Semifinal Playoff Picks 2017

Just 12 games remain in the TAPPS 11-man season, and then we'll have to wait until August to make fun of how many TAPPS members are the Eagles. Every semifinal promises to be a great game with some matchups we expected and a couple of teams we didn't. The champions will be crowned in less 12 days. Good luck to everyone still in the running!

This Week: (Season: 73-25)

Division II

Dallas Christian vs. Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Highland Park HS -- Division II always gets top billing here because of the author's allegiances and this week is no different. The Chargers and Tigers met just 3 weeks ago in Cedar Hill with TCCH building a 27-0 lead in the 1st half, but not scoring after that and winning 27-13. That is far from all the history in this matchup. The Chargers and Tigers have met in 2 state championship games each winning one. Big district games dot the history including this year's district championship decider. Other famous games include a game-winning field goal attempt being returned the other way for a touchdown after a bad snap (a "no-kick" six if you will), sloppy games in poor conditions, and a few dumb penalties committed by both teams along the way. To this year's matchup, the Tigers have featured a balanced attack all year holding 8 of 11 opponents to 14 or fewer points and scoring 30 points in 8 of 11 games. Though DC was one of the teams to hold the Tigers under 30. The Chargers have only underwhelmed in their two losses and even the TCCH loss probably shouldn't be thought of as a terrible performance. Among the Chargers 9 wins the double victories over FWC are the most impressive. How the FWC defense allowed just 94 points in the regular season and then allowed 80 in 2 playoff games we'll have to wonder, but some credit to the Charger offense seems appropriate. There is really not much between these two, as evidenced by a 13 point game the first time around. Both teams controlled Faith. The Tigers did it on the road while the Chargers did it at home. Both ran the district schedule. The Tigers were more impressive over Grace while DC was more impressive (at least defensively) over TKG. The picks of this author are hopefully clear after enough weeks, but this should be a great game on the field (on the sidelines and in the stands I'm less sure). Chargers squeak by 26-23.

Austin Regents vs. Austin Hyde Park @ House Park -- Historic House Park hosts this rematch from Week 11. House Park opened in 1939 and is also the subject of a famous Austin flooding picture. The Knights and Panthers schools are located just under 30 miles from one another with Regents currently holding Mopac supremacy after a 26-7 win to close the regular season. The Knights allowed just 14 points in November and only 2 opponents all season reached 20 (and one of those was the Panthers...the Parish Panthers...close enough). Hyde Park has been a middle rung team for the last several years. Making the playoffs every season, but not really being considered a contender since 2013, when curiously they beat Regents 21-0 in a playoff game at House Park. They seemed destined for a similar position when they lost to Shiner St. Paul early in the season, but rebounded to hold 7 or 8 remaining opponents to 10 or less. Thought the Knights were the ones to score more than 10. Regents for the 2nd straight year has delivered on expectations and sometimes that's a bigger challenge than being an underdog. All signs point to a defensive struggle but the weather should be nice and I think both teams may have better offensive plans this time around. The Knights pull out a win despite giving up their most points in a month. Regents wins 35-28.

Division I

Dallas Bishop Lynch vs. Houston St. Pius X @ Georgetown -- The Friars are the defending state champion and have been a top title contender for the entire season. We've been seemingly marching to a Bishop Lynch-FW All Saints showdown for the title, but the Panthers will be staunch opposition. The only loss between these two is by Pius to the other favorite in the division, All Saints, and Pius had to play the game after 2 weeks off. In the Panthers 11 games, they've scored less than 49 only twice. Once in the loss to All Saints and then in last week's win over Bishop Dunne. The Friars have probably played the tougher overall schedule just because of the depth of District 1 and as such has not been as dominant offensively as the Panthers. However, the Friar defense has seen just 87 points scored against it all season. No one has reached 20. If anyone will it will be Pius or All Saints, but I think the Friars defense proves too much this week. The Panthers will not get blown out by any means, but I believe will struggle to score enough to win. Bishop Lynch wins 27-20. (Panthers win if they get to 30)

Fort Worth All Saints vs. Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Birdville FAAC -- The Saints entry into TAPPS has been as powerful as expected while the Lions have been a top team but also not the offensive juggernaut they have been in the recent past. The only losses between these are both by the Lions to two teams playing in these semifinals. These two opened the season in Plano with a shootout won by the Saints 61-50. St. Pius X is the only other Saints opponent to reach 30 let alone the lofty heights of half-a-hundred. The Lions have been much more reliant on their defense than previous seasons. It took 8 games after the opener against All Saints for the Lions to allow 61 points total after the Saints posted that number in one game. I would expect the defenses to be in better shape to produce a lower scoring contest than that Week 1 meeting. The Saints appear to have the better offensive attack and the better wins on the season. Having beaten Prestonwood and St. Pius looks better on the resume than Episcopal or St. Thomas. Fortunately, this one will not be decided by a committee looking at resumes. I'll take the Saints to outlast the Lions defense. All Saints wins 35-20.

