Texas UIL Class 5A, Division 1 Playoff Preview

Texas UIL Class 5A, Division 1 Playoff preview, including analysis on Manvel, Highland Park and Denton Ryan.

Nov 16, 2017 by Kolby Paxton

With five of the top seven teams in the AP poll — each of whom carry their own expectations — Class 5A-D1 is loaded and top heavy.

Denton Ryan (10-0) has been dominant all season long, and the Raiders as well stocked with top-shelf talent as any team in the state. Quarterback Spencer Sanders is the headliner, but Ryan is deep, with playmakers such as Gabriel Douglas and Chritauskie Dove littered all over the field.

The Raiders are the team to beat in Region 1, but beyond that, there are challengers aplenty.

Highland Park (9-1) is the defending state champion, but the Scots have flown well beneath the radar this season after a season-opening loss at Rockwall. Quietly, Randy Allen’s team caught its stride late in September, and Highland Park has been a problem ever since. There are more talented teams in the bracket, but the champs will have their say.

Cedar Park (9-1) enjoyed an outstanding regular season but will not carry lofty outside expectations into the playoffs after losing quarterback Matt Sexton to injury. Without Sexton behind center, the Timberwolves have looked less explosive and more vulnerable.

That opens the door for Manvel (9-0) — which may well be kicking down all the doors anyway. The Mavericks haven’t been tested since a three-point victory over North Shore early in September — and it may be a while before someone stands up to them in the playoffs, as well. Jalen Preston is a monster and he’d be problem enough were he not joined by dudes like Kam Scott, Trent Gordon, and Brian Williams.

Manvel is worth the price of admission — and then some.

If anyone can slow down a team like the Mavericks, it could be Angleton (9-0). The Wildcats’ defense is unreal — and, by “unreal,” we mean it hasn't allowed more than seven points in any game this season. Angleton has pitched three shutouts and is winning games by an average score of 51-4. Safety BJ Foster is one of the best defenders in the country.

The Favorites:

Denton Ryan, Manvel, and Highland Park

The Sleepers:

Angleton and Cedar Park

Players to Watch:

BJ Foster, S, Angleton

Foster is arguably the best overall player in the state of Texas and is, without question, one of the top defensive prospects in the nation. The Texas commit is also one of the Wildcats’ primary ball handlers, providing 15 touchdowns (12 rushing, three receiving) this season.

Foster was banged up in Angleton’s victory over Victoria West and held out of the team’s last two games of the regular season, but head coach Ryan Roark expects to have him for the impending playoff run.

Jalen Preston, WR, Manvel

One of the top wide receivers in the state, Preston is the most highly touted player on a team full of playmakers and the Mavericks — who won without him last week — will need him over the course of the next month.

At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Preston isn’t just a burner. He’s big and physical and can take control of a game in a number of ways.

Spencer Sanders, QB, Denton Ryan

A year after tearing his ACL, Denton Ryan quarterback Spencer Sanders enters the playoffs as the top field general in the state with one of the most potent collections of weapons at his disposal.

Sanders is a true dual threat, with the speed and elusiveness to take a game over, coupled with the arm talent to take advantage of targets such as Texas Tech commit Gabriel Douglas.

John Stephen Jones, QB, Highland Park

The son of Dallas Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones, John Stephen Jones is not yet a calendar year removed from leading the Scots on a remarkable run to a state championship — and it’s safe to assume that he and his squad are a true contender yet again.

Jones is constantly identified just exactly the way we just identified him, as the son of Stephen — or the grandson of Jerry — but he’s a legitimate talent, regardless of his famous family name. The senior quarterback is just 5-10, but he’s a hell of a high school quarterback who moves well in the pocket, delivers a crisp, accurate ball, and poses a threat as a runner, as well.

We’re cherry-picking the best games of each week, beginning with a marquee matchup between Prosper and Frisco Wakeland on Thursday, and bringing the action to you live on FloFootball.com and the FloSports app.

Here’s what we have on tap this week: