Wichita Falls Hirschi (12-2) vs Stephenville (14-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Frisco’s Ford Center: It’s the first appearance in the state semifinals for Wichita Falls Hirschi since 1964 and if the Huskies want to get to a state title game, they’ll have to get past traditional power unbeaten Stephenville. Hirschi rolled past district rival Springtown last week in a 32-6 win as the Huskies got 109 rushing yards and a touchdown from RB A’Marion Peterson, while WR JaMarion Carroll had four catches for 116 yards and a touchdown and he added a 61-yard touchdown run as well for Hirschi. Stephenville scored 24-straight second half points to erase a halftime deficit and knock off a red-hot Melissa squad 24-21. WR Coy Eakin had a monster second half with 173 receiving yards and two touchdowns that helped give SHS a 24-7 lead before holding off a late Melissa rally. Eakin’s second touchdown grab with 5:44 left all but sealed the win for Stephenville. Stephenville’s defense has been the key in getting three straight wins over Paris, Argyle and Melissa, allowing just 45 total points and that unsung unit is the difference as they advance to the state title game. Stepp’s Pick: Stephenville by 13

Tyler Chapel Hill (11-3) vs Austin LBJ (14-0), 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Frisco’s Ford Center: Fourth place Tyler Chapel Hill looks to do the unthinkable and that is go from finishing fourth to playing for a state championship, to do so they’ll have to knock off number one and unbeaten Austin LBJ. Chapel Hill knocked off Little Cypress-Mauriceville 31-14, the Bulldogs controlled the game from start to finish as WR Deuce McGregor had a touchdown reception from freshman QB Demetrius Brisbon and then McGregor threw a touchdown pass to stake the Bulldogs out to a 14-0 lead. Samari Willis then effectively put the game out of reach with a 21-0 lead. LBJ was a little sloppy last week, but the Jaguars were in total control in a 45-25 win over district rival Fredericksburg. QB Osc ar Gordon threw for 264 yards and five touchdowns, with WR Trent Leary finishing with 177 receiving yards and three touchdowns, Leary also had a punt return for a touchdown as well. It’s been a while since LBJ has played anyone who from a speed standpoint can go toe to toe with them but Chapel Hill is battle tested and they have the dudes to keep up, but two key things tilt the scales to LBJ. QB experience, Chapel Hill starts a freshman QB and LBJ has a veteran in Gordon. The other edge LBJ has is with their defense, that unit will rise to the challenge this week and slow down the Bulldogs. Stepp’s Pick: Austin LBJ by 7

Celina (12-1) vs Gilmer (13-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Prosper’s Children’s Health Stadium: This is the matchup most thought was going to happen since the start of the playoffs in this side of the bracket. Two of the big boys in 4A Division-II are ready to brawl for a spot in the state championship. Celina blanked their district rival Aubrey 34-0 for their second win of the season over the Chaparrals. The Bobcats scored on their first four drives and never looked back in the victory. While the passing game for Celina was not needed, the running game came up big. On a night that the ground game totaled 258 yards, junior running back Gabe Gayton took the lion’s share of them. Gayton’s 182 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns kept the pressure on and the stout Celina defense more than held up their end of the deal. Gilmer also had to beat a district rival for the second time this season as the Buckeyes took out a very young Texarkana Pleasant Grove team 36-15. A stellar passing game and a strong defensive performance helped the Buckeyes earn the win. UTSA commit Brandon Tennison’s arm was on fire as he completed 15 of 20 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns. The Gilmer “Black Flag” defense shut things down with two interceptions and one fumble, they made life difficult on the Hawks run oriented Wing-T scheme. Gilmer’s all-around performance in their last game should have them feeling good. If Celina can’t get some semblance of a passing game going it could be a tough night as Gilmer’s defense is good enough to slow the Bobcats down. The key for Gilmer’s offense is protecting QB Tennison from that ferocious Celina defensive line. DCTF Intern Joshua Price’s pick: Gilmer by 3

China Spring (14-0) vs Cuero (13-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Round Rock’s Reeves Stadium: Unbeaten China Spring showed no signs of a letdown after their big win over Carthage over Thanksgiving weekend as the Cougars easily dispatched of West Orange-Stark 31-14. After playing a more complimentary role in the win over Carthage QB Major Bowden ripped through a good WOS defense rushing for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Cuero avenged their only loss of the regular season with a 35-28 win over Geronimo Navarro last week, but the Gobblers sure made it interesting as they needed a Jerry Rossett to LeBron Johnson touchdown pass with less than a minute remaining to escape with the win and the Region IV title. Cuero’s playmakers at the skill positions will be a chore for China Spring to contain, but the Cougars have been getting it done all year, they have no weaknesses and they have “that dude,” in Major Bowden. China Spring punches their ticket to a state championship game as Cuero’s luck in close games runs out in the state semifinals. Stepp’s Pick: China Spring by 10

