Week 8 Results 2025

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Shelton (62-7) -- Correct
--DC dominates early and has the remaining two district games at home with a chance to secure a place in the bracket on the opposite from both Lubbock Christian and Holy Cross.

Argyle Liberty Christian over  Dallas Parish Episcopal (28-56) -- Wrong
--Panthers should win District 1 and sets everyone on the path for a rematch in the playoffs.

Dallas First Baptist over San Antonio Holy Cross (34-7) -- Correct
--Saints win big as the Knights need to pick up the pieces heading into the playoffs.

Fort Worth All Saints over Lubbock Trinity Christian (38-30) -- Correct
--Saints not as dominant as I expected so a very good showing by the Lions. All Saints hosts Midland Christian for the presumptive district title next week. 

Midland Christian over Fort Worth Christian (31-24) -- Correct
--Mustangs get by the Cardinals with a big 2nd half. They'll get their shot at breaking the All Saints win streak next week in what seems like its probably the district title game.

Houston Kinkaid over Bellaire Episcopal (28-24) -- Correct
--Falcons are not locked into the SPC 4A title game, but its close. Knights have a good chance at a rematch for the title but need another win.

Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (20-27) -- Wrong
--Indians get the big rivalry win and set up a showdown with Central Texas Christian for 2nd place in District 2.

Week 8: 5-2
Season: 38-16 

Quick Hits:

Tyler All Saints over Tyler T.K. Gorman (49-12) -- Correct
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (49-35) -- Correct
Bullard Brook Hill over Arlington Grace Prep (47-21) -- Correct
Austin Regents over Austin Brentwood (49-0) -- Correct
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Second Baptist (42-10) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (51-25) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth Nolan (55-3) -- Correct
Arlington Pantego Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (26-21) -- Correct
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hill Country Christian (28-12) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Addison Greenhill (49-31) -- Correct

Week 8: 10-0
Season: 61-19 

Week 8 Picks 2025

Another week is upon us as district play ramps up across the state. The high percentage of playoff qualifiers in TAPPS can make some of the games less dramatic than they might seem, but anytime you take the field on game night in Texas its a special occasion. We have some interesting curve balls this year as the Holy Cross sanctions create a bizarre district standing in Division III District 3. The newly released brackets create even more intrigue. Should be a fun stretch run as we head toward Waco. Good luck and safe travels on the road to state.

This Week: (Season: 33-14)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Shelton -- Its the rare Chargers on Chargers matchup. This will be the 8th meeting all time between the two with DC winning the previous seven by a minimum of 38 points. The big games for Shelton are after this one. With 4 of the 5 squads in District 2 headed to the playoffs, Shelton will just need to win one of their final 3 to make the postseason. The Preston Road based Chargers had one of their best seasons a year ago winning 7 games for the first time since 2017. This season has been more of a challenge with just a 2-4 start. The Mesquite based Chargers had an up and down non-district entering this one at just 3-2, but coming off a big district opening win that included 2 safeties. Shelton looks to be better than Gorman, but this one is unlikely to be close. DC wins 50-6.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- A season ago this was the showdown of champions as the 2023 champions of Divisions I and II were matched in the same district for this biennium. In 2025, we'll settle for this being a state final rematch. The Panthers had won 5 state titles in a row before Liberty took them out twice last year, including the final game of the season. After an opening loss to All Saints, Parish has won 6 straight and is very much in the mix for the Division I crown. The Warriors lost their opening pair against top UIL squads and now have 4 straight wins themselves. Both teams are piling up points with over 40 per game. The defenses are going to decide this one but they're also going to allow some points. Last year this signaled the changing of the power in Division I as the Warriors took a win and the district title. This season it feels like a prelude to a December showdown. For this picker, the Warriors are the champs until dethroned. Liberty wins a squeaker, 43-41.

San Antonio Holy Cross vs. Dallas First Baptist @ Belton -- The clash of Division III and Division IV contenders has taken a turn with the sanctions announced against the Knights. Holy Cross is 5-2 based on game ending scores, but 1-6 in the record books. This space is not going to wade into the situation. All that matters for us is how it effects the standings and the playoffs. The Knights will almost certainly not finish 1st in District 3 and as such will wind up on the opposite side of the bracket. Though this week's game will not decide any of that since its a non-district clash. The Saints are the favorites as the defending champions in Division IV and nothing about this season has changed that. Two losses to a Division I team and an out of state team does nothing to erode the Saints chances. FBA will be looking to avenge their only loss from 2023 and 2024 and the Knights seem a little down from the last two seasons. This should be a really good game and I love that they've kept this late season neutral site game for a 2nd season. I think FBA squeaks by as the defenses rise up. Saints win, 20-18.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- The Saints opened 2024 with notable wins over Prestonwood and Parish and have not slowed down since, winning 19 in a row. All Saints filled the void of Liberty's move up a division and seem to be unstoppable. None of the remaining 4 district games look like walkovers though so we'll probably see the Saints as regulars in this space. The Lions have held a similar win pattern to a season ago, entering this one at 3-3. That squad did not get another win, finishing 3-7. This included a 43-6 drubbing by the Saints. The Lions defense may keep this one interesting for a minute, but I just don't see them having enough to keep this in range. The road trip makes it a tiny bit more interesting, but not by much. Saints win their 20th consecutive, 45-8.

Fort Worth Christian @ Midland Christian --  The Cardinals have demonstrated that they are a stronger squad than 2024. At 6-0, its clear they are in the group in closest chase of All Saints. Only a thunderstorm has kept the Cardinals under 45 points so far this year. The Mustangs were a bit of a mystery entering the district slate at 3-2 and owing to the geographic separation of their opponents. MCS completely dominated Southwest Christian in the district opener setting this up as a clear showdown game. The winner has a clear path to a top 2 finish and a home playoff game. Further, the winner will have their shot at the district crown. A season ago, MCS went to Fort Worth and took a 21-19 win to earn the 2nd place district finish. The Mustangs defense should slow the Cardinals attack more than previous opponents and with the long road trip I think this favors the Mustangs. MCS deals the Cardinals their first loss, 28-21.

Houston Kinkaid @ Bellaire Episcopal -- After 2 losses to UIL power Gunter and TAPPS contender Regents, the Falcons have 5 wins and scored 40+ in their last 4. Notably, they've dominated the SPC 4A counters and win here would almost get them a spot in the title game. The Knights are in a similar position, but already have a win over St. John's in the bag. Their remaining schedule makes it even more likely that win would put them in the top 2 of SPC 4A. The Episcopal defense should be better than the recent squads Kinkaid has seen. A season ago it was a defensive struggle as the Falcons took a 16-14 home win and then blew out the Knights in the title game. A home game makes this a better matchup for Episcopal, but this also feels like a prelude to another SPC 4A championship game as these two have contested the last 3. Kinkaid looks like the better team to me, but it should be another classic. Falcons win, 35-32.

Hallettsville Sacred Heart @ Shiner St. Paul -- Encompassing all the divisions and areas of the state we check in on the legendary South Texas clash. This will be the 66th meeting since 1971 and given the size of the two schools you wonder how long it will continue at the 11-man level. The Cardinals once won a state title from a 2-8 regular season so at 4-2 they are very dangerous in the Division IV ranks. They scored 56 points in a district opening win over Conroe Covenant and seem to be back on track. The Indians lost a district opening rock fight to Brazos Christian just 14-6. That type of defense will surely lead them to victory this week. This district looks extremely competitive but also behind FBA in the northern half of the Division. The Indians won a season ago at home, but I think the Cardinals have moved ahead and with this one at home we'll favor them. Its just 14 miles from door to door between these two and that proximity always makes for great games. Cardinals win, 30-26.

