And then there were two: Veterans Memorial, Refugio prepare for state semifinals
And then there were two.
After a stellar season saw the Coastal Bend play for Region IV crowns in four separate divisions of the Texas high school football playoffs, two schools remain alive — Veterans Memorial and Refugio.
Two schools go into the weekend 48 minutes away from playing for a state championship at Arlington's AT&T Stadium.
One school, Refugio, is the bluest of blue bloods of high school football in the state. The Bobcats will play in the state semifinals for the 18th time.
To put it in context, that tally is four more than any other school in the area (Calallen, 14).
It took a spectacular, unlikely play to propel Refugio past nemesis Shiner, as the Bobcats connected on an 87-yard touchdown pass from Kelan Brown to Isaiah Avery on fourth-and-12 late in the fourth quarter.
Now Jason Herring's team will face No. 1-ranked Timpson in the state semifinals, aiming for their 11th all-time state title game appearance as the Bobcats chase title number five for the school.
The Region III vs. Region IV state semifinal has been one-sided in Class 2A Division I of late. One of the trio of Shiner, Refugio or Mason has played for a state title in every season since 2013 as Region IV has won the matchup nine consecutive seasons.
Timpson, led by likely Class 2A Player of the Year Terry Bussey at quarterback, presents the sternest challenge for a Region IV champion since Mart topped Shiner in 2012.
Herring's Bobcats have played a large role in Region IV's dominance, winning in it's last six appearances in the state semifinals, dating back to 2011.
The big boys
While Refugio plays in the second-smallest 11-man division, Veterans Memorial, in Class 5A Division I, is making its second appearance in the state semifinals in three years.
In its first soiree, the Eagles battled heavily favored Cedar Park for two quarters, during the COVID-19 altered 2020 season, before the Timberwolves broke the game open and pulled away for a 61-28 win at Alamo Stadium.
Veterans Memorial started playing varsity football in 2016 and has been at least three rounds deep every season since first making the postseason in 2017. The Eagles have played in the regional final each of the last four seasons, falling to San Antonio Wagner in 2019, splitting with Flour Bluff in 2020 and 2021 and topping PSJA North last week.
The defense was stellar for the Eagles once again. Veterans Memorial has held 12 of its 13 playoff opponents over the last three years to 14 points or fewer including the Raiders last week.
PSJA North came into the contest averaging nearly 44 points a game.
Veterans Memorial is now one of 12 programs in the Coastal Bend to make the state semifinals multiple times, and is also trying to become the 12th program to play for a UIL state football title.
Only Calallen (2005, 2016) has played for a state title in the UIL's two largest classifications since 1960 when Miller won Corpus Christi's last state championship in football.
The Eagles will battle College Station in the Alamodome on Saturday night. The Cougars are trying to return to the state championship game after falling to Katy Paetow last season in the season's final game.
It took a last-second goal line stand for College Station to survive Smithson Valley in a 26-21 thriller.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Veterans Memorial, Refugio prepare for football state semifinals
