Dayton, Brenham set playoff rematch
In the ever-changing world of high school athletics, only 14 of the 32 teams from the Elite Eight of last year's top four state football playoff brackets have returned.
Dayton and Brenham are two of them.
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And they will reprise their 2008 Class 4A Division II quarterfinal meeting Saturday at 6 p.m. at Katy's Rhodes Stadium.
"It's going to be a good one," Dayton coach Jerry Stewart said Monday. "We look like each other, except they're a little bigger."
Both Brenham, 11-2, and Dayton, 11-2, rallied to win last week's regional-round games.
Brenham trailed Angleton 21-0 at halftime before charging back in the second half for a 32-28 win. Dayton trailed 13-0 early and 16-7 at halftime before downing El Campo 17-16.
While sophomore Andres Herrera completed 17 of 30 passes for 179 yards, senior Payton Ploch took his place and ran and passed for 131 total yards from the wildcat offense in the final quarter, including a one-yard touchdown run.
Freshman kicker Juan Carranco booted a 29-yard field goal with 5:56 left to play that turned out to be the game-winner, thanks to a Dayton defense that surrendered only 53 second-half yards to the Ricebirds.
Dayton beat Brenham 42-21 in the quarterfinals last year, also at Rhodes Stadium.
The only other 2008 rematch taking place this week in the Classes 5A and 4A big school and small school brackets is Austin Westlake against San Antonio Clark in 5A Division I.
Three of the four champions from those brackets are still alive - Katy in 5A Division II, Lake Travis in 4A Division I and Sulphur Springs in 4A Division II.
Kerrville Tivy, which Dayton defeated in last year's state semifinal, is also still alive in the 4A Division II bracket, playing Port Lavaca Calhoun.
Dayton pulled off a miracle 31-28 last-second win over Tivy last year, but the Broncos came up 69-49 short to Sulphur Springs in the highest scoring title game in state history.
Locally, in Region III, teams playing quarterfinal games this year include two non-repeaters in 5A Division I, Cinco Ranch and Brazoswood.
Cinco Ranch knocked off Beaumont West Brook 49-26 and Brazoswood, which ended North Shore's season two weeks ago in a 7-3 stunner, spanked Alief Taylor last week.
Defending state champion Katy is taking on Clear Springs, a second-year school, in the III-5A Division II final.
Crosby ended its season Saturday with a 27-20 loss to Pearland Dawson. Dawson's Eagles, another second-year varsity squad, plays Friendswood, a 44-22 winner over Beaumont Central last week.