Quick Hits: (Season: 51-19)

Tyler All Saints over Tyler T.K. Gorman
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Bullard Brook Hill over Arlington Grace Prep
Austin Regents over Austin Brentwood
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Second Baptist
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth Nolan
Arlington Pantego Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hill Country Christian
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Addison Greenhill

Week 7 Results 2025

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman (60-0) -- Correct
--Chargers dominate another district game and look to be ramping up for the playoffs.

Dallas Covenant over Tyler All Saints (21-31) -- Wrong
--Surprise loss for the Knights as the Trojans move into the driver's seat for the 2nd seed in District 2.

McKinney Christian over Dallas Shelton (45-24) -- Correct
--Mustangs much improved in 2025 and should look to parlay that success into better finishes in district play starting next season.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Plano Prestonwood Christian (38-24) -- Correct
--Lions weren't run out of this one but will have work to do in a rematch. Warriors remain the champs and the favorites. 

Austin Regents over Tyler Grace Community (56-7) -- Correct
--Knights roll to another big win and 7-0. Seems to be a march to a showdown with All Saints in a likely semifinal (if we ever see a bracket). 

Bullard Brook Hill over Austin Hyde Park (14-24) -- Wrong
--After dominating Tyler Grace things seemed set up for the Guard, but the Panthers now point toward a possible district title game with Regents in Week 11.

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Frisco Legacy Christian (21-14) -- Correct
--Friars survive a road trip and solidify their place as a probably 3rd place finisher.

Week 7: 5-2
Season: 33-14 

Quick Hits:

Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (65-19) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (59-14) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Grapevine Faith Christian (49-15) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (56-14) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South (20-24) -- Wrong
The Woodlands John Cooper over Dallas St. Marks (23-13) -- Correct
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. Johns (35-21) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Episcopal School of Dallas (43-7) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Halletsville Sacred Heart (14-6) -- Correct
Shiner St. Paul over Conroe Covenant Christian (56-28) -- Correct

Week 7: 9-1
Season: 51-19 

Week 7 Picks 2025

Off to a slightly slower start on the record so far in 2025. As district play will be underway for most after this week we should start to get a clearer picture of the contenders. Wishing Good Luck and Good Weather for all as the games begin to tally in the standings.

This Week: (Season: 28-12)

Tyler T.K. Gorman @ Dallas Christian -- Anytime these two meet there is a long list of historic games we could mention. The crux of it though is that the Chargers have dominated, winning all 13 since MaxPreps started storing the scores. The Crusaders have struggled since a semifinal loss to DC in 2014, finishing above .500 just 3 times in 10 seasons. 2025 is not off to a better start with a 1-4 mark in the non-district slate. The Gorman defense has been extremely porous in recent years and this year is no different but having not allowed 50 in a game so far this season is an improvement over last season. The Chargers 2-2 mark is uncharacteristically average for the program. Neither loss was a shock but the struggles offensively at times have put pressure on the DC squad in ways that the previous four state title teams did not have to battle. All signs point to the Chargers being heavily favored here. Last season's 63-0 win in Tyler is probably the biggest evidence. DC will score early and often in this one unless the Crusaders have been hiding on us. Chargers win 54-6.

Tyler All Saints @ Dallas Covenant -- The Knights could not get the 2nd stops against the visiting Covenant Cougars last week and fell to 1-3. They did lead in a called game at the half as well. Consistent offense is the missing piece for Covenant right now. The Trojans improved greatly a season ago, winning a playoff game at New Braunfels Christian. This season is a mixed bag, posting big wins over some lesser opponents but also allowing a big number to Life Oak Cliff. If the game is high scoring that bodes well for All Saints. The Knights defense needs to improve to break into the top of Division III. I think the Knights are the better team and last year was a 43-0 win for Covenant in Tyler. The margin should be closer this year, but maybe only because the Knights struggle a little more offensively. Covenant wins 33-14.

