Success for first-year teams

Harlan, S.A. Veterans Memorial both finished second in respective districts

The weather is getting colder, which means the high school football season is heating up. Here’s a look at some high points of the regular season and what’s ahead in the postseason.

Looking back: Before we head into the postseason, here are some of notable feats from the regular season.

Harlan and San Antonio Veterans Memorial qualified for the playoffs as first-year varsity programs.

Harlan (7-3 overall) finished in a tie for second with Laredo Martin in District 14-5A-I at 4-2. The Hawks defeated Martin, 16-5, on Thursday to secure the district’s second seed in the playoffs.

The Hawks play Sam Houston in the first round of the 5A Division I playoffs Thursday at Farris Stadium.

Veterans Memorial (7-3) overall was second in 13-5A-I at 7-1. The Patriots open the postseason against Martin on Saturday at Rutledge Stadium.

Both competed as junior varsity programs last year when the schools opened.

Judson, O’Connor and Falls City went undefeated for the regular season, the only area teams to achieve this feat. O’Connor and Falls City each went 10-0. O’Connor has won 23 of its last 24 games dating back to last season when the Panthers went 13-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Judson went 9-0 in the regular season. The Rockets dropped a game from their schedule when it had to cancel against Harlingen because of bad weather.

Madison captured its first outright district title since 2012

when it secured the 27-6A crown on Friday. The Mavericks locked up the title in impressive fashion with a 49-28 victory over Johnson. Madison, behind an offensive line comprised of Matt Torrez, Patrick Gray, Zachary Harris, Peter Gonzales and Diego Mexicano, ran all over Johnson with 481 yards on 42 carries (an 11.5 average).

Kerrville Tivy (9-1) emerged from the rock-’em, sock-’em District 14-5A-II race undefeated at 7-0. The Antlers held off Medina Valley, 28-21, on Friday to win the district championship outright. Two weeks before, Tivy defeated Alamo Heights, 64-62, in triple overtime. Heights, Medina Valley and Boerne Champion all finished tied for second at 5-2.

Wagner (9-1) was impressive on both sides of the ball. The Thunderbirds outscored 10 opponents 610-78. In District 13-5A-I play, the Thunderbirds overwhelmed eight district foes by a total score of 522-22, which included six shutouts. Their lone loss was against Judson, 35-28.

Looking ahead: The Class 6A, Division I bracket in Region IV is power-packed with Judson and O’Connor in line to meet in the second round. The Rockets and Panthers are ranked 1-2 in the Express-News 6A area rankings. After that, a meeting against Austin Lake Travis (9-1) – which has advanced to the state championship the last three seasons (winning in 2016) – in the regional final could be in the works.

Now that the postseason has arrived, the high-scoring Wagner Thunderbirds will be put to the test. Or will they?

Wagner’s draw in 5A Division I is favorable. Its toughest challenges could come from hardnosed Southwest in the second round and 10-0 Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial in Region IV. The area’s other top 5A teams – Tivy, Alamo Heights, Medina Valley and Boerne Champion – are in the Division II bracket.

Speaking of 5A Division II, that bracket appears to be wide open. Sure, South Texas-stalwart Corpus Christi Calallen, led by the state’s all-time winningest coach Phil Danaher, is there. However, the Wildcats (9-1) are not the dominant team of recent years, although they did beat Somerset and Southside by a combined 75-7.

Eight of the bracket’s 16 teams are 7-3. Four are 6-4 and one is 5-5. Tivy and Calallen are the only 9-1 teams and they could meet in the regional final.

Playoff central: The success of Judson ISD’s three teams means Rutledge Stadium will serve as the area’s center for playoff football for three nights

Thanks to a UIL rule that allows higher seeds to host firstround playoff games in Class 6A and 5A, they’ll get to play on their home field.

Wagner hosts Harlandale (6-4) in Class 5A Division I on Thursday. Judson faces Buda Hays (8-2) on Friday in 6A Division I and San Antonio Veterans Memorial plays Laredo Martin on Saturday in 5A Division I.