State Championship Football Outlooks

Brock (13-2) Vs. Rockdale (12-3) - Thursday - AT&T Stadium - 3:00

The Tigers simply proved to be the better team in last week’s 31-21 win over the Yoakum Bulldogs. There is no doubt that both of these teams deserved to be in the semifinals as both were talented across the board at pretty much every position. There was one key difference that swayed the way of the Tigers, and that was QB play. Torry Locklin has proven week in and week out to be a strong leader for this team and once again put on a show with over 300 yards rushing. On the other hand, Yoakum simply did not get the production needed from the QB position to win games this deep in the playoffs. In the state championship, Rockdale will get Brock, a team the Cameron community is very familiar with. Brock is the team that defeated Cameron in the 2015 state championship, 43-33. The Eagles have had up and down moments throughout the year, including a surprising 30-28 loss to Breckenridge to finish second in district. But, Breckenridge lost in the first round and Brock is still playing, and has had a comfortable road in the playoffs. The most impressive win came in the regional quarterfinals, defeating what was then number one Wall, 29-10. Brock had their way with Kemp last week in the semifinals, but Rockdale will present another challenge as they can actually throw the ball and have multiple playmakers that can beat you at any given time. If you’re Brock, you want to keep Locklin in check. If you’re Rockdale, you want to get Brock into more predictable passing situations as they still are a run-heavy team. I will not pick against Rockdale three weeks in a row and I hope they are able to bring home another state championship to Milam County.

Josh’s Pick: Rockdale by 7.

Mart (14-1) Vs. Refugio (13-1) - Wednesday - AT&T Stadium - 7:00

This is the only 11-man game being played on Wednesday, but it should be a doozy. I have managed to keep up with Mart on the radio the past few weeks, and it’s evident that these guys know how to play this time of the year. Mart has a total of four state championships to their name, with the most recent coming in 2010. Refugio is also no stranger to state championships, with three, including one just this past season over Crawford. Refugio has transformed a bit from their high-flying, up pace spread offense to more of a controlled pace with more emphasis on the defensive end. I think both defenses are just that good and the first one to 20 could take this one.

Josh’s Pick: Refugio by 3.

Allen (15-0) Vs. Lake Travis (13-2) - Saturday - AT&T Stadium - 3:00

The Allen Eagles are once again back in the state championship after falling in the semifinals the past two seasons. Allen had won 43 straight games from 2012 through 2014 when they won back-to-back-to-back state championships, similar to the Yoemen. They will be going up against the team that holds the record for the most consecutive state championships - Lake Travis - with 5. Regardless, one of these powerhouse programs will be adding more gold to the trophy case.

Josh’s Pick: Lake Travis by 1.

Waco Midway (15-0) Vs. Cy-Fair (14-0) - Saturday - AT&T Stadium - 7:00

Midway is yet another team out of Central Texas going for a state championship. Unlike Rockdale, Mart, or Lake Travis, Midway has never captured the state’s ultimate crown, and that could make them more hungry than ever. Former Yoe alumni and coach Aaron Thomas is currently on the staff at Midway, and his son D’Ante is currently third on the team in receiving with 763 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cy-Fair will most certainly be a worthy opponent, as in the semifinal round they knocked off Austin Westlake, 14-6. Westlake had previously beaten Lake Travis, which is playing in the 6A DI title game.

Josh’s Pick: Midway by 1.