Dallas Shelton @ McKinney Christian -- The Mustangs have struggled since reaching the state final in 2017. They've finished .500 just once since.  This has led to MCA leaving district play to contest an independent schedule this season. Of course, it appears to be their best squad since that 2017 team and they are off to a 4-1 start. The only blemish was a shocking 76-63 affair at Grace Prep. The result wasn't shocking but anytime you score 63 and lose we are going to notice. The Chargers 7 wins in 2024 was good enough for a playoff berth and one of the best seasons in program history. They should be in the running for one of the lower playoff seeds this year, but we don't know how many teams make the playoffs. TAPPS hasn't released the bracket yet. A year ago Shelton dominated the Mustangs, 61-21. The Chargers are scuffling a bit this year at just 2-3. They are also allowing a ton of points. The Mustangs appear to have improved most on offense and that bodes poorly for Shelton in this matchup. The Mustangs should turn the table at home, but we'll never know how they would have finished in District 2 this season. MCA wins 46-22.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- With three main contenders in Division I District 1 we planned to have three showdown games across the district slate. This should be one of them. Last week though introduced some confusion in the District projections. Both squads went to OT a week ago. The Warriors were playing UIL semifinalists Canyon West Plains in a back and forth affair that saw Liberty need a field goal on the final play to force OT. The Lions were playing Bishop Lynch. While Lynch is certainly no pushover, the projections certainly had Prestonwood as better squad. So we have to ask ourselves, "Is Prestonwood not as good as we thought or is Bishop Lynch better than we thought?" I just don't know. Partly because scheduling and weather quirks have the Lions with just 3 official games so far and a record of 2-1. Before last week, I would have this as a tight game. However, with what I've seen I think the Warriors are the better squad. A season ago, Liberty won in Plano 30-27. This is a tall mountain for the Lions and I just do not see them climbing it. Having said that, it does feel like a bit of a prelude to a playoff game though which side of the bracket everyone winds up on remains a mystery. Warriors win 35-18.

Tyler Grace Community @ Austin Regents -- The Cougars travel south for a difficult Thursday night test. The Knights are 6-0 and outscoring the opposition by just under 27 points per game. After allowing 41 points to Antonian in Week 3, Regents has allowed just 35 points in three weeks. Last year, Division II seemed wide open at this point of the season. All Saints filled that void and then some. Regents has been constantly in the final stages of the postseason since moving to Division II in 2012. They've only gotten across the state championship finish line once, in 2020. Notably, both squads played Brook Hill in consecutive weeks. The Cougars fell 44-10 while the Knights routed them 56-14. Where do the stops come from for Grace? The over 34 points per game allowed by the Cougars so far this season will not be enough to win this road game. Turning around last season's 42-0 shutout will be a tall task. With a Thursday game, the Knights will be one of the first in the state to reach 7-0. Regents wins 49-7.

Austin Hyde Park @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard secured that key district win over Grace last week to even their record at 1-1. With Regents already in the rear view mirror of the schedule, the path to a home playoff game seems laid out in front of Brook Hill. Just 138 points allowed in five games and 56 of those to Regents says the Guard are up to the task this season. The Brook Hill offense simply has to score more to compete in the biggest games. The Panthers will be making their first ever visit to Herrington Stadium with a chance to get in the district race if they can get to 2-0. The district opening win over Grace Prep establishes them as a strong contender below Regents and a win here would set them up for a shot at Regents. Could be a possible 5-0 vs. 5-0 showdown for Week 11. The opponents each have faced leaves so little to compare that I just don't have a strong feeling about this one so we'll go with the home team. Guard win a close one 28-27.

