It’s playoff time for local football teams. The 15-2ADI runners-up Shiner Comanches face Santa Maria in the bidistrict game, at 7 p.m. today ( Thursday, November 16, 2017 ) at Cotton Pickers Stadium in Robstown. The St. Paul Cardinals have a first-round bye.

Shiner Comanches vs. Santa Maria Cougars

The Comanches open the playoffs against the Santa Maria Cougars. Following their battle with Refugio, Shiner got banged up a little.

“With a short week, we have to focus on getting healed up and getting fresh,” Comanche head coach Steven Cerny said. “We are going to stick to the basics.”

The Cougars are a run-heavy Wing-T offense. “That is good for us because our defense has been playing the run very well and we have a size advantage on our defensive line,” Cerny said.

Key offensive players for the Cougars are fullback Alex Perez and halfback Ismael Rodriguez. The Cougars defense is a 2-7 but has shifted to a four-man front and the split.

“They have matched up against a lot of spread offenses,” Cerny said. “They have not played many teams that run a double-tight offense.”

The two teams last met in the playoffs in the first round in 2013 with Shiner taking a 45-14 win on its way to an appearance in the 1A Division State Title game in Arlington.