Playoffs: Highlanders to take on No. 1 Allen

It's the third round of the Texas high school football playoffs and one local team remains.

The Woodlands Highlanders (10-2) vs. Allen Eagles (12-0)

Up Next: The Woodlands High School football team takes on the defending state champion Allen Eagles in a Region II-5A Division I region playoff game at 2 p.m. Saturday in Baylor University’s Floyd Casey Stadium at Waco. The eight-time district champion Eagles come into the game ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation by several polls. The winner moves on to the state semifinals to play the winner of the Spring Westfield/Dallas Skyline game.

Last Week: The Highlanders won for the ninth consecutive time, defeating Round Rock by a 24-23 score. It was their 10th victory in 11 games. Allen defeated Horn, 42-14, and has won its two playoff games by a combined score of 105-20. The Eagles have not lost a game since Sept. 28, 2012. That’s a 23-game win streak they’ll take into Saturday’s game.

What to Watch For: The Woodlands pass defense against Allen junior quarterback Kyler Murray, who has thrown for 2,631 yards (156-for-243) and 32 touchdowns this season. Murray, who already has college offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and many others, also rushed for more than 600 yards during the regular season. The Eagles also have a solid running back in Jaelen Barlow, who averages nearly nine yards per carry and for the season has totaled 842 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Analysis: It will be imperative for the Highlanders to hold a decisive advantage in time of possession. They can do it by using a plethora of weapons starting with quarterback and triggerman Chris Andritsos, who needs 13 yards passing to reach 1,000 for the season. The junior signal-caller has also rushed for nearly 650 yards and has scored 12 rushing touchdowns. Tyler Patrick (37-689, seven TDs) has emerged as his favorite target. But running backs Patrick Carr (215 carries, 1381 yards, 14 TDs) and Sterling Scott (62 carries, 573 yards, three TDs) must also play a big part as well.