2025 Texas 6A State Playoffs 1st Round: Eisenhower Eagles vs. College Park Cavaliers

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The College Park Cavaliers head into the playoffs this Friday, hosting the Eisenhower Eagles at Woodforest Bank Stadium. College Park has looked like one of the top teams in the Houston area this year, sporting an undefeated district record and ranked #11 in all of Texas 6A high school football according to Dave Campbell’s High School Football. They will enter this game as heavy favorites over Eisenhower, a team from District 14 that is part of the Aldine Independent School District. Eisenhower was the fourth-ranked team in their district, with a 4-3 district record and a 6-4 overall record, a significant difference from College Park’s resume. College Park should be in for an interesting game, but they should be able to handle their business and advance to the next round. Let's break down what the Cavaliers need to do to secure the win and what their opponent looks like ahead of this round 1 game.

The College Park Cavaliers: Elite On Both Sides

Heading into this game, College Park, as mentioned before, is one of the top teams in all of 6A high school football this season. They have been dominant both in and out of district, winning most of their games by large margins. They feature one of the more complete offenses in the district, along with one of the toughest defenses. They’ve scored over 50 points in 6 of 10 games, while holding all opposing teams to a combined 132 points, one of the lowest totals in the district. We’ll break down both the offense and it’s key pieces, as well as the defense and what they have done this year.

Offense

QB: Leading the offense are many weapons, but the key player is QB Camden Hughes, who has thrown for 2,445 yards and 33 TDs this season. Hughes also excels on the ground, rushing for 384 yards and 7 TDs, giving him a total of 40 TDs for the year. He has been excellent at avoiding costly turnovers, only throwing 4 interceptions all year, making him one of the most efficient QBs in the district. Expect Hughes to be the driving force of this offense and the player College Park will count on to score.

WR: Hughes wouldn’t have all these yards without his WRs, an elite group featuring Julian Cromartie, Brian Snodgrass, and Jordan Styles. Let’s start with Cromartie, the leading receiver among them, with 754 yards and 11 TDs this season. Cromartie is a nightmare for any cornerback; the 6’2” junior has some of the best hands at the high school level and runs his routes with elite precision. Snodgrass isn’t far behind in scoring, recording 395 yards and 8 TDs receiving, plus 4 rushing TDs in short-field situations. Snodgrass is a valuable second option for Hughes and should be a player to watch, as College Park loves to deploy him all over the field. Styles is the other notable WR, posting 559 yards and 4 TDs, making him another top target for Hughes. With all these WRs, College Park can force defenses to account for everyone on the field instead of just one guy, giving the offense multiple options.

RB: It's not just the WRs that are elite, as RBs Kaylen Stephens and Antonio Booker have become another key focus of this offensive attack. Stephens has established himself as both a rushing and receiving threat, rushing for 617 yards and 4 TDs, and recording 421 yards and 5 TDs in the receiving game. He is a versatile player who College Park can deploy all over the field, making him a major threat to any defense. Stephens’s running mate, Booker, has been just as impactful, rushing for 543 yards with 8 TDs and adding 137 yards and 4 TDs receiving. Booker has really broken out in recent games, making a significant impact against Willis and Woodlands, in the latter, scoring the game-winning TD in 2OT to secure one of the Cavaliers’ best wins. Both RBs will be heavily relied on throughout the playoffs and will be key players, especially when the passing game is being shut down.

Overall, this offense is truly elite, capable of scoring at nearly every level. They have threats across all skill position groups and can dissect defenses in various ways. This doesn’t even mention the offensive line, which provides crucial blocking for Hughes and the running backs, making this elite passing attack possible. Without an O-line of this caliber, College Park would struggle to do what they do through the air, and they are definitely another key factor in this offense that can't be ignored. It will be interesting to see how this offense adjusts against a team outside the district and what they can achieve in this first-round playoff game.

