Ranking the Wildest State Semifinal Matchups

Games are ranked from straight chalk to "How in the world did this happen?"

Chalk

20. Gunter vs Wall

The only state semifinal game that our staff unanimously predicted in the playoff preview show. These two teams met in the semifinal last year, with Gunter taking the 42-32 victory on the way to its third-consecutive state championship.

Both Gunter and Wall are under new-ish head coaches who had long stints as coordinators with their respective schools. Gunter's Jordan Gill, the offensive coordinator, took over for legendary head coach Jake Fieszel in May and has the Tigers back in the state semifinals for the seventh year in a row. Wall head coach Craig Slaughter was the defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2023, but the Hawks have made the state semifinals in his first two years as head coach after he rebranded to the spread offense. 

19. Carthage vs Brock 

Since 2018, these programs are a combined 197-21.

Carthage has been the 2025 Class 4A DII State Championship favorite from the moment they raised the 2024 championship trophy. QB Jett Surratt, the son of ten-time state championship head coach Scott Surratt, has broken every program passing record, while RB KJ Edwards, a Texas A&M signee, has broken the career rushing yards and rushing touchdowns mark.

Brock has made the state semifinals in four of the previous five seasons. UTEP signee Colt Matlock is a two-way superstar with 1,417 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns paired with four interceptions on defense. 

18. Aledo vs Frisco Lone Star 

When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Aledo's defense has never allowed more than 17 points in a game this season. In fact, the opponent has managed double-digit points just six times. Lone Star's offense, meanwhile, is averaging 44.9 points per game. Sophomore quarterback Trey Wright put up 650 yards of total offense in the Regional Final against Highland Park.  

17. Celina vs Stephenville 

A battle of TXHSFB Blue Bloods. All eyes are on Celina QB Bowe Bentley's health. The Oklahoma signee hasn't finished either of the last two games. The Bobcats have scratched and clawed their way to wins without their offensive star. In the Region II Final against Alvarado, Celina ran an offense with no wide receivers and put LB Luke Biagini in at wildcat QB. Biagini ran for over 120 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. But Stephenville is the rare team that can match Celina in the trenches with Army commit Kolton "Dearth Vader" Dearth.

16. Lake Travis vs North Shore

In a year where we praised the parity in Class 6A DI, it's only fitting we get these two perennial powers in the semifinals. This is the third time since 2018 that these programs have met in the playoffs, and Galena Park North Shore is 3-0. 

While familiar faces, these programs both have different narratives than in past years. Lake Travis, known as a quarterback factory, boasts two Power Four defensive ends in Ben Duncum and Carter Buck, the program's all-time leader in sacks and tackles for loss. This has been the most doubted North Shore team in recent memory after head-scratching losses to South Oak Cliff in Week One and a 27-0 skunking against Humble Summer Creek. 

15. Allen vs Duncanville

This game is like if Alabama and Clemson met in the College Football Playoff today - two dynasties that used to battle every December but haven't seen each other in some time. Allen's loss to Duncanville in the 2018 state semifinals represented the end of one dynastic period. Could a win against Duncanville this week mark the beginning of another dynastic run? 

14. La Vernia (3/6 picked) vs Kilgore (6/6 picked)

Rounding out the chalk category, a Class 4A DI state semifinal rematch. Kilgore felt like a semifinal lock when the playoff bracket was announced, but San Antonio Davenport was a popular pick to knock off La Vernia in Region IV. La Vernia head coach Brian Null has made the state semifinals in each of his first two years as head coach. 

Could've Guessed That

13. Smithson Valley vs Port Arthur Memorial

Last year, everyone not in a Highland Park jersey was rooting for Smithson Valley head coach Larry Hill to win his first state championship after falling in the four previous. Now that he has his coveted ring, the majority will likely root for Port Arthur Memorial to make its first state championship in program history. How quickly you go from hunter to hunted.

12. Boerne vs Richmond Randle

Boerne and Richmond Randle were both region favorites, but neither was a consensus pick. Some believed this had to be Iowa Colony's year, but the Pioneers are now 24-4 in the last two years, and their four losses are all to Randle. Boerne made the state semis last year, but having a new QB in Grant Sweeney and a new head coach in Brett Sawyer provided just enough questions to pick Alamo Heights and/or Gregory-Portland. But Sweeney's touchdown pass with 20 seconds left against Alamo Heights slammed the door on any remaining doubters.

