2025 Texas 6A State Playoffs 1st Round: Willis Wildkats vs. Westfield Mustangs

WILLIS, TX – This season has been a rollercoaster for the Willis Wildkats, who reach the playoffs with a 8-2 record. Willis enters these playoffs boasting one of the district's top offenses, featuring some of the best players, and has the skills for a deep postseason run. They will travel to Aldine to face the Westfield Mustangs, who finished 1st in their district despite a 6-4 record. Willis has all the tools to win this game, but some setbacks this year make it uncertain if they can come together and make a deep playoff run. Let’s dive into the offense and defense to see what this team has achieved and what they can do to secure the win.

Willis Wildkats: Dynamic And Electric

While this team sometimes faces struggles, they remain one of the top teams in the district, boasting one of the highest ceilings among all district teams. The offense has been explosive, with talented players across the field. Although the defense has been unpredictable at times, they have stepped up their game in recent weeks and are beginning to find their rhythm. Let's check in on the offense and highlight some of the players that make it one of the most formidable units in high school football.

Jermaine Bishop Jr.: I can’t even begin to discuss this team without first mentioning Jermaine Bishop Jr. Leading this team in a way few players across the nation can, Bishop is one of the top athletes not just in the district or the state, but nationwide. The five-star rated Bishop is committed to the University of Texas, and throughout the season, we’ve seen why he has so much hype surrounding him. Bishop can literally do it all for the Willis offense and defense, playing both WR and RB, as well as lining up at QB, punter, kick returner, safety, and cornerback. Starting with his receiving numbers, his stats are incredible. In the passing game, Bishop has accumulated 1,154 yards and 14 TDs, leading the district in both yards and total TD receptions. He’s a force in the open field, and once he gets past the first line of defense, his speed is unmatched by many high school players. This speed helped him when he stepped into a rushing role against The Woodlands, where he tore through them on the ground. Bishop’s rushing totals are 372 yards and 4 TDs, proving he’s just as effective on the ground as he is through the air. His defensive contributions are notable, too, as he’s tied for the district lead with 2 interceptions on the season, including an 80-yard pick-six. He’s caused 2 fumbles, recovered one, and has 29 tackles so far this year. Not only that, but he’s a threat on special teams, stepping in as a punter in multiple games. As a punter, he has faked a couple of punts, rushing for long 4th-down conversions to keep his offense on the field and making opposing teams cautious when he lines up for the position. Bishop is also the main returner, having recorded a punt return TD this season. Lastly, he even has a passing TD, throwing to Jaivion Martin earlier in the season. All this scoring totals 20 TDs for the season, leading the district in that category as well. All of this shows that Bishop is a special player, and he will be one of the top players in 6A heading into the playoffs. His impact on the game will be crucial if Willis hopes to have a deep run. Now, let's check out the rest of the team and the support behind Bishop, as one man can’t be the whole reason they’ve gotten as far as they have.

Offense

QB: Leading the passing attack is Lincoln Frazier, a freshman quarterback who has improved each week. Frazier currently leads the district with 2,695 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. He can be prone to turnovers, throwing 8 interceptions this season, but this is typical for a freshman stepping into a pass-heavy offense. Despite the turnovers, Frazier has a strong arm, capable of making several deep throws each game. He benefits from having top receivers downfield, but he still needs to connect with them effectively, which he has done plenty of this year. Throughout the season, he has improved, showing he is the future of this Willis team and will be a valuable asset moving forward. If his interceptions and fumbles are kept in check, he should be a force in this game.

RB: While Willis is a pass-heavy team, that hasn’t stopped them from trying to run the ball. Their struggles with effective rushing at the start of the season hurt them in games, as short yardage conversions weren’t always successful and the clock would stop on incompletions, giving opponents a chance to catch up. However, their rushing attack has improved in the last few games, showing they have finally figured out how to run the ball effectively and mix things up against teams that focus on the pass. Jamarcus Williams has been key to this improvement, with 536 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground this season. Williams, a sophomore, is a young player for this offense who has stepped up and taken control of the backfield. He is also a capable receiver, with 232 yards and 2 touchdown catches. As another young member of the team, he is sure to have a role moving forward and will only get better.

