The Willis Wildkats Face A Familiar Foe, As They Clash With The DeSoto Eagles In The State Quarterfinals

WILLIS, TX – It has been an eventful season for the Willis Wildkats, who now find themselves in unfamiliar territory as they enter the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. Willis is full of electric playmakers, making this run on the back of some of the best players in the state of Texas and as well as some rising stars. They will hit the road again for this game, heading to Baylor’s McLane Stadium on Saturday for a 3 pm matchup against a familiar foe. Willis will face off against the DeSoto Eagles, who are responsible for ending the Wildkats' playoff runs in the 3^rd round 2 years in a row. Now they will play in the 4^th round, where the stakes are even higher, and a state semifinal berth is on the line. DeSoto leveled fellow District 13 team College Park last week, showing off incredible talent and the ability to still be one of the best teams in the state of Texas. It will certainly be one of the toughest games this Willis squad will face all season and could be one of the most entertaining games we will see all year. Let's break down both squads to see who can make the biggest impact on this game.

The Willis Wildkats: Turning Up The Heat

These last few weeks have been truly magical for the Willis Wildkats, who find themselves in a position they've never reached before. Getting to the 4th round is one of the toughest achievements in 6A, and Willis’s run has been nothing short of remarkable so far. They had a close game against a tough Westfield team, had to come back against Tomball, and shut down one of the best running backs in the state last week against Forney. They will now face their bracket nemesis in DeSoto, who can match them in talent and firepower, making this one of the biggest tests for this Willis team.

The offense has been nothing short of elite this season, as Willis boasts one of the best passing attacks in the state right now. QB Lincoln Frazier has been on a tear this postseason, throwing for 1144 yards and 8 TDs through the first 3 rounds. He hasn't quite shaken the interception problem, throwing 4 this playoffs, but he has been exceptional throwing the ball and regularly displays his incredible arm strength every time he's on the field. He is nearing 4000 yards, only 161 yards away from reaching that milestone, which he can likely hit in the next game. Helping him achieve these numbers is his elite WR core featuring Jermaine Bishop Jr, Jaivion Martin, and Jayden Lane. Bishop has been outstanding in these playoffs, totaling 611 yards of offense, with 576 yards coming in the receiving game. He has 7 TDs throughout the postseason, contributing on both the ground and through the air. Last game against Forney was one of the best performances you'll see from a high school wideout, as he posted 329 yards and 3 TDs receiving, leading his team to another victory. The Texas commit aims to do the same in this game and keep his hot streak alive against a talented DeSoto defense. Jaivion Martin has also been solid during these playoffs, with 224 yards and 2 TDs in this run. Martin has been Willis's second option throughout the season, and the Houston commit combines elite hands with tremendous size to overpower opposing defenses. Jayden Lane has been a surprising breakout in these playoffs, posting 149 yards and 2 TDs over the 3 games Willis has played in the postseason. He has become another reliable option for the Willis offense if Bishop and Martin are shut down, and the sophomore wideout only seems to improve each week. Tyler Andrade has also made an impact as the gadget guy, executing great plays throughout this run. He has been utilized in both the passing game and rushing attack, with 142 yards receiving and 72 rushing yards. Expect him to be another key player for Willis in their high- powered offense. Overall, this unit doesn’t run the ball much, and when they do, it's not always effective. They rely heavily on the pass, but if everything has been clicking like in the past three weeks, they look unstoppable.

