One Smith County football team's dream continues, while another squad saw its hopes at a state title come to an end.
The Chapel Hill Bulldogs, state champions in 2011, have a chance to hoist the trophy again as their playoff journey continues.
The Bulldogs (9-4), coached by Thomas Sitton, scored a 55-40 win over Decatur (9-4) on Friday night at City Bank Stadium in Forney.
In Allen, the Whitehouse Wildcats' magical season ended Friday afternoon at Eagle Stadium. The Wildcats were hoping to advance past the third round for the first time in school history, but the Mesquite Poteet Pirates held off the Whitehouse crew, 65-60, in a Class 4A Division II regional playoff game.
For Chapel Hill, it will be a rematch next week as they will face district-mate Kilgore in the quarterfinals. The contest is tentatively set for 7 p.m. Friday on Earl Campbell Field at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler.
Kilgore, coached by Mike Wood, won the previous matchup 42-25 on Oct. 25 in Kilgore.
Kilgore captured its regional contest 56-21 over Frisco Lone Star in the Friday afternoon game, also in Forney.
Chapel Hill quarterback Andrew Black accounted for five touchdowns and Chapel Hill's defense forced six turnovers.
Black passed for four touchdowns and ran for another while finishing the night with 23 carries for 124 yards and passing for 322 yards. The senior finished the first half with three touchdowns and the second with two more as Chapel Hill pulled away in the fourth.
The winner of the quarterfinal match next week advances to the semifinals to meet either Stephenville or the winner of the Cooper or Burnet game. The state championship is scheduled for Dec. 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
As for Whitehouse, the Wildcats, under the direction of first-year head coach Adam Cook, end their historic season at 12-1.
The Wildcats, the District 16-4A champions, suffered their first loss of the season as the shootout ended in the Pirates' favor despite all-state candidate Patrick Mahomes' 605 yards of passing. That is the fifth-most in state history.
Mahomes, a senior signal-caller who has committed to Texas Tech, threw for 8,444 yards in two seasons running the Wildcats' offense, including 4,605 yards and 50 touchdowns this season.
The Pirates (12-1) advance to face either Frisco or Ennis in the state quarterfinals next week.
The Wildcats, who trailed for most of the game, had an opportunity to win the game with a final drive with 1:39 to play. Mahomes completed a 13-yard pass on fourth-and-1 to Ryan Cheatham to reach the Pirates' 45 with less than a minute remaining, but on the next play, Mahomes' pass was bobbled by the Whitehouse receiver, allowing Poteet's Malachi Cobb to swoop in for a game-clinching interception.
Mahomes completed 36 of 61 passes with five touchdowns and two interceptions, one in the final minute of each half. He added 47 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Whitehouse senior Jake Parker hauled in 11 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns.
The Wildcats will graduate 37 seniors, including Mahomes, who has a decision to make about whether to play baseball if he's drafted this summer or play football at Texas Tech.
In 2006, Whitehouse won bi-district and area contests before falling to Waco High in regionals.