 10 points in final 1:24 of regulation to win in overtime, Noah Spinks's fourth-down TD pass with 26 second left and much more from the regional semifinals.
The fact that this one-point game comes in so low on the wildest game rankings is a testament to how spectacular Round 3 was.
Brenham had a 30-24 lead, but Iowa Colony QB Carson White’s one-yard touchdown run with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter put the Pioneers ahead for good. His favorite target, Texas A&M WR commit Jayden Warren, now has seven touchdown catches in three playoff games after hauling in two against Brenham.
Brenham drove into Iowa Colony territory with 2:35 left in the game, but Micario Brackens sealed the win with an interception.
Iowa Colony is back in the Class 5A DII Region III final for the second year in a row and will rematch Richmond Randle, which they are 0-3 against all-time.
In an incredible display of mental toughness, Denton Guyer kicker Andrew Johnson drilled a 31-yard field goal with one second left to give his team a 24-21 victory. The kick was gutsy, considering Johnson had missed a 41-yard attempt earlier in the night.
Johnson wouldn’t have had a chance for redemption if not for sophomore QB Carter Morgan, whose 20-yard scramble on a fourth down with less than 20 seconds remaining gave the Wildcats a walk-off chance.
Guyer’s defense had three takeaways on the night and has held opponents to an average of 14.7 points per game this season. That unit will face its toughest test of the season in the 6A DII Region I Final against Southlake Carroll.
For Byron Nelson, the 10-3 season is the third double-digit win season in the last four years. The 2025 team valiantly honored their community and late head coach Travis Pride, who passed away unexpectedly in late May.
TXHSFB fans had to wait a little longer than expected for this highly anticipated Round 3 clash between Class 6A DII State Championship favorite Southlake Carroll and Dark Horse contender Prosper.
Unofficially the latest TXHSFB game of all time, the teams didn’t kick off until 11:15 p.m., after a four-hour weather delay. While not a nail-biter (Southlake Carroll won 49-31), it was the closest game the Dragons had played all season. Southlake has played in December every season since Riley Dodge took over as head coach in 2018.
The weather wasn’t the only unexpected aspect of the win. Senior DB Parker Harris, who hadn’t played on offense all season, had eight carries for 95 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while throwing for a touchdown. He also had an interception from his usual safety spot.
Southlake Carroll will face Denton Guyer in the Region I Final.
There were no lulls in this Round 3 heavyweight clash. It was 7-7 within the first minute, 21-21 at halftime, and ended with Athens winning 37-36.
Sunnyvale QB Cayson Maupin had a 72-yard rushing touchdown on the first drive, an early indication he’d run all over Athens. Maupin finished with 232 rushing yards on 21 carries. But Athens’ high-powered offense would keep pace, scoring a 70-yard rushing touchdown on its second play from scrimmage.
Athens QB David Richardson refused to be outdueled. Down 36-30 with less than three minutes remaining, he converted a 4th-and-7 on a pass to E’Manuel Moore and scored a rushing touchdown to put Athens up by one.
But on a day of offensive fireworks, it was the defense that sealed Athens’s win. Maupin drove Sunnyvale down to Athens's 17-yard line with 18 seconds remaining, but Rhys Groom came up with the game-winning interception.
The 11-3 season is Athens’s third double-digit win season since 1960. Athens will rematch with Carthage in the Class 4A DII Region II Final. The Hornets took Carthage to the mat in a 61-56 loss on October 17.
The weather almost robbed TXHSFB fans of a Class 3A DI thriller, but Grandview and Commerce teamed up to ensure that a four-hour delay in the middle of the second quarter only added to this game’s lore.
Commerce took a 28-14 lead when the game resumed shortly before midnight. But under a black sky, Grandview’s Bleu Hubbard willed the Zebras back into the game with 24 carries, 184 yards and a touchdown. The 6’2, 220-pound athlete took over as the primary running back for a limited Elijah Dominguez and powered Grandview to a 49-42 lead.