The defense has been a question mark all season for Willis, as they have given up some big games, like against Klein Collins and College Park. However, they have been really stepping it up these last couple of weeks, only allowing Tomball to score 6 in the 2nd half in the 2nd round, and holding Forney last week to a shutout in the 1st half. Still, they did almost let Forney back into the game in the last round, so hopefully that was not a sign of things to come in this game. The defense will face one of its biggest tests of the season against DeSoto, as they are capable of putting up lots of points and have some of the most talented players in the state on offense. DBs Cayden Williams and A’Majai Friend have been solid, with Williams leading the team in tackles and Friend being a turnover machine. Jermaine Bishop also joins them on the defense, recording 4 interceptions this season and being just as good on defense as he is on offense. They will rely on Bishop to cover DeSoto’s Ethan Feaster, who torched College Park last week and is one of the best wide receivers in the country. The front has been solid, with Jaivion Martin and Waylen Nolan locking down this defensive front. Just like Bishop, Martin has been elite on defense as well as offense, making several key blocks throughout these playoffs and using his incredible size to bulldoze offensive lines. Nolan has made his mark as one of the best ends coming out of the district, with 10.5 sacks this season and as the main source of pressure on opposing QBs. The defense has learned from the Klein Collins and College Park losses and applied those lessons to these last few wins, resulting in a unit playing its best football late in the season. If this defense can show up like they have in recent weeks, there's no doubt they will be able to compete with a team like DeSoto. Now let’s take a look at that DeSoto team, as we saw them last week against College Park, and witnessed all the destruction they can cause.

DeSoto Eagles: A Team Not Reflected By Their Record

Just like Willis, DeSoto has taken some losses this season. They currently sit with 3 losses, all to playoff-caliber teams: Creekside, Duncanville, and North Crowley. Willis’s losses are all to playoff teams as well, but they only sit with 2 losses. DeSoto’s firepower is not reflective of their power too, as they have some of the best players in the state headlining their offense. Chief among them is USC commit Ethan Feaster, who had an elite game last week against College Park. Feaster went for 101 yards and 3 TDs through the air, having some of the best catches I’ve seen all year from a high school wideout. He has elite route running skills, and unreal speed, just like Willis’s own Jermaine Bishop Jr. He will obviously be the main focus of the Willis defense, and I expect a great matchup between him and Bishop in this one. Both players are top ten in the state, with Feaster coming in at #10 and Bishop ranking out at #3, making for a battle you won’t want to miss. Along with Feaster, DeSoto boasts an rising star at the running back position in Sarod Baker. Baker was also elite last game, rushing for 202 yards on 24 carries for 1 TD. He also caught a TD in this one, showing he can do more than just run the ball. He is an elite option for DeSoto to turn too when Feaster is shut down and can turn the game upside down if given too much running room. He has an elite combo of speed and power, being incredibly hard to take down on any play, powering his way through multiple tackles before finally going down. The duo of Baker and Feaster gives Willis something to game plan for and could be the players that could cause the most damage on Saturday. QB Legend Howell is the arm behind the DeSoto offense, and while he doesn’t put up gawdy numbers, the QB is accurate and quick with some of the best offensive line help in the state. He orchestrated a 5 TD game last week and will be another point of emphasis for the Willis defense to attack. The DeSoto defense is the only part that could be exposed, as much like Willis, they rely on the offense to simply outscore opponents to win games. They let up some big plays to College Park and could’ve let up some big pass plays if College Park was able to hit their wideouts. It will be a fascinating matchup to watch unfold, and could be a high scoring game if the defenses can’t contain all the weapons on the field.

Final Thoughts:

This is shaping up to be a great matchup in the 4th round and could prove to be one of the most exciting games this week. DeSoto is a formidable team with plenty of talent, but they are beatable, and Willis has one of the best players in the nation playing at his peak right now. It will truly be a coin toss as to who wins this game and advances to the semifinal round, as I could see both teams going all the way if everything clicks. Limiting turnovers will be crucial for Willis, as they don't want to give the ball to this DeSoto offense and want to keep Feaster off the field as much as possible. The matchup between Feaster and Bishop will be one for the record books and is one we might even see at the next level if the USC and Texas commits face each other in college. The game will be at 3 PM in Baylor’s McLane Stadium, a venue suited for such a huge event. If Willis can overcome their bracket obstacle, they'll move on to play for the state semifinals and a shot at the state title, something none of us thought they could do after dropping some games earlier in the season.