Cinco Ranch is picked as underdogs
By Tom Behrens
The Houston area boasts half of the remaining Class 6A field, with The Woodlands (14-0) and Atascocita (12-1) in Division I and Klein Collins (13-1) and Cinco Ranch (11-3) in Division II, so all-Houston championship games still are a possibility, but all four entrants likely are underdogs this week.
The Highlanders take on four-time state champion Allen (14-0), the Eagles tangle with five-time state champ Lake Travis, the Tigers drew DeSoto (14-0), which survived a brutal Region I bracket, and Cinco Ranch face 2010 state champ Cibolo Steele (13-1), which is in the state semis for the sixth time in the last seven years. The Woodlands and Cinco Ranch are making their second trips to the state semis, and Atascocita and Collins are first-time semifinaists.
The Steele Knights have one loss this year, 59-56 overtime loss to Lake Travis. The Knights have allowed just seven points in their last three playoff games.
The Cinco Ranch Cougars have three losses — Cy Ranch by 7, Katy Taylor by 2 and a blowout loss to Katy. But things have clicked for the Cougars in the playoffs.
Cinco Ranch beat Friendswood without quarterback Tyler Page, who was injured on the game’s first play. Cypress Ridge was without 2,000 yard rusher Trelon Smith. The question is would the Cougars have beaten these teams if the key players from Friendswood and Cy Ridge been able to play?
Steele lost to Katy in the semifinals three times in the last four years. A roster led by Joshua Croslen and Caden Sterns gets a chance to take out frustration against Cinco Ranch. It’s going to be a tough game for the Cougars of Cinco Ranch, but the combination of Brant Kuithe, Greg Williams, and James Klingler might just be able to pull off the upset.
Game time is 6 p.m. Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Check The Katy News Sports’ next edition for complete coverage of the game.