MELISSA, Texas — We have reached the final two weeks of the Texas high school football regular season, which means the playoff picture is starting to come into clearer focus. And on Friday night, Melissa will host Prosper Walnut Grove in a game that will decide a playoff spot.
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Melissa, a team picked preseason to win the district, can win on Friday and punch their ticket to the playoffs. Barring unlikely upsets in the final week of the regular season, the Cardinals would go in as the #2 seed out of District 4-5A Division II. But if the Cardinals lose to Walnut Grove on Friday, their playoff hopes would be dashed. Again, barring unlikely upsets in the final week of the regular season, a loss Friday would mean that Melissa would finish 5th in the district, tied with Frisco Emerson for district record, but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker and missing the postseason.
That's how good 4-5A Division II is — one of the five bonafide statewide contenders this district houses will miss the postseason altogether. If Melissa wins, 5A-Division II State Semifinalist from a year ago Frisco Emerson would miss the postseason bracket altogether. Lovejoy and reigning 4A-Division I champion Anna (moving up this year to 5A-Div. II) are also in this remarkably deep district. Just call it the Little SEC. Title contenders abound in District 4-5A Division II.
Meanwhile, Walnut Grove is going to the playoffs in their first year as a fully recognized UIL program. And with a win on Friday, they could all but lock up a district title.
Walnut Grove is one of the most fascinating stories of this Texas high school football season. A program in its second year of existence, and first in an official UIL district, has turned heads week after week. An early season rout of Carrollton Newman-Smith was the opening salvo, followed by their upset win over Frisco Emerson in mid-September, going for two and the win in a 29-28 final that shocked everyone. Now, they've doubled down on the shock factor, with their stunning win over Lovejoy last week, taking down the #9 team in the state rankings with a 41-37 win that again featured a last-minute touchdown to win. Running back Cam Newton scored with 53 seconds left, to give Walnut Grove the lead for good.
Now, with a win on Friday, the Wildcats can extend this mystifying run of brilliance, and stamp their magical season with a district title, too.
Melissa is led by quarterback Noah Schuback. The transfer from Hoover High School in Alabama has thrown for 23 touchdowns this year for a Cardinals offense that can fill it up — 47.1 points per game. He and freshman running back Bear Tabor combine to form a terrific backfield. And Schuback's weapons on the outside — Jacob Nye, Tyler Montgomery, Reese Carter, Brett Pool — are multitudinous. Wait until you see Bear Tabor — you won't believe for a second that he's a freshman.
Walnut Grove features their own wunderkind freshman but at the quarterback position. Hayes Hackney has made the Wildcats offense sing this season, to the tune of 26 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. Wide receiver Luke Watkins, who just received his first Division I scholarship offer in the last week, has caught half of Hackney's touchdown passes this season. And Cam Newton — yes, that's really his name, just like the former Heisman winner and NFL MVP — holds down the running game. Newton has 1,263 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the year. His last two games though have been especially fantastic. Against their two biggest opponents so far this season, Anna and Lovejoy, Newton have gone bananas. 27 carries, 265 yards, and three touchdowns against Anna two weeks ago. Then 29 carries, 210 yards, and three more touchdowns in that come-from-behind win over Lovejoy.
The Melissa defense will try to slow him down on Friday night. The Cardinals unit is led by linebackers Colin Craig and Greyson Dunnahoe. Defensive backs Rocky Dunn and Jake and Jerad Potucek hold down the secondary for the Cardinals, who give up 20.2 points per game.
Walnut Grove's defense will counter Schuback & Co. with a stout group of linebackers, led by Keller Pittinger, who leads the team with 47 tackles on the year. Freshman nose guard Khris Williams holds down the middle, at 5'9 and 285 pounds. Antonie Van Tonder is the leader of the Wildcats secondary, with 28 tackles and an interception on the year. Walnut Grove has allowed 25.8 points per game this season.
Our Friday Night Football pregame show will begin at approximately 7:20 p.m. CT, with kickoff to follow at 7:30 p.m. CT. Join Mike Leslie and Hek'ma Harrison on the call for Week 10 of the Texas high school football season.