Brock (14-0) vs Mount Vernon (14-0), 7 p.m. Thursday at McKinney’s McKinney ISD Stadium: It’s a battle of unbeaten titans in 3A-Division I as the juggernaut that is Brock looks to continue their run towards a state title, which at times looks to be inevitable. Standing in Brock’s way is Mount Vernon a team that lost a heartbreaker to Jim Ned in the state semifinals a year ago, the Tigers are battle tested and will be a tall task for the Eagles from Brock. Brock on Thursday night pounded district rival Whitesboro 49-14, QB Tyler Moody threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, while RB Brett Tutter added 94 yards rushing and three touchdowns replacing the injured Kutter Wilson early on in the game. It was a dominant effort start to finish for the Eagles who have rounded into state title form. Mount Vernon was pushed last week in a battle of 13-0 teams last week, but the Tigers escaped with a 24-13 win over West. The MVHS offense typically grabs headlines, but the defense was the difference last week as the Tigers forced three turnovers and contained a good West running game in the win. MVHS needed that effort last week as their offense had one of their sloppiest games of the season. Mount Vernon can’t afford that this week, the offense will need to be operating at peak performance because Brock’s big offensive line and wave of talented backs will put up a lot of points. Brock gets back to the title game by simply wearing down Mount Vernon in the second half. Stepp’s Pick: Brock by 11

Lorena (12-2) vs Lago Vista (10-3), 7 p.m. Thursday at Georgetown’s Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex: It’s not a surprise Lorena has made it to the state semifinals as the Leopards have been nothing short of dominant blitzing through Region III and leaving a trail of destruction. Last week Lorena put up over fifty points for the fourth straight week with a 63-28 rout of Diboll. The Leopards were led by RB Rhett Hanson who ran for 202 yards and five touchdowns in the victory. Lago Vista finished second place in their district and not much was thought of them going into the playoffs, but the Vikings have proven the skeptics wrong after they won Region IV with a 35-21 win over Vanderbilt Industrial a week ago. QB/DB Bowen Stobb threw a touchdown pass on the opening series and then had a pick six later in the first quarter to help Lago Vista run out to a 14-0 lead and the Vikings defense did the rest picking off two more passes and forcing four total turnovers in the win. The Vikings are big underdogs in this matchup as Lorena has the look of a state title team, unless the Leopards get hit with the turnover big, they should win comfortably. Stepp’s Pick: Lorena by 17

Lubbock Roosevelt (14-0) vs Gunter (14-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Abilene’s Anthony Field: Its one team’s chance to make history while it’s another’s to continue it. Lubbock Roosevelt is making history as it advances to the state semifinals for the first time in school history after beating Abernathy 36-14. Using their triple-option attack, the Eagles rushed for 349 yards. Quarterback Alex Trevino had the bulk of the carries leading to 170 yards and four touchdowns. Defensive back Zack Bryant came up big as he picked off a pass from Abernathy. Gunter has continued their undefeated season with a win over Holliday 35-14. The Tigers got to a 21-0 lead at halftime and controlled the game from there. Gunter only allowed Holliday to have four first downs in the game. Dual threat quarterback Hudson Graham had 129 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown. Both teams are tough to prepare for on short-notice as both run unconventional offensive systems and both execute at a very high level. Roosevelt’s flexbone offense in today’s day and age is probably more unconventional than Gunter’s option based offense which operates out of the pistol. Whichever defense wins those early downs and forces the opposition to throw the ball will have the most success, the problem for Roosevelt is Gunter’s pretty good at throwing it as well. The Tigers get tested, but pull away late. DCTF Intern Joshua Price’s pick: Gunter by 10

Waskom (13-1) vs Franklin (14-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Mesquite’s Memorial Stadium: It’s a state semifinal rematch of a classic from a year ago as Waskom looks to avenge their one point loss to Franklin and punch a ticket to AT&T Stadium. Last week the Wildcats rolled past a strong Daingerfield squad 34-8 as the Wildcats controlled the football and therefore controlled the game, dominating time of possession with the ball for nearly 31 minutes of the game. WHS rolled up 400-yards of offense, spreading the ball around to multiple backs as DJ Feaster led the way with 137 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Tesean Hamilton had 81 yards on the ground and two scores. Jayvis Jones had 68 yards on just five carries. QB Cole Watson rushed nine times for 42 yards and one touchdown. Franklin has mowed through their opponents in Region IV like a hot knife through butter with an average margin of victory of 61.5 points in four playoff games, last week they overwhelmed a good Poth squad to the tune of 66-0. Franklin hasn’t been tested since their Week 1 27-20 win over 3A-Division I semifinalist Lorena, so we aren’t 100% sure of how good this Lions team really is, we’ll find out this week as Waskom is an elite team in their own right who is battle tested. How Franklin responds to someone capable of punching back when they get punched in the mouth will be very telling, but I think this Lions bunch has what it takes to bring a title home to the Brazos Valley. Stepp’s Pick: Franklin by 6

