It’s late November and we’re now in the 3rd. round of the UIL high school football playoffs, commonly known all around Region IV, which includes Central and South Texas, as “Valley Week” or “Valley Weak” if you’re an asshole. The Bench Wire is here to preview all four games and gauge whether our guys have any shot at making it to the next round.
Matchup
6A D-2 Regional Championship
Edinburg Vela (12-0) vs. Austin Westlake (12-0)
Date/Venue
Friday, December 1st, 7:30 PM
Akins Stadium, Portland, TX
Preview
The Sabercats have become one of the Valley’s premier football programs in an impressively short amount of time. In the last 4 years, the Sabercats have gone 42-5 having only dropped 2 regular season games in that span.
Vela, however, is running into the 4th best team in the state in Westlake who, with no Katy or Allen classified as D-1 schools, are easily the best team in the 6A D-2 bracket. Earlier this year, the Chaps took down Austin-area powerhouse Lake Travis 21-14 and look to be on a collision course with Southlake Carroll in a re-match of the 2006 state title game.
Do We Have A Shot at Winning?
Nope.
It’s been another great season, ‘Cats, but Westlake is going for the whole damn thing.
Matchup
6A D-2 Regional Championship
Weslaco East (9-3) vs. Cibolo Steele (8-4)
Date/Venue
Friday, December 1st, 7:30 PM
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Preview
On paper, yes, this year’s edition of the Cibolo Steele Knights doesn’t look quite as strong as their teams in recent memory. Their losses, however, were to teams who made the playoffs (Converse Judson, Smithson Valley) and teams currently still in the playoffs (Lake Travis, O’Connor).
Even if East came into this game undefeated, I’d still have doubts that they’d be able to hang with this squad.
Do We Have A Shot at Winning?
No.
Matchup
6A D-1 Regional Championship
San Benito (12-0) vs. San Antonio O’Connor (12-0)
Date/Venue
Friday, December 1st, 7:30 PM
Buccaneer Stadium, Corpus Christi, TX
Preview
Coach Gomez has done a magnificent job turning San Benito around, having the team’s record improved every year since taking the helm. The Greyhounds are averaging 45.3 ppg on offense and have really come on in the last few games outscoring their opponents 211-56. O’Connor, however, have a signature win against a really good Cibolo Steele squad and surviving the first two rounds in San Antonio is no easy task.
Do We Have A Shot at Winning?
Yes.
Although O’Connor boasts an undefeated record, District 28 is one of the weakest districts in San Antonio as none of O’Connor’s district peers made it within double digits of their first-round losses.
Matchup
6A D-1 Regional Championship
Los Fresnos (9-3) vs. Lake Travis (10-2)
Venue
Saturday, December 12th, 1:00 PM
Leo Aguilar Stadium, Los Fresnos, TX
Preview
Last year, Los Fresnos got trounced 54-7 to Lake Travis who would then go on to win the state title, 41-13. Although, this isn’t the same Lake Travis team from last year or even 2007-2011, but they are still a VERY formidable squad who have already avenged their first loss (Converse Judson) and were barely dropped to the probable state champs (Westlake).
Los Fresnos lost to a 7-4 Brownsville Hanna squad. Enough said.
Do We Have A Shot at Winning?
Lord, no.