Division III

Lubbock Christian vs. McKinney Christian @ McMurry University -- The Eagles have been a frequent visitor to the playoff and eliminated Shelton for the 2nd straight year last week. The Mustangs have been a program on the rise but dropped 3 games this season before finding their stride against the many Trinity's in the playoffs. McKinney Christian is somewhat unique in semifinalist in that they do not have a ton of points or a stellar defense that their results point to. The defense has not been bad by any means, but they've also seen their share of big numbers put up against them. Lubbock Christian had a stretch of defensive dominance but it appears to have come against inferior opposition. There are several common opponents on the schedules. The Eagles bested Shelton in the playoff while the Mustangs fell short by 3 points. Both teams defeated Willow Park Trinity. MCA by 11 and LCS by just 6. They both played similar games defeating Lubbock Trinity. I'm really not sure what to toss between them. Based on their scores expect the game to see around 25 points for both and be close at the end. The author picks against the Eagles when stuck on the facts. Mustangs win 27-25.

Boerne Geneva vs. Houston Cypress Christian @ Elgin HS -- The Eagles entry to 11-man has been mostly successful, having lost just 3 games in the last 2 seasons. One to perennial small-school power Shiner St. Paul and one to last year's champion Northland. Geneva was a 6-man contender before that. The Warriors success is notable each season they've been in Division III. They've also lost just 3 games in the last 2 seasons. One to Division II contender Regents and also one to last year's champion Northland. Cypress was eliminated by Reicher by just 4 points a year ago. This Division III bracket is wide open after the elimination of Reicher and Colleyville Covenant falling to Division IV. The Warriors offense is a dominant unit, scoring at least 30 in every game since the season opener against Regents. The Eagles have only been held under 30 twice on the year. Once in the loss to St. Paul and also in a game against Austin Savio. I doubt either defense is a slouch, but the offenses look to be the deciders of this one. Geneva's victory over Reicher makes me think they have a slight edge. Eagles take this one 42-28.

Division IV

Colleyville Covenant Christian vs. Dallas First Baptist Academy @ Prestonwood -- These two matched up in Dallas back in Week 3 with Covenant taking a 66-44 victory. The Saints will attempt to celebrate the opening of their new building with a spot in the state title game. The process has been non-linear for FBA as the school has evolved. A 14-0 season and a state title in 2013 gave way to some good years and then a couple of lean years. They've rebounded from a 1-4 start to roll out of 6 of 7 once district play began. The only loss was to DIII semifinalist McKinney Christian. In contrast to most semifinals these two share 8 losses on the year. The Cougars only loss on the season to Division III competition was to Shelton and the Saints put 76 on the same squad. The Saints have struggled defensively at times this season allowing over 30 points on 6 occasions. The Cougars have done so just 3 times and only once to a DIII opponent. Notably, that was to the Saints. By this time of the season, the defenses should be better positioned to make life difficult for the offenses, but this still looks to be high scoring. The rematch often takes a very different feel than the first game. I think one team will put a gap on the other early and then hold on in the 2nd half. Depth is always a factor in these smaller divisions. I'll take FBA to turn the tables and win 36-26.

Bryan Brazos Christian vs. The Woodlands Legacy Prep @ Brenham HS -- The Eagles stunned this author and many followers of TAPPS football by taking down the heavy favorite in the Division, Shiner St. Paul. They also did this in dominant fashion winning 40-14. There was little talk of Brazos' title chances and now they sit just one win from the title game. Beating St. Paul has to turn some heads. The Lions have been on alert all year, playing 0 non-district games. The only loss came to DIII semifinalist Cypress Christian. Legacy does not have the dominant unit many deep playoff teams have. The offense only scored 40 twice in 10 games and the defense held just 3 teams under 10 points on the season. The Eagles scored 40 in 6 games this season but held just 1 opponent under 10. I may be overly impressed with the St. Paul win, but I have to take Brazos in this one. Eagles win 42-28.

Quick Hits finishes the year at 101-29.

Regional Playoff Picks 2017

Round 2 is here with plenty of drama. As they say, there are no turkeys left after Thanksgiving. Some rematches to add intrigue to the slate. Will we see a big upset or just continue the march to the expected?

This Week: (Season: 69-23)

Division II

Fort Worth Christian vs. Dallas Christian @ Burleson HS -- The longtime rivals rematch a Week 3 game in which the Chargers raced to a 19-0 lead in North Richland Hills before the Cardinals defense clamped down and the offense nearly caught the Chargers losing only 19-14. Since then the 19 points allowed was the most scored on the Cardinals until last week's playoff opener. T.K. Gorman notched 21 in the first quarter but had no answers for the Cardinals on offense as they ran away to a 56-35 win. Does that performance show some weakness in the FWC defense? Maybe just an aberration, but DC did hold the same TKG offense to just 13 in Tyler. The Chargers have had some up and down moments. Largely being dominated by TCCH in the first half before holding them to 0 points in the 2nd half. Last week the defense completely controlled Grapevine Faith, but the offense had moments of difficulty. I'm not sure any result here would really surprise me. The Cardinals offense could erupt for 40+. Both defenses could control the other and find a low scoring game. Maybe a DC offensive outburst would surprise, but they did put a number of TKG much like FWC. Common opponents are T.K. Gorman, which DC defeated 50-13 and FWC defeated 56-35, and Grapevine Faith, who DC beat 29-0 and FWC beat 38-13. The number of times these two have flipped results in a rematch probably shouldn't be ignored either. Hopefully, we understand by now who the author is picking. DC wins a tight one 22-20.

Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill vs. Midland Christian @ Jim Ned HS -- For two schools that have played relatively few times it feels like there is plenty of history to fall back on. The 2008 TCCH win in Brownwood is a virtual legend at this point. MCS took apart the Tigers in a 1st round game in the Tall City in 2011. The Tigers have been an incredible force offensively scoring 70 against Southwest last week and with a 60-0 road blowout of Tyler Grace to their credit. The defense is certainly no slouch. Holding playoff teams Tyler Grace, DC, Southwest, and Faith to just 36 points combined. The 33 put up by TKG is the season high for a TAPPS school but probably shouldn't be worried about since the offense was marching up and down the field on the way to 75. If a couple of injured players come back for the Mustangs it could tip the balance in the game. It might also make no difference. The Mustangs are always going to be a tough out. The form of the early season would have the Mustangs in position to win this one, but I think there are just too many obstacles to overcome. Tigers defense will keep things in check and guide them to victory. TCCH wins 28-10.

Austin Regents vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ Buda HS -- The Knights and the Knights hook up for seemingly the 100th time in the last 5 years. Earlier this year Regents shutout Holy Cross, scoring a 21-0 win. This result is typical for the two as Regents tossed 4 shutouts in district play and Holy Cross reached 23 points just once in the district schedule. Holy Cross has dropped 4 in a row to Regents since a 30 point win in 2014. The 24 points that St. Mary's scored on Regents might have been causing for alarm but they immediately followed that with showings of 0, 7, and 7. Holy Cross scored the only road playoff win in the division at Westbury last week. In their 3 losses, they've scored 0, 6, and 9. 22 would have won their first meeting and if the Regents defense slips up they could be in trouble. I think this comes down to if Holy Cross can score 20. If they do they win. I don't think they will though. Regents heads to the semis 22-7.

Houston Second Baptist vs. Austin Hyde Park Baptist @ Brenham HS -- The Eagles were an expected member of the final 8 going into the year and delivered on their district title. The Panthers were an expected playoff team, but I think most projections would have them behind Holy Cross. A testament to the good year Hyde Park is having. The Panthers dropped the District Championship game to Regents but prior to that had rolled off 5 in a row. We should also mention Shiner St. Paul's impressive non-district win here. The Eagles are a regular visitor to this round and are also the last school South of the I-20 corridor to win a title in the 2nd largest division. After a 0-3 start left us thinking this might be the year they are pushed from the top in District 4, the Eagles won 7 in a row to reach round 2. Second Baptist has secured 3 shutouts in 4 weeks since Lutheran South posted 37. That type of defense should best the Panthers, but Hyde Park is likely the best opponent in that stretch. In common, both teams lost to Regents. Hyde Park went down 26-7 and Second Baptist 21-10. The Eagles defeated CC John Paul 26-7 and the Panthers bested them 32-3. This shapes up to be a close one. Eagles get a rematch with Regents and win 29-22.

Division I

Fort Worth All Saints over Brownsville St. Joseph @ SA Central Catholic -- The Saints first foray into TAPPS has been dominant for the most part. They've won every game by at least 11 and 7 of 10 by 23 or more. The Bloodhounds have been on the uptick in recent years, reaching the 2nd round for the 2nd straight season having lost to MCS by just 7 the year before. The teams met just 3 weeks ago in a Saints 42-8 victory. Despite having the far superior mascot, St. Joesph's path to victory appears very narrow and uphill. Seeing them again it will probably be closer than a 34 point margin, but I can't see the Bloodhounds getting over the top. All Saints jogs away 44-13.

Houston St. Pius X vs. Bishop Dunne @ Temple HS -- Probably the feature game of the week, rematching last year's semifinal that ended in a 21-18 Falcon victory. That doesn't begin to tell the story of that game, scroll back on the message board and look for a locked thread if you're interested. Dunne won 38-21 in the semis in 2015 as well. This Panthers team looks to be the best they've had in that time. This is just the 10th game for St. Pius after Harvey did a number on the schedule, and the only defeat is by 12 to All Saints. Dunne dropped 4 on the season but avenged one with last week's shutout of Liberty. The Falcons have regained form since being demolished by Bishop Lynch to open district play and I'm sure will be looking for a chance to avenge that loss. The Panthers are certainly no the team to look past. Outside of the 2 out of state opponents when the Falcons held the opponent to 17 or less they won and when they didn't they lost. Panthers will score but I think Dunne gets them again. Falcons sneak by, 28-22.

