Matt Wixon

Archive | E-mail

Ennis entered last year's playoffs with a two-game losing streak and a tough first-round assignment. It was playing on the home field of its opponent, Waco, which had beaten Ennis earlier in the season.

Ennis won, 37-34, in four overtimes.

A day later, Rowlett opened the playoffs at Texas Stadium against an undefeated team it had lost to by 19 points two months earlier.

Rowlett won the rematch with Allen, 37-32.

Those are reminders that, as the UIL playoffs start this week, nothing is certain. Except maybe that, when trying to project potential heavyweight matchups, you're going to swing and miss a few times. Still, part of the excitement of the week before the playoffs is looking ahead.

But first, an easy prediction:

Colleyville Heritage fans are thrilled to get another shot at Southlake Carroll. After losing to Carroll five times in the last four seasons, by an average margin of 31 points, Heritage was placed in a different district than its nemesis. In a Class 5A Division II first-round game Saturday, Heritage (9-1) gets a shot at Carroll (7-2), which has lost more than one regular-season game for the first time since moving up to 5A in 2002.

Now, the more difficult predictions in 5A:

In the second round, the best potential matchup in Division I is Euless Trinity and Plano. Defending Division I champion Trinity (10-0) and Plano (9-1) played a double-overtime thriller last season in the state semifinals. In Division II, potential second-round matchups include Hebron (7-3) and Wylie (8-2) playing a rematch of their season opener that Wylie won, 21-14. That started a three-game losing streak for Hebron, which has rebounded to become a state title contender.

The third weekend of the playoffs could be even better with Hebron or Wylie playing a Division II regional semifinal against Arlington Bowie (9-1), whose only loss of the season came with quarterback Christian Matthews on the sideline. Also that week in Division II, Abilene (10-0) should still be in the bracket and facing Plano West (5-5), Cedar Hill (9-1), Carroll or Heritage.

That will be a great matchup, but probably not the biggest of that weekend. The biggest matchup would be in Division I, with Odessa Permian (10-0) taking on Justin Northwest (6-4), Coppell (7-3), South Grand Prairie (7-3) or Allen (9-1). An Allen-Permian matchup would probably be standing room only at a neutral site such as Abilene's Shotwell Stadium.

Shotwell is where Trinity humbled Permian last season, and a win by Permian would earn it a rematch with Trinity in the regional final. Or perhaps it will be Allen, whose only loss this season was to Trinity.

Either way, it would be a great rematch. At least that much is certain before the playoffs begin.