After consecutive rallies to win playoff games, the Brenham Cubs might think they are the comeback kings.

What might the Kerrville Tivy Antlers think of that?

Right back at you.

"We are very similar teams," Brenham coach Glen West said. "It's going to be a great game, a tough game, and we understand that. You had better not leave until the final whistle blows."

Recent history would back up West. Like the Cubs, the Antlers (9-4) have shown a proclivity for pulling victory from the jaws of defeat. Unlike the Cubs (12-2), however, Tivy reached this round last year.

"They've been here," West said. "They know what it's about.

Tivy lost in the 2008 semifinal to Dayton 31-28 on a fumble return by A.J. Dugat that set up the game-winning field goal. Brenham avenged a loss to Dayton in the Class 4A Division II quarterfinals last week, denying the Antlers a chance for revenge, which likely is the last thing Tivy is worried about after opening the season with stumbles against 5A schools.

And after last week's scare.

Both teams fell behind by two touchdowns at halftime last week. Brenham trailed Dayton 14-0 but came back to win 30-24. Down 31-17 to Port Lavaca Calhoun, Tivy pitched a second-half shutout for a 38-31 victory.

Both teams used defense to secure their wins. Jeremy Hall had a clinching interception for Brenham, and James Lampson matched the feat for Tivy.

Tivy's junior quarterback Johnny Manziel also played a big role in the comeback against Calhoun, completing two 21-yard passes to Braeden White that converted a fourth down and went for the game-winning touchdown. Manziel finished 26-of-39 passing for 307 yards and two touchdowns while running for 134 yards and 2 TDs.

Brenham battled back against Dayton and took the lead after a turnover and two tackle-breaking runs from Troy Green.

It wasn't Brenham's first comeback win of the playoffs; the Cubs rallied from 21 points down at halftime to overtake Angleton the previous week. The comeback wasn't the first for Tivy in the playoffs, either. Tivy outscored Pflugerville Hendrickson 21-7 in the fourth period to win 63-56 earlier in the playoffs. Manziel ran for four touchdowns, passed for four and caught the game-winning touchdown pass on a trick play from receiver Mikhail Ironside. Manziel personally had 449 yards of total offense in that game.

"That's the way they play," West said.

Manziel has completed 201 and 322 passes for 2,634 yards with 18 touchdowns and only two interceptions this season. He has run 222 times for 1,431 yards and has 22 TDs.

"He's a terrific runner, a very smart kid and a terrific competitor," West said. "He has 2,600 passing yards and 1,300 yards rushing and didn't play in three games. They believe in him. He takes their team and puts it on his back. He makes them go, and everybody responds."

The Antlers' second-leading rusher is Sonny Guzardo, with 99 carries for 435 yards and six rushing scores.

Ironside is the top receiver, catching 74 for 947 yards and nine touchdowns. Guzardo has grabbed 37 passes for 335 yards. White has 24 receptions for 301 yards.

Despite the defensive effort in the second half against Calhoun, Tivy is allowing 30 points per game.

"In this day and age, with offenses like they are, every week is that kind of situation," West said. "They are well coached and don't make many mistakes. When they do have a mistake, they typically fix it right after that."

Brenham counters with an offense led by its own junior quarterback, Ty Schlottmann, who has almost all of the Cubs' passing yards. He has hit 156 of 265 passes for 1,926 yards, throwing 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Schlottmann has run for 493 yards

Green, the promising sophomore running back, has become the go-to rusher for Brenham. He now has 130 carries for 666 yards and 13 TDs. Terrell Reese lead a dangerous receiving corps with 53 receptions for 800 yards. He has by far the most touchdowns catching the football, with 14.

While Tivy may see the game Saturday as a chance to right a perceived injustice from last season, it is the next step in the ladder for the Cubs.

"We started talking about this in the open week before district, when we just mentioned a state championship, way out there," West explained. "Here are the steps we must take."

Each Monday when the Cubs come in for practice, they add a step to a ladder meant to keep the team focused on each individual step and not the entire climb.

"If you look up, you'll fall down, and if you look down, you'll also fall," West said. "It's almost a ceremonial thing. The kids have a copy in their locker, and they mark through that thing. It's exciting."

This step could mark the Cubs' return to the championship game, which they made in 2002. Tivy is seeking Kerrville's first final since 1936.

After back-to-back postseason comebacks, West is not worried about his team still celebrating last week's victory. The second rally made that moot. Now they know they can do it and no longer need to celebrate it.

Of course, their opponents feel the same way.

"The main worry is just trying to win, and whatever we have to do to make that happen, we want to do that," West said. "When it happened the first week, it was all the talk. Everybody wanted to talk. By having it happen two weeks in a row, we just keep playing and trying to win. And we're excited about that."

BRENHAM FOOTBALL

* Saturday's Class 4A Division II semifinal: Brenham (12-2) vs. Kerrville Tivy (9-4), 1 p.m., Georgetown

* Radio: WTAW, 1620 AM