Quick Hits: (Season: 95-25)

Bishop Lynch over Parish Episcopal
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Trinity Christian - Addison
Lubbock Christian over Dallas Shelton School
Willow Park Trinity Christian over McKinney Christian
Waco Reicher Catholic over Boerne Geneva
Houston Cypress Christian over Austin Brentwood Christian
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Muenster Sacred Heart
Fort Worth Temple Christian over Dallas First Baptist Academy
Shiner St. Paul over Bryan Brazos Christian
The Woodlands Legacy Preparatory Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart

Area Playoff Picks 2017

Welcome back to the playoffs everyone. The opening round features some intriguing matchups, including district rematches and playoff rematches from a season ago. Will anyone look beyond their opening opponent to a more anticipated matchup and find themselves on the wrong end of a road steal? Someone will get a surprising upset. Who will it be?

This Week: (Season: 61-22, 4 more wins but 5 more losses than a year ago)

Division II Playoff Preview

Grapevine Faith Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers return to the field after a sterling 2nd half defensive effort, but TCCH had done enough in the 1st half to break the Chargers 24 game district win streak. The Lions saw Southwest score a ton of points but scored a ton themselves to get an 8 point victory. The Lions defense will need to be better to secure a road win in this one. Holding MCS to just 24 points suggests they can be. Last year's OT classic in Round 2 saw the Lions score a 6 point win and then win 2 more to take the title. It has been a much different season for Faith losing 4 times. Though they have seemed to find their offensive stride the last two weeks, amassing 122 points. DC regressed from a 10-0 regular season to a 7-2 campaign. The Chargers have struggled to score against the top tier opponents. Scoring just 14, 10, and 19 against TCCH, All Saints, and FWC respectively. Though they did secure a road victory over FWC. The only common opponent is those FWC Cardinals. DC earned a 19-14 victory despite not scoring in the 2nd half. Faith fell 38-13 at home. It has been a long time since that DC-FWC game back on September 15th though. If Faith can score like they have the last two weeks the Chargers will likely struggle to keep up. Expect the DC defense to continue its form from the 2nd half in Cedar Hill and for the Chargers to prevail in a lower scoring duel. Chargers win 28-15.

Tyler T.K. Gorman @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals have rolled off 8 in a row since a 19-14 loss to DC in Week 3. The dominance of their defense has been well chronicled in this space. Only 5 of 10 opponents reached double digits and no one reached 20. The Cardinals have surrendered just 13 touchdowns for the season while oddly not recording a shutout after Week 1. A few opponents might fall on the weaker side of the spectrum but its hard to pick nits at a 35 point win in Midland. MCS may be a bit beat up, but going to Tall City and dominating will catch anyone's eye. The Crusaders first 6 games appeared to show they had fixed previous year's defensive issues. Then the meat of the schedule with DC, Grace, and TCCH hit and TKG finished on three losses allowing at least 45 in all 3. Given those numbers, it's hard to see where the Crusaders find the defense to slow an FWC team that put 42 on MCS and scored at least 38 or more in each of 9 wins this year. Further, given the offenses track record against the DC team that beat FWC where will the Crusaders find enough points to outrun the Cardinals. Somebody will get the upset this week but I can't see it being TKG. Cardinals win 42-19.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill -- The Tigers are riding high after taking down DC for the district title. An undefeated district campaign places great expectations on the Tigers playoff success. The possible matchup with MCS next week is quite juicy, but there is a hurdle to clear first. The Eagles have been steadily improving the last 3 seasons, adding to their win total each year. The blowouts have also been less pronounced, and the offense put up 48 against Faith last week. They will need all of those points in Cedar Hill on Friday. This is the type of matchup that I wonder why teams are so willing to just play Friday night. I might try to get the Tigers off rhythm with a Saturday or Thursday game but that's just me. How will the Eagles outscore a Tigers team that allowed just 14 to Faith when the Southwest held them to just 56? A series of turnover and special teams gaffes might keep this one tight, but even then I think the Tigers would win. TCCH sees Midland in the crosshairs and wins 42-7.

Tyler Grace Community @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs appeared to be the top of the heap after beating Brock in the non-district and being in the game with FW All Saints until the late stages. Then the injury bug struck and things got a bit dicey. Last week's district championship 35 point loss will definitely sting the Mustangs. The Cougars enter on a 4 game win streak after starting the season 1-5 and taking a 60 point drubbing at home against TCCH. The Cougar offense refound itself scoring 45 or more in all 4 wins. The Mustang defense will be the best of the bunch, but signs of a chance for the road tripping Cougars. If MCS returns to some version of health they should take this win at home, but a window exists for Grace. If the Cougars get into the 40s I don't see MCS catching them given the struggles of late. However, I don't see Grace getting to 40 against the Mustangs. MCS takes this one and finds a bit of their swagger, winning 38-13.

