No. 21 Tiger Football takes on Hardin-Simmons University in the second Round of the NCAA III Football Playoffs.
TICKETING INFORMATION
Fans planning to attend this weekend's matchup should be aware that all tickets will be sold exclusively at the stadium on game day. There will be no presale and no online ticket options available.
Stadium gates will open at 10:00 AM, and fans are encouraged to arrive early to secure parking, purchase tickets, and enter the venue in a timely manner.
Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to seeing you at the game!
Ticket Prices:
$8 - General Admission
$4 - Students and Seniors
$4 - Children Ages 3-12
Free - Children Ages 2 and Under
Last Time…
The Tigers (9-1, 6-1 SAA) received a first round bye after securing an at-large bid into the playoffs. Prior to that, the Tigers closed out the regular season with an impressive 31-14 win over Maryville. Quarterback
Hondo Franklin (Allen, Texas / Lovejoy) completed 15-of-23 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown, while fellow quarterback
Collin Bishop (Childress, Texas / Childress) led the Tigers with 71 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Running back
Johnny Milo (The Woodlands, Texas / Caney Creek) gained 34 yards on 12 rushes and scored his third touchdown in the last two games.
Alejandro Tavarez (San Antonio, Texas / Johnson) finished with a team-high 88 yards receiving and a score on four catches.
TJ Scannell (San Antonio, Texas / Reagan) led the defense with 13 tackles – his second straight game in double figures – and a forced fumble.
Jaden Powell (Denton, Texas / Guyer) just missed double digits with nine stops of his own. Trinity's defense had 7.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks in the game, led by
Wakil Mateen (San Antonio, Texas / Brennan) and his 2.0 sacks for a loss of 23 yards.
Preview - Playoff Time in Texas
The Tigers will host Hardin-Simmons on Saturday, November 29th with kickoff set for noon.
On the Hardin-Simmons Cowboys: The Cowboys secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs after claiming the American Southwest Conference (ASC) championship with a 9-1 record (5-1 ASC). Their only loss came in their regular-season rematch with UMHB, a tightly contested 21-17 result. Outside of that setback, Hardin-Simmons has been one of the most dominant teams in Division III this fall, winning seven games by at least 20 points and outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 452-176. HSU features one of the nation's most balanced and productive offenses, ranking near the top of the ASC in both rushing and passing production.
The Cowboys' ground attack is powered by senior running back Noah Garcia, who has posted 888 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging well over 6.0 yards per carry. Fellow running back Braylon Henry provides an additional threat with 595 rushing yards and six touchdowns, giving HSU a reliable one-two combination in the backfield. Through the air, senior quarterback Kyle Brown has been steady and efficient for the Cowboys, throwing for 2,737 yards with 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions. His receiving corps features three wideouts with more than 500 yards, highlighted by junior Wes Douglas — the team's top target with 632 yards and seven scores.
Defensively, Hardin-Simmons leans on junior linebacker Kaiden Roden, who leads the team with 73 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss. In the secondary, safety Harrison Foster has a nose for the football, contributing two interceptions, two forced fumbles, seven pass breakups, and 69 tackles — illustrating his ability to impact all three levels of the field. On special teams, punter Kaden Turner has handled 32 punts this season, placing six inside the 20-yard line and recording five punts of 50-plus yards. Kicker Pedro Altamirano has been reliable, converting 9-of-11 field goal attempts, with his only misses coming from the 30–39-yard range.
Historically, Hardin-Simmons enters the postseason looking to end a long playoff drought, as the Cowboys have not won a playoff game since 2000 and have lost 12 straight postseason matchups, including a defeat to UMHB in the 2024 playoffs. Trinity and Hardin-Simmons last met in 2023, a game the Tigers won 20-6 in San Antonio. Despite Hardin-Simmons' 22-9-4 all-time advantage in the series, Trinity has momentum in the rivalry, winning the last two contests.
Looking Ahead
With a win, the Tigers will play the winner of Berry and LaGrange on December 6th.
