West Plains (12–1) vs. Stephenville (13–0)
Plains Capital Park at Lowrey Field, Lubbock
Friday at 7 pm
If you’ve followed Texas high school football this season, you’ve known this matchup was coming. West Plains and Stephenville have looked like two locomotives barreling down the same track, destined to collide under the postseason lights. Now the rematch is here, and it’s carrying all the weight of history, hype, and unfinished business.
West Plains was the last team to hand Stephenville a loss—an instant-classic 42–35 thriller in this same round a year ago. That win didn’t just end Stephenville’s season; it stuck with the Yellowjackets all offseason. And the scary thing? Both teams might actually be better now than they were then.
West Plains enters at 12–1, and their only real challenge of the playoffs came last week—though calling a 35–3 win over Canyon a “challenge” feels like a stretch. The Wolves have handled their postseason opponents with a calm, businesslike dominance. Their offense remains balanced and explosive, and the defense, while sometimes overshadowed by the firepower on the other side of the ball, has grown into a disciplined, opportunistic unit.
Stephenville, meanwhile, looks every bit the No. 1 team in the state. They’ve been crushing teams with the efficiency of a program that expects to be here every year. Their offense is humming, their defense has tightened up significantly from last season, and most importantly, they’ve played with a sharpened edge ever since last year’s heartbreak. You get the sense that every practice rep, every sprint, every film session has been building toward this moment.
What makes this matchup fascinating is how similar these two teams really are. Both return key starters from last year’s battle. Both feature quarterbacks who can extend plays and aren’t afraid to take deep shots. Both rely on running backs who hit the hole with purpose and linemen who create it. Both defenses swarm, tackle well in space, and force mistakes. And both coaching staffs know exactly how dangerous the opponent across the field is.
That’s why this game is almost guaranteed to be the toughest postseason test either has faced. The blowouts are over. This week, every possession matters. Every penalty is magnified. Every defensive lapse could flip the game.
West Plains has the confidence that comes from knowing it’s possible to beat this Stephenville team—they’ve done it before. That mental edge isn’t nothing. And the Wolves will not be intimidated by the ranking, the record, or the revenge narrative swirling around the Yellowjackets.
But Stephenville has something just as powerful: a year’s worth of motivation wrapped in a flawless 13-0 season. They’ve played with a purpose, and they haven’t blinked once. Their offense should be able to finish a few more drives than they did last year, and their defense—which looks faster and more disciplined—might be the difference late.
Expect another classic. Expect fireworks. Expect momentum swings, gutsy coaching decisions, and a fourth quarter with everyone in the stadium on their feet.
In the end, Stephenville finally gets the revenge it’s been craving—but just barely.
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