Panthers, Rangers to Begin Playoff Push
Five-time defending TAPPS Division I state champion Parish Episcopal will start its postseason run in a rare spot — as the underdog.
The Panthers (6-4) are a third seed in the playoffs after dropping district games against Argyle Liberty and Plano Prestonwood during the regular season. They will host Houston St. Pius X (3-7) in their postseason opener on Friday at Snyder Stadium.
Of course, regular-season rematches are common in TAPPS, so Parish could very well get a high-stakes opportunity for revenge against one of its district foes. The winner of Friday’s game will meet either Prestonwood or El Paso Cathedral in the second round.
This postseason run will be the final one for Parish quarterback Sawyer Anderson. Earlier this season, the four-year starter and Purdue commit broke the school mark for career passing yardage set by former Panthers standout Preston Stone, who was his predecessor.
Anderson has thrown for more than 3,600 yards with 37 touchdowns this season. Carson Darby and Jaylen Pile each surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and combined for 29 of those scores. Meanwhile, in UIL playoff action this week:
- Jesuit Dallas (6-4) will travel to face Arlington Bowie (7-3) in Class 6A Division II, looking to extend its first-round playoff winning streak to four games. It will be Jesuit’s fifth straight bi-district matchup with an Arlington ISD opponent. The Rangers eliminated the Volunteers on the same field a year ago before falling to unbeaten Coppell. They have won four straight after a midseason slide.
- The good news for W.T. White (7-3) is the Longhorns qualified for a fifth consecutive playoff appearance and earned their most regular-season wins since 2000. The bad news is they face powerhouse Frisco Lone Star (9-1) on Thursday at The Star in Frisco, in a rematch of last year’s 49-14 first-round defeat. Ben Ebeke and Andrew Paredez lead the prolific WTW offense.
- First-year coach A.D. Madise has Hillcrest (7-3) back in the playoffs after a two-year drought. The Panthers will host Kaufman (6-4) on Friday in Class 5A Division II, looking for their first postseason victory since 2010. Led by two-way standout Jacoby Ogbonna, Hillcrest closed the regular-season on a four-game winning streak to claim second place in District 5-5A.