Houston Lutheran South @ Austin Regents -- The Knights return to the postseason after failing on an OT 2-point conversion that would have claimed the first state title in Division II (or its 4A predecessor) for a school South of Waco since Second Baptist in 2000. Another dominant regular season saw 10 wins for Regents and another district title. The Pioneers enter after having one of the more remarkable seasons you'll see. Starting with a flooded school and still getting 4 wins and a playoff spot is a testament to their hard work. The Pioneers also played Second Baptist to a 5 point game scoring 37 points. The Knight amassed just 21 against the same Second Baptist squad. The Knights defense will make this a tough road for Lutheran South. Regents recorded 4 shutouts on the season and saw just 2 opponents reach 20, and still beat one of them by 41. The challenges for the Pioneers are many and they'll give this one a good battle, but Regents will be too much. Knights win 35-7.

San Antonio Holy Cross vs. Houston Westbury Christian @ Houston Baptist University -- The longtime basketball playing Wildcats worked their way to a home game in football. They find regular district contender Holy Cross in their way. The Knights recorded 5 shutouts among their 7 victories but scored just 6 points combined in their defeats against Regents and Hyde Park. The Holy Cross offense has only crossed 30 in 2 games and managed only 17 against Cornerstone who failed to win a district game. Holding the Wildcat offense at bay is key to the Knights chances. The Wildcats have made the playoffs for a 2nd straight season. A first for the school since at least 2004. Westbury is a team with a chance for a couple of wins here having lost to Second Baptist by just 6. The Wildcats have recorded 4 shutouts themselves and won every game they held the opposition under 20 points. The Knights struggled on offense and performance on defense this season points to a low scoring battle here. Hopefully, no one needs any bandages from the nearby CVS. Wildcats prevail at home for their first playoff win since at least 2004, winning 16-10.

San Antonio St. Mary's Hall @ Houston Second Baptist -- The Eagles win District 4 for the 2nd year in a row and will certainly have their eye on a deep playoff run. A rematch with Regents who bested them earlier in the season would be the goal for the Eagles. Two non-trivial hurdles must be cleared first. The Second Baptist offense has not been as potent as recent seasons. A 0-3 start was followed by a 6 game win streak as some form returned. Still, just 31 and 28 put up against the non-playoff teams in the district leaves some mystery to the Eagles game. The Barons are a relative newcomer to the TAPPS scene and had some attention when they started 3-0 this year. They really never achieved that form in district play falling to the top 3 teams by margins of 18, 27, and 41. They did score 24 against Regents, the most allowed by them all season. This is a hard game to get a good read on so I'll just have to go on preseason expectations and figure the Eagles are superior to District 3 other than Regents. Second Baptist wins 35-17.

Corpus Christi John Paul II @ Austin Hyde Park Baptist -- The Panthers exceeded expectations rattling off 5 wins after losing to Shiner St. Paul. Just another notch in the Shiner St. Paul wall. In 5 district wins the Panthers allowed no more than 10 points in a game. The Centurions (excellent choice by the way) reached 6 wins for the first time since 2011 and the playoffs for the first since 2012. The 22 game losing streak ending in 2015 seems far away this year. The 55-37 victory over Lutheran South announced their intention to be a player this season. The 54 points posted by 1-win St. Joeseph is a definite cause for alarm though. The Panthers posted 26 on the scoreboard in every game except against Regents. The Hyde Park offense at The Quarries should be too much for the Centurions to handle. Panthers win 42-12.

So for all my talk of there being a big upset, I picked all home teams. So that finishes the D2 playoff preview. So I bring you the 4th annual rundown of the playoff teams. The vinyl "Beat the Eagles" sign not as useful this year with one fewer in the bracket. Good luck on the road to State to 2 newcomers, the Centurions, and the Barons, but also to 2 Eagles, 2 Knights, the Lions, the Panthers, the Cougars, the Cardinals, the Tigers, the Mustangs, the Wildcats, the Crusaders, and the Pioneers and of course the Chargers!

Additional Picks

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Bishop Dunne -- The Falcons have had an up and down season, including a home loss to Liberty as recently as Week 10. Dunne parlayed a 5 win season a year ago into the state championship appearance, and find themselves with 5 wins again this year. The Warriors defense has given notice all year. Holding longtime power Celina to 9, Prestonwood to 14 and Lynch to just 7. Liberty won just 1 of those games though seeking a 10-9 victory over Celina. The 33 points the Warriors posted against Dunne is the most they scored against a non-JP2 opponent this year and the Falcons posted as many as any non-Gilmer opponent (after I predicted a 15-10 game of course). If the Falcon offense produces something akin to the 56 they put on Parish or the 34 they put on Nolan they should win this one. I can't see Liberty producing 33 again on the road, but I could see them holding the Falcons to far less than the 26 they scored two weeks ago. Someone forces a late turnover that wins this one. I'll take Liberty to get the bounce and win 14-7. (There's my road upset pick, knew I'd find one)

