The Area Round of the Class 6A Division I state playoffs will feature the Keller Indians visiting the Odessa Permian Panthers at Ratliff Stadium on November 20. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. Mojo Time.
Round Two of the Texas High School Football post-season has arrived. Fresh off a dominant 58-22 Bi-District dismantling of El Paso Eastlake, undefeated District 2-6A champion Permian (11-0) secured its fourth consecutive Bi-District gold ball. Keller (8-3), the third seed out of District 4-6A, punched its ticket to the second round after rallying late to beat Arlington High 35-31 in a Bi-District thriller.
Permian brings an unblemished record and spotless 6-0 mark at Ratliff Stadium into the Area Round, supported by a dominant +181 point differential at home. Keller counters with a high-scoring, run-heavy offense that bounced back from a mid-season three-game skid to win its last two contests.
The Black Cats are still maintaining a balanced attack between pass and run. The Indians bring an explosive offense that leans on the run, but can throw the rock. Permian has the advantage, courtesy of the performance from the “Mojo D”.
| Keller | Permian | |
| Points Scored (Avg) | 470 (42.7) | 464 (42.2) |
| Points Allowed (Avg) | 412 (37.5) | 182 (16.5) |
| Point Differential | +5.2 | +25.7 |
| Total Yards / Game | 471.1 | 435.1 |
| Rush Yards / Game | 259.7 | 208.6 |
| Pass Yards / Game | 211.4 | 226.5 |
| Sacks Per Game | 1.4 | 2.6 |
Both Permian and Keller beat Midland High this season. The Panthers claimed a 42-17 victory, and the Indians thumped the Bulldogs 55-24 in Week 2. Permian and Keller have played each other in baseball and soccer playoffs, but have never met on the football field.
Keller possesses a massive offensive line. Recipient of that wrecking crew is the undisputed engine in junior running back Blake Dyniewski (5-10, 180). He is the bellcow and excels at contact balance through the second level. He has rushed for 1,877 yards on 235 carries, averaging 170.6 yards a game with 23 touchdowns. Dyniewski also has 22 catches for 228 yards and a TD.
Backing Dyniewski in the backfield is David Makia (6-0, 215). He’s a heavy, bruising change-of-pace back that has accounted for 489 yards from 62 carries for seven touchdowns. Bryce Fonteno (5-9, 180) has come on as of late and has rushed for 313 yards on 59 carries with seven TDs.
First-year starting quarterback Matt McCroskey (6-0, 195) is capable of big-yardage nights when forced to throw (372 yards against Southlake Carroll), though Keller prefers to keep him in play-action situations. He is 149 of 228 passing for 2,275 yards. McCroskey can scramble but normally doesn’t, throwing 25 touchdowns while having nine passes picked off.
When called upon, McCroskey has three main receivers in Cash Erdmann (6-3, 175), Chris Hanson (5-9, 155), and Graham Kaler (6-1, 165). Erdmann is the team leader at 51.8 receiving yards a game with four touchdowns, Hanson averages 46.2 yards per game with six TDs, and Kaler has been good for 48.2 yards a game also recording seven touchdowns.
Keller’s bend-but-don’t-break unit plays physical, downhill football, though they have surrendered massive point totals in shootouts all season (giving up 40+ points five separate times, including 80 to Keller Central).
Kaiden McCauley (6-1, 205) is a legitimate three-star linebacker recruit and the heartbeat of the defense. After posting 141 tackles as a sophomore, he is averaging 11.4 tackles per game this season. He has 8.0 tackles for loss with three hurries. Nate Heck (5-11, 200) has 93 tackles, while Quinton Boatner (6-0, 220) is a physical middle linebacker to complete clogging the interior gaps.
The Indians’ premier edge disruptor, leading the squad with 6.0 sacks, 9.0 tackles for loss, and four hurries is senior lineman Damian Bodiu. Cohen Roper has 97 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss.
The Keller secondary is anchored by defensive back Beck Cheatam (team-leading 2 INTs). Arlington threw for 310 yards against this unit in Bi-District, signaling huge potential for passing vulnerabilities.
Keller has Ruan Minnaar handling punt duties. He averages only 35.6 yards a punt. Noah Sanchez is 52 of 55 in the Extra Point department, while James Towey is 2-of-4 in field goal attempts with a 38-yarder as longest made.
The “Mojo D” will look to neutralize Dyniewski and force Keller out of its run-first rhythm into manageable passing downs. Conversely, Keller’s defense—which has surrendered 40-plus points five times this season—will need to slow down Permian’s balanced attack to keep pace at Ratliff Stadium.
Author: T Alan, Griz Merrick
Now that you have all the stats, check out our weekly complete Scouting Report, with Game Notes, unfiltered Keys To Success, Indians strengths and weaknesses, and view the week’s predictions from our panel of Sports media experts.
Scout report on the Indians drops Wednesday.
[ STRATEGIES & PREDICTIONS ]
