The Texas high school football playoffs are nearly at their midway point, and a pair of Roadrunner commits are still playing. Along with them are Sheldon Jones and Lorenzo Dantzler, who have big games this week in the Louisiana 4A playoffs and the NJCAA national championship game, respectively. Here's where you can see the four current UTSA commits this week whose teams have yet to see their season end.
WR Sheldon "Sticks" Jones (New Orleans Warren Easton)
Friday, December 1 at 7:00, vs. New Orleans Edna Karr (at Behrman Stadium) in the semifinals of the LHSAA Class 4A playoffs.
Warren Easton was 7-1 and ranked #1 in Class 4A going into its final regular season game, with its only loss a 27-21 defeat in late September to the #2 team in Class 5A, John Curtis Christian. But they fell to the #4 spot after losing 40-6 to #3 Edna Karr. Louisiana's playoff brackets are seeded and Warren Easton went into the postseason as the #4 seed in the 4A bracket. Now they are in the 4A semifinals and have a re-match with Edna Karr on Friday night, with a date to the Louisiana 4A state championship game on the line. This is Warren Easton's fourth straight season to reach at least the state semifinals. In 2015 and 2016 they lost in the semifinals to #1 seed Neville, and in 2014 they reached the 4A state final but lost to Neville. Neville lost in this year's quarterfinals so they won't get a chance for revenge against that team, but they will have to beat #1 seed Edna Karr to get another shot at a state title.
DE Lorenzo Dantzler (East Mississippi Community College)
Sunday, December 3 at 2:00, vs. Arizona Western (at Perkinston, Mississippi) in the NJCAA Championship Game
EMCC and AWC are the top two ranked teams in the NJCAA's football rankings, and they will face off on Sunday for the NJCAA national title. Football teams that compete in the NJCAA are primarily in Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and New York, with others spread across a few other states. California Jucos compete in their own league, and there are no NJCAA member schools from that state, or South Dakota, Kentucky, Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. Dantzler's East Mississippi team is 10-1 overall and Arizona Western is 9-0. Dantzler will be going up against an offensive line that includes four-star Juco tackle Desmond Bland and three-star tackle Jahmir Johnson, who both have numerous P5 offers. Dantzler has played in 9 games and been credited with 22 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and one forced fumble.
DE Zachary Gilson (Sachse)
Saturday, December 2 at 2:00, vs. Pflugerville Hendrickson (at Waco ISD Stadium) in the regional semifinal round of the 6A Division I playoffs.
Sachse (which is part of Garland ISD) has had some very good regular season runs in recent years only to exit the playoffs in the first or second round, but this season the Mustangs are 12-0 and have advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time. Gilson has been credited with 58 tackles, 4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, one fumble recover, and a blocked field goal. Two of his sacks came two weeks ago in his team's first round game against Lake Highlands, home of fellow UTSA commit Trumane Bell. Sachse has routinely routed their opposition this season and has rarely been challenged, but they needed overtime to beat Rockwall in last week's area round. They have outscored their 2017 foes by an average of nearly 35 points per game and have scored 48 or more points in eight of their twelve games.
DB Corey Mayfield, Jr. (North Forney)
Saturday, December 2 at 2:00, vs. Mansfield Legacy (at Allen's Eagle Stadium) in the regional semifinal round of the 5A Division II playoffs.
North Forney played its first varsity football season in 2010 and had only reached the playoffs twice (most recently in 2011) coming into the 2017 season, but this year the Falcons have advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time. North Forney is 10-2, as is their third round opponent Mansfield Legacy. Legacy went four rounds deep in last year's playoffs before losing 14-7 to eventual 5A Division I state champion Highland Park. Mayfield began the season playing exclusively on defense, but played both ways in his last eight games and has put up nice stats, catching 32 passes (2nd on the team) for 640 yards and 8 TDs. On defense he has been credited with 21 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 passes defensed, and a forced fumble, and he has also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. His receiving numbers look good but from watching his senior highlights I'll be very surprised if he doesn't play defensive back at UTSA.
WR Sheldon "Sticks" Jones (New Orleans Warren Easton)
Friday, December 1 at 7:00, vs. New Orleans Edna Karr (at Behrman Stadium) in the semifinals of the LHSAA Class 4A playoffs.
Warren Easton was 7-1 and ranked #1 in Class 4A going into its final regular season game, with its only loss a 27-21 defeat in late September to the #2 team in Class 5A, John Curtis Christian. But they fell to the #4 spot after losing 40-6 to #3 Edna Karr. Louisiana's playoff brackets are seeded and Warren Easton went into the postseason as the #4 seed in the 4A bracket. Now they are in the 4A semifinals and have a re-match with Edna Karr on Friday night, with a date to the Louisiana 4A state championship game on the line. This is Warren Easton's fourth straight season to reach at least the state semifinals. In 2015 and 2016 they lost in the semifinals to #1 seed Neville, and in 2014 they reached the 4A state final but lost to Neville. Neville lost in this year's quarterfinals so they won't get a chance for revenge against that team, but they will have to beat #1 seed Edna Karr to get another shot at a state title.
DE Lorenzo Dantzler (East Mississippi Community College)
Sunday, December 3 at 2:00, vs. Arizona Western (at Perkinston, Mississippi) in the NJCAA Championship Game
EMCC and AWC are the top two ranked teams in the NJCAA's football rankings, and they will face off on Sunday for the NJCAA national title. Football teams that compete in the NJCAA are primarily in Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and New York, with others spread across a few other states. California Jucos compete in their own league, and there are no NJCAA member schools from that state, or South Dakota, Kentucky, Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. Dantzler's East Mississippi team is 10-1 overall and Arizona Western is 9-0. Dantzler will be going up against an offensive line that includes four-star Juco tackle Desmond Bland and three-star tackle Jahmir Johnson, who both have numerous P5 offers. Dantzler has played in 9 games and been credited with 22 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and one forced fumble.
DE Zachary Gilson (Sachse)
Saturday, December 2 at 2:00, vs. Pflugerville Hendrickson (at Waco ISD Stadium) in the regional semifinal round of the 6A Division I playoffs.
Sachse (which is part of Garland ISD) has had some very good regular season runs in recent years only to exit the playoffs in the first or second round, but this season the Mustangs are 12-0 and have advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time. Gilson has been credited with 58 tackles, 4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, one fumble recover, and a blocked field goal. Two of his sacks came two weeks ago in his team's first round game against Lake Highlands, home of fellow UTSA commit Trumane Bell. Sachse has routinely routed their opposition this season and has rarely been challenged, but they needed overtime to beat Rockwall in last week's area round. They have outscored their 2017 foes by an average of nearly 35 points per game and have scored 48 or more points in eight of their twelve games.
DB Corey Mayfield, Jr. (North Forney)
Saturday, December 2 at 2:00, vs. Mansfield Legacy (at Allen's Eagle Stadium) in the regional semifinal round of the 5A Division II playoffs.
North Forney played its first varsity football season in 2010 and had only reached the playoffs twice (most recently in 2011) coming into the 2017 season, but this year the Falcons have advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time. North Forney is 10-2, as is their third round opponent Mansfield Legacy. Legacy went four rounds deep in last year's playoffs before losing 14-7 to eventual 5A Division I state champion Highland Park. Mayfield began the season playing exclusively on defense, but played both ways in his last eight games and has put up nice stats, catching 32 passes (2nd on the team) for 640 yards and 8 TDs. On defense he has been credited with 21 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 passes defensed, and a forced fumble, and he has also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. His receiving numbers look good but from watching his senior highlights I'll be very surprised if he doesn't play defensive back at UTSA.
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