Texas School for the Deaf @ Austin Brentwood Christian -- Our smaller school pick this week visits the home of the Bears and the two Austin schools not in a district with one another. It has been a breakout season for the Bears winning 8 games after winning 8 combined in their first 2 seasons of varsity football. The results are a bit all over the place though for Brentwood. Scoring just 14 against a weak TMI squad (winning by just 2) and battling the presumptive favorite Shiner St. Paul to a 20-14 loss. The Rangers have had an up and down 5-5 season that included two 1 point losses. The upper crust of Division III this season in Reicher and Shelton controlled the Rangers from the outset. Central Texas Christian provides a common data point to look at with TSD dropping a 15-14 decision while the Bears defeated the same squad by 20. Brentwood takes this one, 39-20.

Quick Hits: (Season: 87-23, one game worse than last year)

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Beaumont Kelly
San Antonio Central Catholic over Dallas Parish Episcopal
Houston St. Pius X over San Antonio Antonian
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Houston St. Thomas
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Trinity Christian - Addison
Brownsville St. Joseph over Plano John Paul II
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Nolan
Dallas Shelton over Pasadena First Baptist
Temple Central Texas Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Waco Reicher over Tomball Rosehill Christian

Week 11 Picks 2017

Big games to close the season. A few head for basketball on Monday while we march to the playoffs.

This Week: (Season: 56-19)

Dallas Christian @ Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill -- The Chargers and Tigers have played many big games through the years. 3 state championship games, multiple games with district title implications, and a few basketball games for kicks. This might enter the lore with both teams largely untested in district play so far. The Tigers have rung up big numbers on the scoreboard. TCCH has been held under 30 by only Division I St. Thomas (still a win for the Tigers) and UIL power Brock. The DC defense has been more than enough to win, but also has not had the dominant performance since the FWC game in Week 3. Now as FWC has piled up points and victories holding them to 14 looks better and better. The Tigers defense tossed 2 shutouts before TKG scored 33. The Tigers still won that one by 40+ though. This is a big task for DC to go on the road and get the Tigers. I think both teams have not seen offenses as good as each other since FWC and Brock. This makes me lean to an offensive show. The big turnover, special teams gaffe, or other sudden change, will decide this one I think. How that ball bounces leaves plenty of doubt in who wins this one. There is of course far less doubt about who will be picked to win by the committee of one. Chargers win 41-36.

Fort Worth Christian @ Midland Christian -- The Cardinals and Mustangs meet in the Basin to decide the District 1 title. Last season the Mustangs appeared well on their way to another district title playing the Cardinals who had been dominated by Faith earlier in the season. The Cardinals took a 35-34 off the Mustangs in North Richland Hills and still went on the road as the 3rd seeded team. This year the home game is already assured for both and the arrows point in opposite directions. The Mustangs have been bitten by the injury bug and while still posting easy wins over Legacy and Southwest, the Cardinals victories appeared to be much easier. Now basing too much on blowout margins is foolish, and that ride to near Odessa is not the easiest. MCS has held just one team under 10 points on the year. Now that game is the best win in the division, over Brock in Week 2. FWC has held 6 opponents to 10 or less and no one has scored more than 19 on the Cardinals. Expect plenty of fight from the Mustangs and close battle to the end. The offensive injuries to the Mustangs help keep the scoring low in this contest. Mustangs squeak it out at home 21-20.

Brook Hill @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cougars were in great peril at 1-5 to start the season. Now playing DC and TCCH to open district certainly contributed. The Guard has been up and down but really struggled offensively against the class of the district. Scoring just 17 points the last 3 weeks combined. The Cougar defense should provide a softer challenge than DC or TCCH. Just 3 scored against TKG has to be much more concerning given Grace racked up 45 last week against the same squad. The Guard needs a win by 12 to secure a playoff spot. Both teams appear to have some defensive issues, but Grace at home should secure just enough stops to win this one and secure 3rd place. Cougars win 40-30.

Grapevine Faith Christian @ Fort Worth Southwest Christian -- The Lions took the state title last season but will start the playoffs on the road this time around. A year ago, I would say the Eagles had no chance of springing an upset. Now, I still don't like Southwest's chances but the margin is narrower. The Eagles have continued to dominate Division III opposition this year but struggle against Division II foes. Last week FWC boat raced the Eagles by 50. The Lions held the Cardinals to a tamer 38 but also were not about to take the victory. The Eagles should keep this one interesting at home, and the winner avoids the DC-TCCH winner in round 1. Lions slide by into 3rd place with a win, 38-19.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- I hyped the Warriors defense as best in the division and they responded by seeing Dunne score more than they did against Prestonwood and Lynch combined. However, the Liberty offense turned up at the right moment and won a big road game. Interestingly, a win for the Warriors and no John Paul shocker would actually send the Vikings right back to Argyle for a rematch in round 1. Based on the adding of the game in MaxPreps already for Dunne and All Saints perhaps the tiebreakers already have this as a certainty. The Vikings have lacked that signature victory. They dominated John Paul and Parish, but just squeaked by TCA and didn't threaten the powers of Prestonwood or Lynch. Holding Lynch to 7 still strikes me as evidence that the Liberty defense will surge through the Vikings here. I assume 4warriors is predicting a 3 TD Nolan victory, but I'll take the Warriors at home in the first 4 rounds of this 8 round fight. Liberty wins 21-3.

