Tim Polzer: Why Allen, Wylie and Celina Will Win State

It's one down, three to go for Collin County. Class 3A Division I state champion Prosper has done its duty. Can Celina, Wylie and Allen follow up Friday and Saturday and make Collin County the home of four state football champions? Simply put: you betcha. Class 5A Division I State Final Allen (14-1) vs. Fort Bend Hightower (13-0) 7 p.m., Saturday, Reliant Stadium, Houston Can a team that has slain undefeated Texas football giants like Odessa Permian and Trinity knock off another undefeated team for its first state championship? Allen's timely defense rose to the occasion against Round Rock Stony Point in last week's semifinal. This week the Eagles face a Fort Bend Hightower offense led by quarterback A.J. Highsmith, a Miami Hurricanes commitment and the son of former Dallas Cowboys running back Alonzo Highsmith. He's passed for almost 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. Hightower, also the Hurricanes, has averaged 35 points in five playoff games, knocking off highly ranked teams like Galena Park North Shore and San Antonio Clark along the way. Hightower's defense - stocked with major college recruits such as Dele Junaid (Ole Miss) and Colton Valencia (Texas A&M) has been just as impressive, giving up just 11 points per game. But this year's Allen Eagles have been a team that doesn't let statistics district them from their mission: executing their successful system on offense and defense. Allen's Tucker Carter stepped into the void left by injured Matt Brown and has proven proficient, completing 73 percent of his passes without an interception. Carter not only has played the role of conservative ball-control quarterback, but also late-game playmaker with his clutch come-from-behind touchdown pass against Stony Point. Running back Jeremiah Williams also has stepped up, picking up the rushing slack in Brown's absence behind a line that doesn't get enough respect. It will be interesting to see if Hightower takes a cue from Stony Point's defense, and do whatever it takes to pressure Carter in the pocket. Prediction: While Stony Point was able to hassle Carter out of his normal rhythm, he was also affected by heavy winds in Waco. Inside the friendlier confines of Reliant Stadium, Carter and the Eagles' ultra-talented receiving corps of Dakarai Pecikonis, Bradlee Waddell and Uzoma Nwachukwu will pick apart Hightower in the second half. Allen 27, Hightower 21 Class 5A Division II State Final Wylie (13-2) vs. Katy (12-3) 2 p.m., Saturday, Reliant Stadium, Houston Is there a better offensive-defensive matchup than Wylie's stiff defense facing Katy's prolific offense? The Tigers have predominately run the ball for an average of 242 yards per game and has averaged 42 points per playoff game. These numbers are impressive, but won't scare the Pirates, who, led by Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year Nikita Whitlock, have kept better offensive units like Allen, Plano and Arlington Bowie below their usual point-totals. Katy can double- or triple-team Whitlock, but he'll still spend a lot of time in the Tigers' backfield. Teams have schemed to direct their plays away from Whitlock to no avail. He still makes the tackles - just ask coaches like Plano's Jaydon McCullough and Allen's Tom Westerberg. Katy, a four-time state champ and one of the state's dominant programs, is playoff tested, appearing in its eighth 5A title game since 1994. The defending 5A Division II state champs also will enjoy a virtual home-field advantage playing in their own back yard. The Tigers' defense has been stingy in the playoffs, allowing less than 10 points per game, and held Dickinson to a minus—4 yards rushing, so Wylie quarterback Jerod Monk and running back Nick Knott will be tested. But I think another element will shift the game Wylie's way. Special teams is another area in which Wylie has dominated opponents during the regular season and in the playoffs. Whitlock has blocked seven kicks, returning two for touchdowns, all by himself. Prediction: Wylie has played with confidence and a physical style all season against highly ranked opponents without blinking. And the Pirates won't blink in the biggest game in their history. Wylie 34, Katy 24 Class 3A Division II State Final Celina (12-2) vs. Carthage (13-2) 8 p.m., tonight, Texas Stadium How fitting will it be for Celina to play the last high school football game in Texas Stadium - while bringing home a record ninth state title to boot? Folks pretty much wrote the Bobcats off when running back Charley Waldrep was injured and the team suffered through three regular-season losses, but Coach Butch Ford never let his team wallow in its misfortune. The Bobcats didn't even win District 9-3A but now enters a state final game for the fourth consecutive year. Celina's glitch of a regular-season makes comparing statistics virtually relevant, so let's talk about momentum and tradition. Do you think Carthage won't enter the game a bit scared? Celina has devoured teams in the playoffs and is coming off a resounding defeat of No. 1-ranked Liberty Hill. Prediction: Celina wins No. 9 in a cake walk, bringing a second state title to 9-3A. Celina 42, Carthage 24