Dallas Bishop Lynch @ Frisco Legacy Christian -- The Friars pushed Prestonwood to OT a week ago and thus pushed their way up the projections in Division I. At just 2-3 its hard to know how good the Friars are. The win over First Baptist is a good one, but its hard to rank the Division IV squad against Division I. The depth created by the larger rosters poses a different test. They played very close games with good teams in Midland Christian and Prestonwood, but ultimately lost both. The other loss is an out-of-state opponent and the other win is over an HSAA team that just picked up their first win. The Eagles record looks better at 4-1 but they were not as impressive against HSAA as the Friars. A road win over Brook Hill is better than the Friars wins, but maybe not the losses. The Legacy defense will need to be the winning unit and with both Prestonwood and Liberty on the schedule they have their work cut out for them. I think the Friars are the better squad and after last week's visit to Prestonwood they appear unfazed by the road challenge. Bishop Lynch wins 33-21.

Quick Hits: (Season: 42-18)

Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Fort Worth Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
Fort Worth All Saints over Grapevine Faith Christian
Midland Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South
The Woodlands John Cooper over Dallas St. Marks 
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. Johns
Houston Kinkaid over Episcopal School of Dallas
Bryan Brazos Christian over Halletsville Sacred Heart
Shiner St. Paul over Conroe Covenant Christian

Week 6 Results 2025

This Week:

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Dallas Covenant School (34-22) -- Correct
--Cougars get a good road win and things point toward a showdown with Lubbock Christian. Knights with work to do, but probably still favored for a top 2 finish in District 2. 

Bullard Brook Hill over Tyler Grace Community (44-10) -- Correct
--Guard with a dominant win over their rivals and avoid the 0-2 start to district play. Cougars head into back-to-back trips to Austin on a loss.

Bellaire Episcopal over Episcopal School of Dallas (48-14) -- Correct
--Knights score early and often and demolish the Eagles. ESD just not in the running in SPC 4A it appears.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Canyon West Plains (41-35 OT) -- Correct
--Warriors fall behind, lead by double digits, and many twists and turn later have the win over the Wolves. Liberty has to be favored for a 3-peat at this point but it is closer than last year.

San Antonio Holy Cross over Boerne Geneva (46-14) -- Correct
--Knights continue to run District 3 and are squarely among the contenders in Division III.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Tulia (49-0) -- Correct
--Lions dominant as they head to the district slate next week. A interesting clash with FWC kicks things off.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Shiner St. Paul (48-14) -- Correct
--Cardinals kept it close for a while but are overrun as the game went on. Eagles trending up heading to district play.

Week 6: 7-0
Season: 28-12 

Quick Hits:

Lubbock Christian over Prosper Richland (36-33) -- Correct
New Braunfels Christian over Austin Hill Country Christian (27-33) -- Wrong
Frisco Legacy Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (53-22) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (35-28 OT) -- Correct
Grapevine Faith Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (56-7) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Austin Hyde Park (14-34) -- Wrong
Arlington Pantego Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (62-43) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Mark's (45-22) -- Correct
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Houston St. Pius X (28-21) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Central Catholic (45-3) -- Correct

Week 6: 8-2
Season: 42-18

Week 6 Picks 2025

The week before the 5 and 6 team districts kick off district play always brings many idles to the schedule. So we'll hunt for the games of note and know that the playoff deciding games are just around the corner. Speaking of the playoffs, wonder when TAPPS might release a bracket...

This Week: (Season: 21-12)

Colleyville Covenant Christian @ Dallas Covenant School -- The Covenant battle is the only game for a team in Division III District 2. The Cougars strong offensive showing against Southwest Christian provides some additional intrigue for their chances in Division III. At just 1-4 it doesn't look like the Cougars are top contender, but 48 points can not be ignored. Particularly since it came against a squad that allowed just 7 to Dallas Christian in a half. The Knights have appeared to be the team that might challenge Dallas Christian in the district slate for a few seasons now. Will this year be the time they push DC to the edge? This result will tell us a lot. Both squads were soundly defeated by FBA. Both squads have won just 1 complete game in 2025 (Covenant played only a half at John Paul II). Which teams offense of a week ago was a mirage and which was an indicator of contending status? This space leans home teams, but I think the Cougars offense is the best unit in this game and the Knight scored just 7 in last season's visit to Colleyville. Last week's performance for the Cougars is too much to ignore. So I'll take Colleyville Covenant in a high-scoring battle. Cougars win, 48-38.