11. Gruver vs Muenster

This is one of the best QB duels in the state between Gruver's Briggs Satterfield and Muenster's Casen Carney. 

10. DeSoto vs Southlake Carroll

Southlake Carroll was the preseason magazine's state championship prediction and was a unanimous pick to reach the state semifinals on our playoff preview show. DeSoto was the wild card. Claude Mathis's program had playoff pedigree, but he was open about the fact that they hadn't played a complete team game in the regular season. Whatever his message was before this playoff run needs to be bottled up and sold, because DeSoto is the hottest team in Texas. The Eagles are scoring 59.75 points per game, and RB SaRod Baker most recently rushed for 284 yards and seven touchdowns against Willis. 

A Team You Expected vs ...Wait, What?

9. South Oak Cliff vs Melissa 

South Oak Cliff is seeking its fifth-straight state championship appearance. We had a feeling we'd see the Golden Bears here again after they beat Class 6A North Shore and Longview in non-district play. Melissa, meanwhile, missed the playoffs entirely in 2024 and is in the state semifinals for the first time since 2011. 

8. Refugio vs Joaquin

Refugio was the preseason No.11-ranked team in Class 2A DI and the Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine's state championship pick. Joaquin has made the state semifinals as a three-seed, a year after it made the state semifinals as a four-seed. 

7. Shiner vs Mount Enterprise

Shiner lost four seniors from a team that came within two minutes of a state championship last year. But Mount Enterprise has never made it this far because it's never had a running back like this. Texas Tech signee Kaegan Ash broke Kenneth Hall's single-season rushing yards mark last week against Bremond with 4,324 yards this season. He is 90 yards away from breaking Hall's career rushing yards mark of 11,232.

6. Newton vs East Bernard

I had a TXHSFB coach tell me as far back as early September that the Newton Eagles would make the state championship. The Eagles are now one game away behind the two-headed monster of Kendray Porter Jr. (1,692 yards, 26 touchdowns) and Deldrick Samuel (1,212 yards, 25 TD). East Bernard has had the most impressive playoff run of any TXHSFB team, beating the No.1,7 and 10 ranked teams in Class 3A DII. 

Go Buy a Lottery Ticket If You Predicted It

5. Sinton vs West Orange-Stark

West Orange-Stark was the Preseason No. 8-ranked team in Class 4A DII, but a 2-3 start in non-district play prevented them from earning a state ranking as the playoffs began. Sinton has played football since 1913 and has reached one state championship in 2001. The Pirates are 13-1 with a one-point loss to Cuero, which they avenged in the Region IV Final. 

4. Sheldon C.E. King vs Austin Vandegrift

Sheldon C.E. King was projected to miss the playoffs in the vaunted District 23-6A after a 5-5 season and is instead in the state semifinals. It's one of the best coaching jobs of the year by first-year man Cory Laxen, promoted from offensive line coach in January. Austin Vandegrift had the recent championship pedigree, winning its first title against Southlake Carroll last season. But a mid-season loss to Round Rock McNeil, combined with a first-round matchup against Austin Westlake, prevented any of our staff from predicting them to win Region IV. I guess we didn't see the championship DNA they had between the ears. 

3. Llano vs Yoakum 

Llano had preseason buzz as the No. 8-ranked team in Class 3A DII, but many wrote off the Yellowjackets for a playoff run without three-year starting QB Luke Davis. Senior Grayson Lilie has filled in admirably with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions, saving Llano's season. There were murmurs of a dark-horse Yoakum team in the preseason as well. But the Bulldogs' ceiling seemed limited in the toughest Class 3A district with reigning state champion Columbus and Hitchcock. Instead, Yoakum beat Columbus in the Region III Final, its first win against the Cardinals in nine games. 

You're Lying If You Say You Saw This Coming

2. Hamilton vs Stinnett West Texas

Hamilton was the surprise team of 2024, going 14-1 in its first state semifinal trip in school history. The Bulldogs face the suprise team of 2025 in the semifinals. Stinnett West Texas has reached the penultimate game for the first time since 1995 in a season it was projected to finish fourth in its own district. 

1. Peaster vs Grandview

Class 3A DI was the wildest classification all season. It's only fitting that it gave us the wildest semifinal game. Peaster, which began varsity play in 2019 and had never had a ten-win season, is now 13-1 behind a ballhawking secondary with 11 combined interceptions between Mark Tullous (7 INT) and Rhett Kelley (4 INT) alone. Grandview is back in the state semifinals one year after a 7-5 season that marked its lowest win total since 2014.