Texas UIL Class 6A, Division 1 Playoff Preview
Texas UIL Class 6A, Division 1 Playoff Preview
Texas UIL Class 6A, Division 1 Playoff preview, including analysis on Katy, Allen and Converse Judson.
The heavyweight division of Texas high school football did not disappoint in 2017, and the 6A-D1 playoffs are virtually guaranteed to be a wild ride.
For all of the respect it receives on a national scale, Allen (10-0) actually feels a little overlooked within the state of Texas. Maybe we’re just bored with the Eagles' dominant run of success or maybe we’re just fixated on teams like Converse Judson (9-1), Katy (8-0), or even Duncanville (10-0).
Whatever the case, Allen has been punishing teams all season. The Eagles are ranked atop the AP poll, and they’re the class of the state’s highest classification.
Duncanville shocked DeSoto (9-1) — which was, at the time, undefeated and nationally ranked — and the Panthers haven’t let up. Along with Arlington Martin (9-1) and Odessa Permian (8-1), Duncanville has what it takes to make a run while our attention is elsewhere.
In Region 2, The Woodlands Highlanders (7-1) are who they typically are — although, this year, they are the rare seven-win team that's being legitimately considered as a contender. That’s because The Woodlands only played eight games this season as a result of Hurricane Harvey — the Highlanders' lone defeat was a three-point loss to Katy.
Sachse (10-0) is the new kid on the block, and the Mustangs are a lot of fun to watch. Quarterback Jalen Mayden leads an offense that can score with anyone, and the Sachse defense has been much better than they’re given credit for — holding opposing offenses to single-digit point totals seven times and pitching a pair of shutouts along the way.
If Allen isn’t the team to beat, it’s Katy. The Tigers are the prohibitive favorite in Region 3, and it’s tough to even fathom a scenario in which they don’t emerge as one of the state’s final four. Running back Deondrick Glass — a bona fide blue-chip star — is more than capable of carrying this team all the way to a championship.
Of course, a healthy Julon Williams may have other ideas. Converse Judson announced that it was very much for real with a 65-45 thrashing of Lake Travis in its season opener. Since then, the only thing to slow the Rockets and Williams down was a bone bruise that forced him to sit for multiple games — including the team’s lone loss of the season to Smithson Valley. If Williams is playing quarterback at full strength, he’s arguably the best player in the state, and Converse Judson is a championship team.
The Favorites:
Katy and Allen
The Contenders:
Duncanville and Converse Judson
The Sleepers:
Sachse and The Woodlands
Players to Watch:
Julon Williams, QB, Converse Judson
Williams is nothing short of electric on a football field. The dual-threat quarterback is bound for Houston thanks, in large part, to his diminutive stature (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) and the Cougars’ success with Greg Ward Jr., a similarly built signal caller. The thing is, Williams is better than Ward.
If he’s at full strength, the sky’s the limit for the Rockets. See what we did there?
Deondrick Glass, RB, Katy
Simply put, Glass is the best back in the state and one of the very best in the country. Katy is a monster and Glass is a major reason why.
The 5-11, 200-pound Glass is a prototypical bell cow with elite speed and mind-blowing agility, and to say that he is a huge problem for any defense that stands in Katy’s way is a massive understatement.
Garrett Wilson, WR/CB, Lake Travis
Lake Travis enjoys the services of one of the most impactful players in the state in wide receiver Garrett Wilson. His 17 touchdowns and four interceptions are plenty of evidence of that fact. But Wilson’s tape expands on that point.
He’s butter smooth and almost never seems to be exerting himself — and, yet, he’s constantly beating everyone.
Jalen Mayden, QB, Sachse
The leader of the new school? Quarterback Jalen Mayden makes Sachse a dangerous, dangerous team.
A four-star prospect headed for Mississippi State, Mayden combines speed, physicality and a huge arm in a way that very few others around the country — and perhaps no one in the state of Texas — can replicate.
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:
Prosper vs. 
Frisco Wakeland
Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 PM (CST) | Allen Eagles Stadium (Allen, Texas)
Beaumont Westbrook vs.
Longview
Friday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 PM (CST) | Lobos Stadium (Longview, Texas)
Conroe Oak Ridge vs.
Mesquite Horn
Friday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 PM (CST) | Horn High School (Mesquite, Texas)
Schertz Clemens vs.
O’Connor
Friday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 PM (CST) | O’Connor High School (Helotes, Texas)
Pflugerville Hendrickson vs.
Austin Bowie
Friday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 PM (CST) | Bowie High School (Austin, Texas)
Texarkana Texas vs.
Highland Park
Saturday, Nov. 18, at 2 PM (CST) | The Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)