Tyler Grace Community @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard were thoroughly dominated in last week's district opener at Regents. A season ago Brook Hill had the same problem, dropping the district opener and needing a rivalry win over the Cougars. They failed in that mission in 2024, falling to 0-2 to start the district slate. This led to a 4th place finish and a trip to All Saints in Round 1. The Cougars are also highly motivated to avoid that fate and having the district win over Brentwood in their pocket sets them up to almost guarantee a top 3 finish with a win this week. The Cougars won a 28-21 battle last year in Tyler. Neither offense has displayed the consistency to score repeatedly against quality teams. So a similar "tweener" score seems like the way to go here. When you don't have a strong opinion in this space, we lean home team. I look at the Cougars close defeat by FBA and think that team would win this one, but I can't see that level of production happening in Bullard. Guard win, 27-22.

Episcopal School of Dallas @ Bellaire Episcopal -- The battle of Episcopal has a different feel than a season ago. The Eagles have already secured 3 wins on the campaign, besting last season's mark. Though swapping Prestonwood for Bishop Dunne on the schedule does help that. The margin of defeat against All Saints though ballooned from 3 to 17. So its hard to say where the Eagles slot. We will find out very quickly in the opener of SPC 4A play. The Knights are just 2-3 on the season. Having narrowly survived Austin St. Michael's and suffering a defeat at The Woodlands Christian. For me that loss was a surprise and leaves SPC 4A wide open. ESD is the only squad with less than 2 losses and I just can't make them the favorite here. A season ago in Dallas, the Knights walked out with a 25-20 win. I see nothing that makes me think either team will overwhelm the other. So home team is the choice, especially given the length of the trip. Knights win, 33-27.

Canyon West Plains @ Argyle Liberty -- With so many idle weeks across the state during Week 6, it can make for some strange matchups. So the Wolves return last year's visit by Liberty to start October. The Warriors played just 1 home game in September and it was last week's domination of TCA. Liberty will have to make sure they do not look too far ahead to next week's Prestonwood showdown. The Warriors quickly dispatched the Wolves a season ago, 56-7. This year's Warriors may not be quite as good as last season's 12-1 state champions, but still have plenty of firepower. West Plains went on to run the table in district play and reach the state semifinals after getting boatraced by the Warriors. A 4-0 start to 2025 means West Plains has lost just once in its last 14 outings since that bludgeoning. So this should be closer than last year, but I think Liberty remains on top. Warriors close out an interesting one, 40-30.

San Antonio Holy Cross @ Boerne Geneva -- The Knights were undefeated heading into the state championship game in 2024. That squad seemed to be on a mission from the opening kickoff in August, and only a historic run by Dallas Christian stopped them. At the end of 2024, Holy Cross had lost just twice in their last 25 games. Both times state championship games to Dallas Christian. So entering 2025 its a long mountain to climb back to the top and they've not started with the same punch. Particularly, the loss to San Antonio Christian pointed to some things to improve for the Knights. That broke a string of 9 straight wins over the Lions. The Knights responded with 3 tidy wins to right the ship. This includes dominating New Braunfels Christian in the district opener again. The Eagles of Geneva reached a couple of title games in the last decade, but even those seasons had 4 losses. So it seems Geneva lands right in the middle of whatever pack their in. They won't be easily ousted though as many playoff opponents found out. The 4-1 start though includes 3 road wins and points to the Eagles being the Knights strongest opposition on the district schedule. That said, in 2024 it was a 61-7 win for the Knights and I don't see that margin having been cleared by the Eagles. Holy Cross wins, 42-21.

