GOING ALL OUT: Temple junior Samari Howard stretches out and partially blocks a third-quarter punt by Rockwall-Heath's Grady Brewer during the Wildcats' 56-28 loss to the Hawks in a Class 6A Division II area-round playoff game Friday night at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco. Howard ran for 134 yards with a 16-yard touchdown, finishing the season with 1,261 yards and 22 total TDs for District 12-6A champion Temple (10-2). (Photo by Matt Corley, Temple ISD/Special to TempleBelt

FULL STEAM AHEAD: After last week's 38-0 bi-district playoff win over Waxahachie at Wildcat Stadium, junior running back Samari Howard (8) and senior quarterback Humberto Arizmendi (10) lead the District 12-6A champion Temple Wildcats (10-1) into their Class 6A Division II area-round playoff game against Rockwall-Heath (8-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco. The Hawks, 42-14 winners last week over Garland, are guided by former Temple head coach Mike Spradli

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL: Despite having only one returning starter and two new coaches, Temple's offensive line of senior left tackle Alex Rodriguez (left), senior left guard Allen Camacho, senior center Matthew Frye, senior right guard Kai Lynn and junior right tackle Colby Rice has built itself into being a productive group. Under the tutelage of first-year Temple assistants Mike Bickham and Justin Bell, the line's blocking has paved the way for the Wildcats to average 41

FAMILIAR FACE, NEW COLORS: Rockwall-Heath second-year head coach Mike Spradlin holds the gold ball trophy while speaking to his players after the host Hawks beat Garland 42-14 in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game last Friday. Spradlin coached Temple from 2011-15 and guided the Wildcats to a 44-17 record and four playoff berths, highlighted by a 5A Division I state runner-up finish in 2014. He'll face his former team when Rockwall-Heath (8-2) battles Temple (10-1

GRAYS' AREA: Temple junior outside linebacker Marshall Grays (11) grabs Waxahachie senior quarterback Brandon Hawkins Jr. and tackles him for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-goal late in the first quarter as Wildcats junior safety O'Tarian Peoples (2) looks on. Grays returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown only 68 seconds into the game, helping the host Wildcats blast the Indians 38-0 in a Class 6A Division II bi-district duel Friday night at Wildcat Stadium. It was Tem

PARTY AT THE PILE: Temple defenders Eric Shorter (left), Jayven Taylor (95), O'Tarian Peoples (2) and Johnny Donoso (22) converge on Killeen Shoemaker's Devin Brown during the visiting Wildcats' 27-24 win over the Grey Wolves on Nov. 19 at Leo Buckley Stadium. District 12-6A champion Temple (9-1) hosts the Waxahachie Indians (5-4) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game at Wildcat Stadium. Coach Scott Stewart's Wildcats are seeking their first p

MAN IN MOTION: Junior defensive end Eric Shorter has produced an outstanding season for the District 12-6A champion Temple Wildcats (9-1), who host the Waxahachie Indians (5-4) in a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium. The 5-foot-8½, 216-pound Shorter ranks second on the Wildcats' defense with 54 tackles, including 12 for losses and a team-best five sacks along with two fumble recoveries. In 2019 he made 57 tackles and was a se

WINNING MOMENT: Temple players celebrate their District 12-6A championship after they defeated Killeen Shoemaker 27-24 at Leo Buckley Stadium two weeks ago. Having won at outright district title in the state's largest classification for the first time since 2007, the Wildcats (9-1) will host a Class 6A Division II bi-district playoff game against Waxahachie (5-4) at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at Wildcat Stadium. (File photo by Matt Corley, Temple ISD/Special to TempleBeltonSports.

