Sammy Guzman missed the entire regular season of his senior year with an injury, but he's definitely making the most of his team's lengthy playoff run.

The Chapel Hill safety played a key role in Friday's 55-40 Class 3A Division I Region II semifinal victory against Decatur, which boasted TCU-bound quarterback Grayson Muehlstein. The Bulldog defense picked off Muehlstein four times, including two from Guzman, whose 90-yard interception return touchdown sealed the win with 2:13 remaining in the game.

For his clutch performance in a pressure situation, Guzman is the ETSN.fm/Dairy Queen Defensive Player of the Week.

Guzman finished with nine tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one pass breakup, and the aforementioned defensive touchdown, which highlighted Chapel Hill's third-round victory. Fellow senior defensive back D.D. Mumphrey, another Bulldog who has returned to the field after missing virtually all of the regular season, had one interception, in addition to seven tackles and a pass breakup. Mikey McCollister had the other interception of Muehlstein, who accounted for 576 total yards of offense and five touchdowns, but committed five turnovers to sabotage Decatur's chances of knocking off the Bulldogs.

Guzman enters Friday's 7:30 p.m. 3A D-I Region II championship game against District 16-3A foe Kilgore (12-0) with 22 tackles in Chapel Hill's three playoff games. Mumphrey has collected 11 tackles in two games since his return.

The contest is a rematch of the Oct. 25 meeting between the teams at Kilgore's R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium. Kilgore won that matchup 42-25 after holding off a late Chapel Hill comeback that saw head coach Thomas Sitton's team rally from a 28-9 deficit entering the fourth to within 35-25 halfway through the final period.

Chapel Hill, Kilgore, and Gladewater each won last week to give 16-3A, the "District of Doom," an 11-1 record in the playoffs. The only loss was Gilmer's 45-38 setback to Argyle on Friday in Dallas. Gladewater faces undefeated Argyle in the 3A Division II Region II title at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas.

ETSN.fm/Dairy Queen 2013 Defensive Players of the Week

 

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