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Class 5A State Championship Previews



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Class 5A Division I State Championship Game
Southlake Carroll (15-0) vs. Fort Bend Hightower (13-2) Saturday 4:00pm Cowboys Stadium, Arlington: In the storied history of the Southlake Carroll football program the Dragons have pulled out many memorable wins, but Saturday's 28-24 win over Dallas Skyline ranks right up there with some of the great wins of the past. Trailing 24-14, junior QB Kenny Hill scored on a three yard run with just over one minute left to cut the lead to 24-21. After recovering an onside kick and now having major momentum on their side, SLC took full advantage as Hill scored on a 35 yard run with 46 seconds left to give the Dragons the lead. Even crazier was that during the Hill run, a now famous fox ran right across the field the opposite direction of Hill's run cementing this game in Texas HS Football lore. Lost in the shuffle of the win was the play of sophomore RB A.J. Ezzard who against one of the state's toughest defenses ran for 140 yards and a touchdown. Hightower had no trouble with San Antonio Madison in a 54-35 win. QB Bralon Addison was sensational for the Hurricanes rushing for 229 yards and five touchdowns on just 14 carries, the Hurricanes put up 41 points in the first half en route to amassing 567 yards of total offense. Hightower's defense struggled at times to slow the Madison passing game, so look for SLC to try and utilize Baylor verbal Sabian Holmes in the passing attack. This game will come down to SLC's ability to contain Addison, if they slow him down Southlake wins going away if they can't contain one of the most dynamic players in the state look for Hightower to claim their first state title. It's hard for me to bet against this Southlake bunch which continues to defy the experts and the odds with their big fourth quarter performances. Stepp's Pick: Southlake Carroll by 8
Class 5A Division II State Championship Game
Spring DeKaney (13-2) vs. Cibolo Steele (15-0) Saturday 8:00pm Cowboys Stadium, Arlington: DeKaney once again proved the doubters wrong with a convincing 56-19 rout of Mansfield Timberview last week. RB Trey Williams continues to put his name in the record books as he rattled off another monster afternoon rushing for 227 yards and six touchdowns, WR Austin Garrett who is a handful to contain when DeKaney does throw the ball chipped in a pair of touchdown receptions as the Wildcats jumped out to a 42-0 halftime lead. The Wildcats defense which hasn't gotten much pub did more than enough in containing a speedy Timberview offense and that trend of being a shutdown defensive unit will need to continue against defending state champion Steele who has won 28 straight games. The Knights drubbed Port Arthur Memorial 51-31 in a game that was not nearly as close as the score indicated. Nebraska commit QB Tommy Armstrong led the Knights offense with 139 yards on the ground and four rushing scores along with topping 100 yards passing and a touchdown. RB Justin Stockton now finally healthy chipped in 198 yards and a touchdown for the Knights. Steele doesn't have the big names on defense like they had a year ago, but they are still plenty talented and plenty physical. The final game of the 2011 Texas HS Football season will be a knock down drag out, old school battle but the edge goes to Steele as their experience in this big moment will pay big dividends. Stepp's Pick: Cibolo Steele by 9
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