Austin Hyde Park @ Austin Regents -- The Panthers invade the pitch at Regents looking for a 2nd upset in as many weeks. After losing to Shiner St. Paul I had penciled Hyde Park into 3rd behind the usual pair of Regents and Holy Cross. These Knights would appear to be a tall order for Hyde Park, but after scoring 31 points against Holy Cross the Panthers definitely announced themselves as a candidate. The most points scored on Holy Cross all season. Regents have looked the class of the district all season after reaching the state title game last year. The last regular season loss for the Knight was to Hyde Park back in Week 6 of 2015. Given the strength of the two defenses as two score lead may put this one on ice either way. I expect the Knights to control the Panthers offense, but not a foregone conclusion at all. Knights win 24-7.

Houston St. Pius X @ Houston St. Thomas -- The Panthers and Eagles meet in their much-hyped matchup every season. Many times the district title rests in the balance and a 3-way split is still possible with an Eagles upset. The St. Pius offense kept them in the game against All Saints, while the St. Thomas defense has come up small much of the year. All 7 Eagle opponents thus far have scored at least 21. Both teams struggled with Concordia's offense allowing 80 points between them. The Panthers offense had enough to push by the Crusaders, but the Eagles were unable to freak their way past Concordia. A loss here for St. Thomas sends them to Prestonwood to open the playoffs while 2nd place Concordia would get to host TCA. Even beyond the usual rivalry, the stakes are high. Will the Eagles freak out again? Is the Pius defense better than the 42 posted by Concordia? I'll go with neither but Pius still takes the district title. Panthers win 50-38.

Division V Championship: El Paso Cathedral vs. Houston Village School @ Waco? (You'd think finding the location of this game would be easy) -- A rematch of last year's first-ever Division V Championship for this year's last-ever Division V Championship. 7 victories on the year for the Vikings including last week's semifinal win over Savio. The Fighting Irish have found the win column just 5 times but crushed Tyler All Saints last week to reach the title game. The 5 Cathedral victories have seen the Irish allow just 14 points at most while opponents in the 4 losses have scored at least 21 each. 3 of the 4 scored at least 39 each. The Cathedral offense will likely need a few points to secure victory, and the Vikings have surrendered a few this season. This figures to be a close game. I think closer than last season's 37-14 victory for the Fighting Irish. Village unable to quite close the gap though and Cathedral wins 35-23.

Quick Hits: (Season: 78-22)

Bishop Lynch over Parish Episcopal
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Trinity Christian - Addison
Brownsville St. Joseph over San Antonio Antonian
Houston Second Baptist over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian
Houston Westbury Christian over Houston Lutheran South
Shiner St. Paul over San Marcos Academy
Fort Worth Temple Christian over Arlington Grace Prep
Sherman Texoma Christian over Gainesville Lone Star North
Dallas Shelton School over Dallas Covenant School
Frisco Legacy over Carrollton Prince of Peace

Week 10 Picks 2017

This Week: (Season: 52-15)

Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Tigers are rolling into this one heading for the district showdown with DC next week. Not the shortest of road trips out to Brook Hill, but shouldn't be too much to overcome. The Tigers have been scoring all of the points in district play with a low output of 48 thus far. Having just scored 75 against TKG last week and knowing that the Guard managed just 3 against the same TKG team this one does not look promising for the Orange and Blue. The Guard will likely have their own big game against Tyler Grace next week to decide 4th. A huge home upset would put them right in the middle of things, but I can't see them slowing the Tigers to any real effect. I think they can hold them under Grace's 60, but Tigers win this one big. TCCH wins 50-7.

Tyler Grace Community @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- The Cougars have had a tough season and road upset would almost certainly put them in the playoffs. A loss and they'll have to play for 4th next week. The Crusaders started 6-0 before DC and TCCH combined to put up 125 points in the last two weeks. TKG can secure a minimum of 3rd place with a win to close out its regular season. Until the last 2 blowout defeats the Crusaders appeared to have turned around previous seasons defensive struggles allowing just 125 points in 6 wins. Then the meat of the district schedule hit and it did not go well. The Cougars defense does not appear to pack the punch of DC or TCCH so I expect TKG to score quite a few in this one. Will the better defense return for the home finale? I think somewhere in the middle, but enough Crusader points to win at home. TKG wins 42-20.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals have been rolling since a home loss to DC in game #2. Racking up 48 points in 5 in a row before a slight decrease of 38 last week against Grapevine Faith. FWC has allowed 2 TDs or more in just 3 of 8 games, and in one of those, the defense pitched a 2nd half shutout. 19 is the highest score anyone has reached against the defenders from North Richland Hills. The trend has clearly been up for the Eagles in recent seasons. The 6 wins already this year is the most for Southwest since 2008. The Eagles did not embarrass themselves against Midland Christian but also were not about to win the game at any point, but also have not been shutout since 2015 despite a tough district slate. How will the defense hold up against a Cardinals offense that has been scoring at will in its last 6? FWC scores too many to be caught at home. Cardinals win 41-16.

