Guyer head football coach and athletic coordinator John Walsh knew it was only a matter of time before the Wildcats would be elevated to Class 5A.

    At Monday’s UIL biennial realignment meeting in North Richland Hills, the cutoff enrollment number separating the state’s top two classifications dropped for the first time since 1990. As a result, several area teams once on the border were all of a sudden thrust in different directions.

    The football season may have ended last month, but Guyer is already making plans for next year.

    The Wildcats – who are fully expecting to be moved up to Class 5A – will take on Cedar Hill on Labor Day in the annual Kirk Herbstreit Classic at Cowboys Stadium.

    With one minute, 55 seconds left in last Saturday’s Class 4A state quarterfinal game, Guyer defensive back Ravion Ingram peeled back over the middle of the field to make a clutch over-the-shoulder interception off Denton Ryan quarterback Scotty Young.

     Marcus’ offseason is officially underway, and there are already questions at quarterback.

    The Marauders – fresh off a 41-17 loss to Cedar Hill in the area round of the Class 5A playoffs – do not have a replacement for the graduating tandem of Brode Boyd and Brad L’Huillier, this according to head coach Bryan Erwin.

    Flower Mound will represent District 6-5A in next week’s Class 5A playoffs. But they didn’t get in quite the way they had hoped.

    The Jaguars (6-4 overall, 2-3 in district play) lost 45-24 to Coppell (9-1, 4-1) on Friday – closing out the season with back-to-back lopsided losses. Yet they secured the fourth and final playoff spot thanks to Marcus’ 35-28 win over Hebron in their season finale. A Hebron win would have eliminated the Jags.

    Guyer closed out the regular season with a shocking loss to Denton Ryan. But don’t expect them to feel sorry for themselves as begin their Class 4A playoff run.

    Flower Mound has a chance to secure a playoff spot with a win on Friday.

    That elusive win won’t be easy as they take on rival Marcus in the annual Battle of the Mound Showdown. Game time is slated for 8 p.m. at the University of North Texas.

   It wasn’t long ago that Marcus was flying high as one of the top teams in Class 5A. But after two straight losses in District 6-5A, they are inching closer to finishing this season with a thud.

   Flower Mound will face Lewisville this Friday with a chance to go 2-0 in District 6-5A.

    The Jaguars (5-1, 1-0) are coming off a wild 37-30 win over Hebron last week but could have a much easier go at things against Lewisville – which lost to Marcus 56-7 and boasts as inept an offense as there can possibly be in an otherwise top-flight district lineup.

     Last year, Guyer was one step away from playing in the state title game. So it comes as no surprise that their expectations are much higher this season.

    Argyle football coach Todd Rodgers said it best: his team is out to make a statement.

    The Eagles (12-0) bullied Lake Worth 45-7 in the area round last week and will face Texarkana Pleasant Grove (8-3) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Royse City in the Class 3A Division II Regional Semifinals.   

    A year after facing one of the toughest teams in the area in the first round of playoffs, Marcus has drawn a much more familiar opponent.

    Argyle head coach Todd Rodgers will never think long term.

    “I choose not to, and for this football team, all we think about is one week at a time,” Rodgers said of his team’s current playoff run. “This particular team is very unique and they’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time.”

With just two games remaining in the regular season, Guyer has already secured a playoff spot.

     It sort of goes without saying for the Wildcats (8-0 overall, 5-0 in District 5-4A), who are still the area’s top-ranked Class 4A team heading into Friday’s game against Wichita Falls (2-3 in league play). But head coach John Walsh isn’t willing to look too far ahead just yet.

    Marcus (4-1, 1-0 in District 6-5A) is firing on all cylinders. So is Southlake Carroll.

    The two will meet up on Friday in Week 2 of the District 6-5A schedule. Carroll (5-1, 1-0) is the No. 5 ranked team in Class 5A while the Marauders sit at No. 11. Marcus is coming off a 56-7 win over rival Lewisville in last week’s annual Battle of the Axe. Carroll beat Coppell 24-6.

    Guyer will put its unbeaten record on the line against cross town rival Lake Dallas.

    The Wildcats (6-0, 3-0 in District 5-4A) are the No. 1 ranked team in Class 4A, but the Falcons have the same record and are not to far behind as the No. 3 ranked team. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday at Lake Dallas.