WR: This is where Willis excels and what they're known for. We’ve already discussed why Bishop makes this receiving game what it is, but other players have also made an impact this year. The most notable is TE Jaivion Martin, who has tallied 823 yards and 12 TDs through the air this season. This makes Martin another incredible talent on the Willis offense, serving as the key second option who can make an impact whenever he gets the ball. The 6’5” TE/DE is committed to the University of Houston and is considered one of the best tight ends in the state, and it’s easy to see why. He is a dominant force with the ball in his hands and will be exciting to watch in these playoffs, as well as at the next level in college. Expect Martin and Bishop to be key players in this playoff game, as they are some of the most exciting players in the district.

Overall, this offense has talent all over the field, and that doesn’t even mention the O-Line. Headlined by Day’jon Moore, a top 40 player at his position currently committed to the University of Maryland, this offensive line has been solid this season, usually giving Frazier enough time to hit the deep shots he likes. If this offense is firing on all cylinders, it may be lights out for anyone they come up against.

Defense

The defense for Willis hasn’t always been the best this season. They’ve allowed a few teams to do some damage, especially against Klein Collins and College Park, where those losses came from the defense's failure to make key stops. It hasn’t been all bad, though, as they are still able to keep most teams in check, preventing lower-tier opponents from sneaking back into games. They don’t have a particularly high sack total, with only 17.5 recorded this season. That’s a solid number, but other contenders and some teams below them have better overall stats. They’ve been okay in the turnover department, with 7 interceptions and 4 fumbles, which is good but slightly behind some other top teams in the district. However, they’ve been improving as the season has gone on, finishing strong with an impressive game against Grand Oaks. If this defense can stay consistent and play solid, the offense should be able to close out games. But if they allow big plays from opposing offenses, trouble could arise.

Overall, this team isn’t as balanced as teams like College Park and The Woodlands. They have some incredible talents on both sides of the ball but can lack in other areas that opponents might exploit. I always look at the Klein Collins game as a blueprint for how to beat a team like this, and hopefully they’ve learned from that loss. That said, they have one of the more favorable brackets in the tournament and could easily make a deep run if everything comes together. I expect them to accomplish great things in this tournament and hope they meet their high expectations. Let’s explore the team they’re playing, as they could be a formidable opponent for this Willis team.

Westfield Mustangs: Champs In A Wild District

Coming into the season, Westfield was predicted to win this district, returning key players on both sides of the ball. They met those expectations, although they did lose some important out-of-district games, which resulted in a somewhat unusual 6-4 record. They finished 6-1 in district, winning against top teams and still looking like a strong playoff contender. Interestingly, their only district loss was to the same Aldine Davis team Willis beat earlier in the year, giving Willis a slight edge in the head-to-head matchup. Westfield is a high-scoring team that had some odd low-scoring games to end the season, but that seems to be a trend in this district. They are led by two different QBs, Kameron Hubbard and JaDarius Amos, with Amos having slightly more passing yards and five TDs compared to Hubbard's one TD. They have a solid running game led by Demonte Ford, who has 708 yards and nine TDs on the season. Fellow RB Dmarcus Riasco is also one of the team’s top scorers, with seven rushing TDs. Westfield can also be effective through the air, as WR Emmanuel Yancy leads with 504 yards and four TDs. However, they tend to lean more on the run, which could pose a challenge for Willis, as running has been a difficulty for them at times. Their defense is quite solid, with Davon Smith recording an impressive 104 tackles, along with others reaching 97, 83, and 80 tackles respectively. They will aim to keep the game close and rely on their defense to stop opponents, but they haven’t faced an opponent quite like Jermaine Bishop Jr. this year, so they may be in trouble on that front. Expect this Westfield team to run the ball heavily to control the clock, similar to what Klein Collins did to Willis earlier in the year.

Overall Thoughts:

This is going to be an exciting game, as Willis faces a very strong, defense-minded team and has a chance to prove why they are one of the best in the district. Willis will need to stay sharp on defense to contain some of these Westfield players, but I believe they are up to the task. If Bishop and Martin perform well in this game, it could be an electric night for Willis. If they can get past Westfield, they have a good shot at making a solid playoff run.