Hawley (14-0) vs Marlin (11-3), 7 p.m. Thursday at Weatherford’s Kangaroo Stadium: Unbeaten Hawley on paper may be the favorite in this 2A-Division I semifinal, but outside of Shiner, is there a team as hot as the Marlin Bulldogs? Hawley, playing without RB Austin Cumpton got another stellar defensive performance last week in their 17-14 win over Cisco to win their first ever regional title. Diontay Ramon moved to RB from WR and performed well for the Bearcats picking up 120 yards on the ground and a touchdown, while the Hawley defense came up big forcing three Cisco turnovers to turn the tide in the victory. In four playoff wins, Hawley has allowed just 52 total points. Marlin continues their return to prominence after several down years that also saw the school nearly close, first year head coach Ruben Torres and his team have totally turned things in a positive direction and the Bulldogs are playing their best football of the season. Last week the Bulldogs took down previously unbeaten Crawford 26-6 to advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 2003. The Bulldogs raced out to a 26-0 halftime lead and put it on cruise control in the second half as QB Desmond Woodson ran for a score and threw for a touchdown, while Zha’Mauryon Lofton had a touchdown reception and a touchdown run. Marlin’s speed at the skill spots will be major test for this Hawley bunch, but Hawley’s got the edge in the trenches and with playoff experience. If Hawley limits Marlin’s big plays, they should find a way to get the win. Stepp’s Pick: Hawley by 4

Timpson (12-0) vs Shiner (14-0), 7 p.m. Thursday at Tomball’s Tomball ISD Stadium: Timpson for the second straight year rolled through Region III and will get another shot at defending state champion Shiner in the state semifinals. In last week’s 48-13 win over Centerville the Bears dominated the second half outscoring the Tigers 34-0 after only having the ball for four minutes in the first half. Sophomore QB Terry Bussey ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Senior RB Braden Courtney ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns to complement Bussey’s brilliance. Shiner sent a message to the rest of the state on Thursday night as the Comanches in front of a packed house in Victoria drilled number one ranked Refugio 55-14. Junior RB Dalton Brooks shredded the Refugio defense for 384 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while Doug Brooks added two rushing touchdowns for a Shiner squad that tallied an incredible 587 yards rushing. Shiner drilled Timpson by 42 a year ago, we know Timpson is better this year and Shiner shockingly may also be better!!! This one is going to be closer than a year ago, but it appears to be Shiner’s world in 2A-Division I. Stepp’s Pick: Shiner by 20

Stratford (13-1) vs Albany (13-0), 6 p.m. Thursday at Lubbock’s Lowrey Field: If you like smash-mouth football Lubbock will be the place for you on Thursday evening as Stratford and Albany will battle it out for a spot in the state title game. Stratford rolled in the second half for a 26-6 win over Wellington last week as QB Cody Rinne carried the load for the Elks rushing for 267 yards and four touchdowns as SHS outscored Wellington 19-0 in the second half. Albany took out the defending state champions Windthorst 28-14 as QB Cole Chapman was efficient throwing for 132 yards and three touchdowns and he added 63 yards on the ground and a touchdown as the Lions scored on three straight first half possessions to race out to a 21-6 halftime lead. Stratford’s got the edge up front, but Albany is a bit more dynamic at the skill spots, the key here will be which defense is able to make plays in key spots. This is a true pick’em game, with a very slight edge going to Stratford.  Stepp’s Pick: Stratford by 2

Mart (14-0) vs Falls City (13-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Elgin’s Wildcat Stadium: It’s the fourth straight year for Mart and Falls City to meet up in the state semifinals and once again Mart comes in as a heavy favorite. The Panthers have played all season with a chip on their shoulder after their stunning state title loss a year ago, they are looking to make it four in a row over Falls City as they’ll try for their fourth state title in five years and ninth title overall. Last week the Panthers easily rolled through district rival Chilton 56-10 as QB Trey Powell threw for 289 yards and five touchdowns and added another score on the ground as Mart raced out to a 28-7 lead and never looked back. Falls City ran out to a big early lead and held off a Burton rally in a 34-20 win. Luke Shaffer led the Beavers with 149 yards rushing and three touchdowns and he also tallied an interception playing on the defensive side of the ball. Cole Thomas chipped in 137 yards on the ground and two touchdowns as well. Falls City will need to play perfect to pull the upset and they’ll need Mart to help out, the Panthers speed and big play ability has overwhelmed the Beavers in the past and I expect that again this week. Stepp’s Pick: Mart by 21