Tulia @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- The Lions had some interesting swaps in the middle of the schedule. This week they switch Merkel from 2024 for Tulia. After back-to-back shutouts Stratford knocked Trinity's record down to 2-2. Historically, Stratford has been the better team compared to Tulia. The Lions all or nothing performance on defense though will need to be more like the nothing for a win this week. The Hornets are 2-3 but played a quality group of West Texas opponents, including one literally named West Texas. Notably, both squads played Floydada this year. The Lions pitched a 33-0 shutout while the Hornets controlled the game as well, 46-14. I think both defenses will be ahead of the offenses in this one, and it should come down to who can make a late play on offense. We'll take a slugfest going to the Lions, 16-10.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ Shiner St. Paul -- The last game of the week brings in a favorite of this space. The Cardinals consistently have one of the lowest 11-man enrollments in TAPPS. The numbers game catches up to them sometimes, but they play well every year no matter the numbers. The Cardinals rank 3rd all-time with 10 championships. Including 2 in Division III when TAPPS played just 3 11-man divisions. Things seemed to be a bit low with a 10-8 win over KIPP Sunnyside and a loss to Bay Area Christian, but the Cardinals evened the record at 2-2 with dominant wins over Corpus Christi John Paul and Katy St. John XXIII. Now they move into the non-Pope category of opponents. The Eagles finally won one for the southern members of Division II, claiming the title in 2022. It seems FBCA and Second Baptist have battled forever for the District 4 crown. Last year, the pair once again split their matchups with Fort Bend taking the district title but losing the playoff game. Last season started 1-4 and this season started 1-4 so maybe the Eagles have us right where they want us. The numbers game catches up to the Cardinals late in this one. Eagles win, 35-21. 

Quick Hits: (Season: 34-16)

Lubbock Christian over Prosper Richland
New Braunfels Christian over Austin Hill Country Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Addison Trinity Christian
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Grapevine Faith Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Arlington Grace Prep over Austin Hyde Park 
Arlington Pantego Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Mark's
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Houston St. Pius X
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Central Catholic

Week 5 Results 2025

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Pittsburg (20-23 OT) -- Wrong
--Chargers struggle early and build a 17-0 deficit but climb out of it to force OT at 17-17. The Pirates had a bit more in OT and run it in for the win.

San Antonio Holy Cross over New Braunfels Christian (42-7) -- Correct
--A rocky start to the season for the Knights seems to be leveling off. The district champions of last season across Division III remain the favorites in their groups.

Lubbock Christian over New Deal (43-0) -- Correct
--Eagles dominant win might make them the current favorites in Division III.

Austin Regents over Bullard Brook Hill (56-14) -- Correct
--Knights look very good so far in 2025. They will certainly have their shot at the title holders if they keep playing this well. Guard with a lot of work to do as district play ramps up.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian (63-48) -- Correct 
--A bonkers game in Colleyville as an 8 TD game at running back was needed for the Eagles to outpace the Cougars. Maybe an interesting test for Lubbock Christian when they play the Cougars.

Houston Lutheran South over Houston St. John's (21-35) -- Wrong
--The Mavericks produce a quality road win and are right back in the mix of SPC 4A.

Houston Kinkaid over Houston Second Baptist (42-17) -- Correct
--A tough non-district has not gone well for the Eagles, but still all in front of them in the games that count. Falcons point toward a the big intra-Houston showdowns of SPC 4A.

Week 5: 5-2
Season: 21-12 

Quick Hits:

Argyle Liberty Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (63-17) -- Correct
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Frisco Legacy Christian (43-21) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (45-7) -- Correct
Stratford over Lubbock Trinity Christian (40-20) -- Correct
Wolfforth Frenship over Midland Christian (41-13) -- Correct
Austin Brentwood Christian over Tyler Grace Community (14-33) -- Wrong
Fort Worth All Saints over Vancouver (WA) Evergreen (49-21) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Dallas Bishop Dunne (56-13) -- Correcf
Houston Cypress Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman (49-14) -- Correct
Tyler All Saints over Willow Park Trinity Christian (46-3) -- Correct
New Boston over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (49-0) -- Correct
Arlington Oakridge over Houston Christian (41-27) -- Correct

Week 5: 11-1
Season: 34-16