Add another entry into Killeen ISD’s tradition-rich football history. For the first time, KISD is sending more than two football teams into the playoffs in the same season.
Shoemaker, Harker Heights and Ellison made it through the regular-season gauntlet and earned their postseason places, and the journey to AT&T Stadium in Arlington now begins.
The Grey Wolves are up first, drawing two-time defending Class 6A Division II state champion DeSoto on Thursday.
On Friday, the Knights host Lancaster at Leo Buckley Stadium while Ellison travels 3½ hours to challenge Alvin Iowa Colony.
Click on the links below to purchase tickets.
Shoemaker: https://tinyurl.com/5n89xu7b
Harker Heights: https://tinyurl.com/527jwhny
Ellison: https://tinyurl.com/2vaubx84
Class 6A Division II Bi-District Playoff
Shoemaker at DeSoto
7 p.m. Thursday, Eagle Stadium
Head coach Toby Foreman’s Grey Wolves (6-4) are in the playoffs for the third consecutive season and fifth time in six years after they placed fourth in District 12-6A.
First-round matchups against Metroplex teams from District 11-6A aren’t ideal, but Foreman said his players are ready to take on the task of trying to dethrone a perennial state power.
“This is five out of six years, but the goal is to win a district title, get to the postseason and advance to the postseason. That’s the part we’ve struggled with and something we are trying to improve on,” said Foreman, whose team boasts size and strength on the offensive and defensive lines. “This is a tough matchup against DeSoto, but the kids had a good week of practice and we’ll go out there and get after it.”
Shoemaker, which was idle during the final week of the regular season, exited 12-6A play with the second-stingiest defense in terms of yards allowed per game at 326.4.
Quarterbacks Malachi Jerome and Tyrieke Wade will lead the Grey Wolves offense into the contest. Wade is the team’s leading rusher and has passed for 1,860 yards.
Both will rely heavily on Brandon Brown Jr., who has 561 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing and 647 yards and seven TDs receiving. Running back Johnathan Pompey, receivers Jamal Polite, Lamont Reed, Jihad McCoy and tight end Isaiah Butler-Tanner are top targets.
The key, though, will be to keep track of the Eagles’ Division I-bound playmakers on offense.
DeSoto (8-2) quarterback Kelden Ryan has thrown for 2,011 yards and 20 touchdowns, and rushed for another 764 and 12 scores. Deondre Riden Jr. (1,212 yards, 17 TDs) anchors the ground attack, and Myson Johnson-Cook (752 yards, 13 TDs) leads a deep receiving corps.
The Eagles were second to Duncanville in 11-6A.
Defensively for the Grey Wolves, Torion Thomas has team highs of 67 tackles and three interceptions, Jammie Smart has 62 tackles, Brenden Logan 53 tackles, and Elijah Gray and Jamon Sanders have three sacks apiece.
“I want to see us go in there and compete, and that will tell the tale of how this game is going to go,” Foreman said. “It’s going to be us and how we compete.”
Class 6A Division II Bi-District Playoff
Lancaster at Harker Heights
7 p.m. Friday, Leo Buckley Stadium
The Knights (8-2) carry a six-game winning streak into the program’s sixth consecutive playoff appearance. Included in that six-game span is last week’s 31-14 nod over Temple that secured Harker Heights third straight District 12-6A championship.
The Knights’ attention now shifts to their home playoff game against the Tigers (4-6), who moved up from Class 5A this season after the UIL’s biennial realignment.
“They will look every bit of the part. Their strength will be their skill players, both offensively and defensively. They play great football like most Metroplex teams,” Harker Heights head coach Mark Humble said.
This is Lancaster’s seventh consecutive playoff berth. During that span, the Tigers were 59-25, including 2024. Last season, they played 14 games, losing in a 5A regional final in double overtime against Forney.
“They were a perennial 5A power, and they are bumped up to 6A now,” Humble added. “They are up there in the district of doom with Duncanville, DeSoto, Waxahachie and all of those teams and played well. They are well-coached, have great athletes –– guys that are going to go on to Division I.”
During the regular season, Harker Heights averaged 43 points and 537 yards per game, surrendering 24.6 points and 353 yards.
Protected by an experienced offensive line, quarterback Hudson Humble (204-of-253, 2, 723 yards, 33 TDs) spurred the offense by completing 80 percent of his passes. The Knights also feature the 1,000-yard rushing duo of Kaden Butler (157 carries, 1,341 yards 13 TDs) and Zy’Riyan “C2” Evans (181 carries, 1,124 yards, 11 TDs), and a variety of receivers including Tyler Johnson (66 catches, 965 yards, 10 TDs), Ryan Taylor (40 catches, 519 yards, seven TDs), Kristian Nobles (36 catches, 491 yards, six TDs) and Kai McMillan (30 catches, 516 yards, four TDs).
Cooper Howard leads the defensive charge with 106 tackles, and Corey McMillan and Brian Hood have 80 tackles each.
“No matter what, it’s like the reset of the season, so you go into Round 1 and everyone is 0-0. It doesn’t matter what your overall record is. It’s win and advance or lose and go home, so it’s the most important part of the year,” Humble said. “It’ll be a tough first-round battle like all of them are.”
Class 5A Division II Bi-District Playoff
Ellison at Alvin Iowa Colony
Alvin ISD’s Freedom Field
Ellison entered the year with a six-year playoff drought in tow. Safe to say the Eagles were tired of waiting.
Ellison (5-5) won four of its final six games, including a 3-2 mark in District 10-5A-II, to secure its long-awaited playoff spot. Fourth-year head coach Danny Servance said the Eagles are thrilled to extend their season and are aimed at adding at least one more week to an already memorable 2024.
“I’m so proud of the guys that we have this year, including this senior group. We have 39 seniors and for them to accomplish what they have accomplished, it’s been incredible,” Servance said. “Our coaching staff has done a tremendous job putting them in position to be successful, and it’s just good to be back in the playoffs.”
Quarterback Sidney Holland Jr. opened the season by throwing for 356 yards against Copperas Cove and never really slowed down. The senior signal-caller, afforded time by the offensive line to scan the field for a bevy of options, tallied at least 300 yards passing in seven of the final nine games. His grand totals for the 10-game regular season: 3,327 yards and 38 touchdowns passing.
Thirty-two of the TD tosses were to Travaris Turner-Smith (49 catches, 957 yards, 15 TDs), Prince Hall (65 catches, 776 yards, 10 TDs) and Juan Ramirez (54 catches, 516 yards, seven TDs) for an offense that averaged 40.9 points. Supplementing the air raid were running backs Darryl Cannie Jr. (662 yards rushing, seven TDs) and Trevon Jones-Lockhart (441 yards, four TDs).
Two-way player Joseph Fowlkes IV registered a team-high six sacks and had 379 yards and three scores receiving, and Juan Cavello led the defense with 93 tackles.
“They have great work-ethic. They want to be great. You can tell. You can see it in all that they do,” Servance said. “The camaraderie that they have among each other is impeccable. They hold each other accountable, and that’s what has been great.”
The Iowa Colony Pioneers are a third-year program. They went 12-1 a year ago and picked up where they left off. They score an average 41 points and allow 12 points per game. Quarterback Carson White has 1,333 yards and 23 TDs passing, while Eric Mosley, Aaron Tenner and White all have at least 460 yards rushing.
“They are a good football team, well-coached and fundamentally sound. They’ve got big guys, speed in their skill positions and they just don’t make a lot of mistakes,” Servance said.