Defense

Although they can sometimes be overshadowed by the electric offense, this College Park defense is one of the most intimidating for any opponent to face. They have been consistently excellent at keeping opposing scores low, allowing more than 20 points only three times all season. They have held teams like The Woodlands and Willis to just 31 and 37 points, respectively, even though those teams usually score over 40 points in other games. The leader of this defense is DB Marco Beltran, who leads the team with 48 tackles and 2 interceptions. Beltran has been outstanding this season, showcasing his speed on multiple occasions, such as keeping up with Jermaine Bishop Jr. in the Willis game or returning several punts for touchdowns to swing games in their favor. Beltran is a top-tier defender capable of matching any opposing offense's best player, making him a player College Park will rely on when facing stars like Bishop. It's not just Beltran, however; numerous other defenders have also made impressive contributions this year. Bryce Cooper, David Sands, Estaban Asong, and Brandon Claybaugh are all among the tackles leaders and have been impactful at every level of the defense. One standout so far has been sophomore RJ Wyms, who has recorded 10 tackles for loss, including 2 sacks. Bryce Cooper leads the team with 5 sacks, while Estaban Asong follows closely with 4 sacks. Overall, the team has accumulated 24 sacks this season, highlighting the strength of their defensive line despite some younger players. They have also forced 14 turnovers, with 5 interceptions and 9 fumble recoveries, showing their ability to quickly change possession and turn the tide of the game. This defense, much like the offense, is playing at an elite level, capable of handling most threats opposing offenses present. They have adapted well in big games, allowing their offense to catch up and take the lead, something many defenses struggle to do. If they continue to perform at this level, it will be challenging for any team to face them.

As we can see, there's a lot to discuss about this team. They are a cohesive unit that isn’t weak in any area and can perform well in various environments. Wins over teams like The Woodlands and Willis, where they had to come back from deficits, show that this team isn’t one-dimensional and can stay focused while adapting. This is a strong combination for opponents and a mindset that could take them far. But now, let's examine their opponents and see how they compare.

The Eisenhower Eagles: A Unique Approach

Hailing from 6A District 14 , the Eisenhower Eagles made the playoffs with a 4-3 district record and a 6-4 overall record. District 14 and our District 13 will see significant overlap in this first round, as all District 13 contenders (Grand Oaks, Willis, TWHS, CP) will face off against District 14 contenders (Davis, Nimitz, Eisenhower, Westfield). We’ll analyze those matchups later, but for now, let's focus on the Eagles. Looking at their schedule, one thing that stands out is how many low-scoring games they’ve played. They have three games where they only scored 6 points, and they actually won one of those games. For reference, here’s the schedule with scores from MaxPreps, along with some of those scores.

10/11: Vs. Spring: 6-0 (Win)

10/25: Vs. Nimitz: 7-6 (Loss)

11/7: Vs. Westfield: 9-6 (Loss)

It’s a strange schedule. To start the year against out-of-district teams, they got blown out before winning their next two games by over 20 points each. Once district play began, the team scored no more than 7 points twice in district games. The two times they managed to score were against Macarthur, winning that contest 21-0, and against Aldine, crushing them 50-0. The 50-0 win came after a 7-6 loss and before their final game, which was a 9-6 loss. It’s a weird trend I’ve never seen before. Watching some of their games, it’s clear why these games sometimes turn into low-scoring, gritty battles—because of Eisenhower’s offensive style. They mainly focus on running the ball at all costs, employing many wildcat and QB draw plays to chip away at defenses on the ground. This run-heavy game plan often results in long drives that sometimes end in no points, chewing up tons of clock and leading to the low scores seen across their schedule. This offensive approach isn’t common in our district and can be dangerous if executed well, but Eisenhower’s struggle to score makes this style less effective. Though many of their team stats aren’t fully listed, their offensive weapon appears to be RB Zion Cornish, who accounts for most of their touchdowns and yards, often lining up at both QB and RB. They don’t pass much, but when they do, Eugene Durst Jr. seems to be the quarterback. While their offense might be somewhat unorthodox, their defense isn’t bad—they control these low-scoring games and keep opposition scores low. This defense might trouble offenses not used to it, but they haven’t seen an offense quite like College Park’s this year. It’s definitely a unique team to face and a style we haven’t seen College Park play this season, which could make for an interesting challenge for the Cavaliers. However, they finished as the lowest playoff team in their district, and their struggle to score consistently will surely factor into this Round 1 game.

Overall Thoughts:

While this is a playoff game and every team in the bracket is solid, there are some clear mismatches in the first-round games. This appears to be one of those, as Eisenhower is not on the same level as College Park. The game could get ugly early for Eisenhower, as the Cavaliers will be motivated and are one of the most complete teams in the Houston area. College Park might need to adjust their game plan slightly for Eisenhower's unusual style, but I expect a strong win for the Cavaliers and for them to advance to the next round.