The regular season has come to a close, and the postseason has arrived with countless contenders clashing in high energy, win-or-go-home competition. As the runner-up to the Coppell Cowboys (10-0) in District 6A-5, the Farmers match up against a familiar opponent: the winner of District 6A-6, the Allen Eagles (10-0).
This year’s playoff matchup marks the third year in a row the Farmers will face off against the Eagles in the first round. The first matchup in the 2022-2023 season resulted in a 43-18 win for the Farmers led by an efficient rushing offense.
The following game in the 2023-2024 season ended in an 18-17 win for the Eagles strongly impacted by Allen’s special teams unit, which scored eight of the team’s 18 points. Those two games have set the record at 1-1 in the teams’ first round postseason matchups against each other, making this week’s drama-filled contest more than just a playoff game.
“We played a couple of big games earlier in the year, so our younger guys are a little more prepared going into the game,” special teams coordinator Jaden Wright said. “We’ve been able to prepare for the loud environment by practicing with really loud crowd noise. We’ve been trying to give them that playoff experience as much as we can.”
The Allen Eagles closed their regular season with a 48-7 win against the Plano East Panthers, locking in an undefeated season. The Eagles passing offense was led by senior quarterback Brady Bricker, completing 13 of 22 passes for 182 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Two of those touchdowns were caught by senior wide receiver Donnell Gee Jr. (verbal commitment to Tulsa), marking his season total at 10 touchdowns.
While Allen’s passing offense played well, the ground game excelled, totaling 269 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. This rushing attack was led by senior running back Micah Ellis, who gained 104 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while junior running back Jaden Hambric gained 98 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.
“I was watching film and noticed [Allen] switches out their [running] backs a lot,” senior defensive end Sean Oliver said. “When we see the different numbers in, I think we should keep playing how we’re playing, no matter who’s in the game.”
Defensively, the Eagles were able to hold the Panthers to a total of 148 all-purpose yards and one touchdown, while also forcing an interception. This led to Plano East’s senior quarterback Jackson Hays recording a quarterback rating of 40.9; his second lowest rating this season.
“There’s definitely a rivalry that’s been created,” senior offensive lineman Kylan Masters said. “Last year, we lost. This year, we are going to come back and take care of business.”
The Farmers close out their season with a 27-0 win in Lobo Stadium over Little Elm (0-10), mixing up multiple groups of players in the process. The offense saw sophomore quarterback Tre Williams attempt the majority of the passes, completing 18 of 25 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns. This performance led to Williams’ highest quarterback rating of the season at 139.2.
The depth of the Farmers running back room showed itself once again, as senior running back Isaiah Wilson gained 78 yards and a touchdown on the ground while junior running back Tenel Hill ran for 51 yards, the two combining for 129 rushing yards. In the receiving game, sophomore running back Derrick “DJ” Martin caught five passes for 74 receiving yards and a touchdown.
“There’s been a lot of hype about this Allen game,” Oliver said. “Practice has been great this week, we all came in on the same page. I feel like this is going to be different than last year.”
With the team’s first shutout of the season against the Lobos, the Farmers continue to limit opposing offenses and give the ball back to the offense. Junior defensive lineman Keegan Grubbs brought down the Lobos for 10 tackles and invading Little Elm’s backfield to rack up three tackles for loss. This game marks the second time this season the defense was unable to produce a turnover, and it still resulted in the Lobos producing zero points against the Farmers. With a three-game win streak heading into the playoffs, the Farmers have performed efficiently on every side of the ball.
“Special teams is the third phase of the game, and last year our special teams unit didn’t play well,” Wright said. “We gave up a safety and a kick return. If we don’t have those miscues, then we win the game. Special teams is definitely a big unit this week, [if] we do our job and go execute, I think we’ll be fine.”
The first round of the postseason has fueled an enthralling rivalry that has now reached the third consecutive meeting between the Farmers and Eagles. If the Farmers want to come out on top in the current best of three games, every side of the ball needs to be on the same page and try to be as mistake-free as possible. The Farmers offense is capable of playing well in the passing and rushing offense, but both need to be able to find consistency this week.
The defensive side of the ball has shown the capability to heavily limit defenses and talents as highly regarded as Guyer’s senior quarterback Kevin Sperry. Limiting explosive plays and forcing pressure is essential to victory this week. With how much of an impact special teams had in last year’s clash, it will be something to keep an eye on, especially with a Farmers unit that has turned kick and punt returns into points on the scoreboard on multiple occasions.
“A lot of people are doubting that we’re going to take the win this Friday,” Oliver said. “For the people that are doubting, come to the game and see how we play. We’re going to take this win.”