With 26 seconds left, Commerce QB Aiden Brown, who finished the night with 391 total yards and five touchdowns, threw a touchdown to Wyatt Marker. At 1:20 a.m., Commerce coach John McSheffery opted for a two-point conversion to win the game instead of tying it. But a double reverse pass fell incomplete.
Special teams - the most important phase of the game. Pflugerville Weiss had a 34-yard field goal try to send the game into Double OT, but a botched snap resulted in a Barbers Hill 34-31 win. It was a fitting end for a wacky night that saw one weather delay, two non-offensive TDs and three blocked punts.
This Barbers Hill win was a microcosm of its season. The Eagles were 4-3 with a 1-2 record in District 9-5A DI play and have scratched and clawed all the way back for the first Regional Final appearance since 1976. On Saturday night, they were down 31-21 at the end of the third quarter, but pushed it to overtime after a Tripp Davis touchdown and field goal as time expired. Barbers Hill will face undefeated Port Arthur Memorial in the Region III Final.
For Pflugerville Weiss, the OT loss is a crushing defeat to the best season in the program’s young history under first-year head coach Malcolm Hill, who wasn’t hired until June. The Wolves established the “New Weiss Order” in 2025 and will return most of their production in 2026.
Johnson vs Cibolo Steele was the San Antonio Super Bowl: who would be the city’s last team standing in 6A DI? The sold-out crowd at Gustafson Stadium saw an instant classic.
With the season on life support, down three scores with just under eight minutes remaining, San Antonio Johnson QB Elvis Estrada instead sent Cibolo Steele to the Heartbreak Hotel. His favorite target, Bryson Thompson, caught a miraculous 4th-and-11 conversion and then two touchdowns, the second of which put Johnson up 29-28.
But the play of the game won’t go down in any stat sheet. Johnson’s two-point conversion attempt was intercepted, and Steele’s linebacker nearly ran it all the way back to steal two points and the victory. But Johnson RB Rayshawn Hurt hustled after him from across the field to make the tackle at the 22-yard line, securing the 29-28 win.
San Antonio Johnson is now 13-0, the highest win total in program history. The Jaguars will face Lake Travis in the Region IV Final. Lake Travis has knocked San Antonio Johnson out of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
Noah Spinks threw Summer Creek to December football by proving he had ice in his veins. Katy’s vaunted defense seemingly had Summer Creek where it wanted them, in a 4th-and-8 with 26 seconds left, down 37-31. But Spinks rolled right out of the pressure and threw to a crossing Trenton Thomas for a touchdown.
Katy almost put this game away numerous times. But each crushing blow was followed up by CPR for Summer Creek. Tremayne Hill scored a 71-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage as the Tigers built a 21-7 cushion. Then, Katy kicked it to Benny Easter, who returned it for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter with 1:53 remaining, QB Mason Hartwell threw a touchdown pass to Drake Hopkins for a 37-31 lead. But a missed extra point allowed Summer Creek to win it with a touchdown.
Summer Creek is back in the regional final for the fourth time in five years. The Bulldogs will face Sheldon C.E. King in a District 23-6A rematch. Summer Creek lost the first battle 42-28 and was down 42-0 at one point.
Cypress Ranch didn’t take its first lead until 7:24 remaining in the game, but it looked like it’d win comfortably after building a 34-24 cushion with 3:12 left.
Then, Meyer Magic. Waxahachie QB Jerry Meyer III overcame two fourth-quarter interceptions to lead the Indians on an eight-play field goal drive. Star safety JayQuan Snell recovered the ensuing onside kick. Meyer then threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to RB Taylen Strange with 10 seconds remaining.
Waxahachie is now in the Regional Final for the first time since 2009 and will face Duncanville, which it beat 28-27 on September 19. That Week 4 win was the first indication this Waxahachie team could contend for an 11-6A Championship. A win this week would prove it can compete for a state championship, too.
This article is available to our Digital Subscribers.
Click "Subscribe Now" to see a list of subscription offers.
Already a Subscriber? Sign In to access this content.
We've been the Bible of Texas football fans for over 60 years. By joining the DCTX Family you'll gain access to all of our exclusive content and have our magazines mailed to you!