WACO – Rogers pushed Buffalo until the end in a District 13-3A Division II rematch Friday night, but the Eagles didn't have quite enough firepower as the Bison prevailed 37-35 in a Class 3A Division II Region IV semifinal Friday night at Waco ISD Stadium. Two months after Rogers lost 46-28 at Buffalo, coach Charlie Roten's Eagles (7-6) played the Bison (12-1) closer the second time around in the teams' third meeting in the last 12½ months. In 2019, Rogers rallied late to defe

FLYING HIGH AGAIN: After Rogers got off to a 1-4 start this season, senior defensive lineman Ty Sebek (left) and senior linebacker/running back John Hill have helped power coach Charlie Roten's resurgent Eagles (7-5) to a berth in the Class 3A Division II Region IV semifinals against district rival Buffalo (11-1) at 7:30 tonight at Waco ISD Stadium. Rogers edged third-ranked and previously unbeaten Poth 21-20 a week ago. The Eagles seek to avenge their 46-28 road loss to Buff

SENIOR STRENGTH: Linebacker Peyton Miller (left) and safety/halfback/kicker/punter Wrook Brown are two of Salado's many seniors who have propelled the Eagles to an 11-1 record and a No. 6 state ranking entering their Class 4A Division II Region III semifinal against No. 1 Carthage (10-0) at 5:30 p.m. Friday at New Caney ISD's Randall Reed Stadium in Porter. Salado earned a 28-23 win over Bellville last Friday, while Carthage blasted Silsbee 49-0. The East Texas-based Bulldogs

SENIOR MOMENT: Salado senior Wrook Brown ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns, played free safety and kicked four extra points to help the sixth-ranked Eagles defeat Bellville 28-23 in a Class 4A Division II area-round playoff game Friday night at Mary Hardin-Baylor's Crusader Stadium in Belton. Fellow senior backs Noah Mescher (149 rushing yards) and Reid Vincent (94 yards) had one TD run each for Salado (11-1), which advanced to battle No. 1 Carthage (10-0) in a Region III s

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com CLASS 4A DIVISION II AREA ROUND No. 6 SALADO EAGLES (10-1) vs. BELLVILLE BRAHMAS (9-1) 7 p.m. Friday, Mary Hardin-Baylor's Crusader Stadium, Belton Last week's bi-district results: Salado defeated Rusk by forfeit (COVID-19); Bellville 41, Sour Lake Hardin-Jefferson 10 Last meeting: 2017 – Salado 13, Bellville 10 (OT) in Class 4A Division II Region III semifinal Winner plays: No. 1-ranked Carthage (9-0) or Silsbee (7-3) i

SENIOR'S FINAL SCORE: Academy senior receiver Kollin Mraz crosses the goal line on his 13-yard touchdown reception during the fourth quarter of the Bumblebees' 61-26 loss to Hallettsville in Saturday afternoon's Class 3A Division I bi-district playoff game at Bastrop Memorial Stadium in Cedar Creek. Academy finished its first season with head coach Chris Lancaster with a 7-4 record. Mraz caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from fellow senior Jerry Cephus in the second quarter and

BRINGING THE BUZZ: Senior Jerry Cephus is a starting quarterback and outside linebacker for the Academy Bumblebees (7-3), who battle the Hallettsville Brahmas (8-2) in a Class 3A Division I bi-district playoff game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bastrop Memorial Stadium in Cedar Creek. Cephus, a three-year starter at QB, has passed for 1,644 yards and 20 touchdowns this season despite missing two District 11-3A D-I games with an injured foot. Last Friday night he threw four TD passes

By GREG WILLE TempleBeltonSports.com gwille2@hot.rr.com SALADO – The sixth-ranked Salado Eagles received a bye into the area round of the Class 4A Division II state playoffs when their scheduled Friday night bi-district game against Rusk in College Station was canceled Friday morning because of Rusk's positive COVID-19 cases and related quarantines. District 9-4A D-II champion Salado entered the postseason with a 9-1 record, while Rusk brought in a 5-5 mark as the No. 4 seed

STINGY IN SALADO: Senior outside linebacker Lucas Morvant (left) and senior inside linebacker Kofi Stoglin are two of the leading players for a Salado defense that allowed 239.5 yards per game during the regular season as coach Alan Haire's Eagles (9-1, 5-0) won the District 9-4A Division II championship. Stoglin has made 70 tackles and Morvant has 58 stops. Ranked sixth in the state in Class 4A Division II, Salado begins the playoffs with a bi-district battle against Rusk (5