Midland Christian @ Frisco Legacy Christian -- Some might ask why I include certain games in this section? The reason is I know the most about the Division II teams and particularly those in Districts 1 and 2, so pretty much all those district games make the list. I usually try to talk up the matchup here too. I just don't see how the Eagles are going to hold up to the challenge posed by the Mustangs. FWC scored 50 in the first half against the Eagles. Its a long trip to Frisco from the Basin, but that rarely fazes the Mustangs. MCS scored 55 last year in Midland and despite injuries is a heavy favorite here. The Eagles were the victims of John Paul's broken losing streak and have only found the win column twice on the season. Legacy I'm sure looking forward to its pseudo bowl game at the Star in Frisco next week. MCS runs away 55-6.

Grapevine Faith Christian @ Rice -- The defending state champion Lions find themselves locked into finishing no better than 3rd and heading on the road for round 1. A 4-4 campaign has seen Faith struggle to score points at times reaching just 14 and 13 in two district losses. The Lions defense gave them a chance against MCS holding the Mustangs to just 24 points. The Bulldogs (I was hoping for a more interesting mascot from a town called Rice), have shown great offensive prowess scoring at least 47 in each of their last 5. No common opponents to draw much from for this one, but I think the Lions defense is a better unit than many featured in that streak. However, I think the firepower proves too much. Lions not quite able to keep pace on the road. Rice wins 42-30.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Bishop Dunne -- The Warriors defense continues to impress allowing just 7 last week to current district frontrunner Bishop Lynch. Unfortunately for Liberty, the offense has not been able to produce performances enough to capture victory against a top opponent. The Falcons really took it on the chin at Bishop Lynch to open district play in September. They responded with impressive wins over TCA and Nolan. Much like Liberty, Dunne could not manage much offensively against Prestonwood. The two teams in this one combined to allow just 36 points to the Lions but managed to score just 6 between them. After holding Lynch to just 7 but not finding the end zone themselves, the Warriors would appear a possibility for a road let down here. However, I think the Liberty defense is a candidate for the best in TAPPS and should keep them in every game (except Gilmer I guess). If you're betting on this one, the under is the play (but don't bet on high-school sports). Dunne squeaks by at home 15-10.

Bishop Lynch @ Fort Worth Nolan -- The Vikings have been struggling to have that big season since Dunne emerged as a top contender. In some ways, Nolan and Dunne switched places in the District 1 pecking order. If they don't wind up 4th or 5th the Vikings will be a handful for a District 2 or 3 team in the playoffs. Nolan returns to action after besting TCA last week just 14-6, which is high scoring next to Liberty-Lynch. An upset here could vault Nolan to a chance at 3rd place with a likely defensive battle with Liberty on deck in Week 11. The Friars have controlled the district all season. Opening with a notable win at historic power Texas High and then really announcing themselves with a 41 point victory over Bishop Dunne. The Friars are allowing an average of just 6 points per game in district play and that number drops to just 4.25 points per game for all 8 games this season. I don't see how the Vikings can find enough points to take this one, maybe Michael is saving some to deploy when needed. Friars control the game on defense and win 33-6

San Antonio Holy Cross @ Austin Hyde Park -- The Knights travel to the Quarries for the last before the Austin schools separate to their own district in realignment. Holy Cross defense has carried the day this season, pitching 4 shutouts and holding 6 of 8 opponents to 10 or less. Those games account for the Knights' 6 wins. Even in the 2 losses, Holy Cross has allowed just 45 points total. The Panthers found their stride once they hit district play, securing a quality victory over St. Mary's Hall to start district and consolidating that with 3 more victories. A win here would set up a Week 11 match with Regents for the district crown. On the one hand, the Knights dominated San Antonio Christian while Hyde Park posted a more modest result. The roles flip when looking at St. Mary's Hall. I think the swing is around 25 points in this one. If Hyde Park can get there I think they win. If the Panthers are stuck well under that number like many Holy Cross opponents then the Knights will prevail. I'll take the Holy Cross defense to hold up. Knights win 21-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 70-20)

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Plano John Paul II
Trinity Christian - Addison over Parish Episcopal
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Houston St. Thomas
San Antonio St. Mary's Hall over Austin St. Michael's
Austin Regents over San Antonio Christian
Corpus Christi John Paul II over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Westbury Christian
Houston Lutheran South over Victoria St. Joseph
Division V Semifinals
El Paso Cathedral over Tyler All Saints
Houston Village School over Austin St. Dominic Savio

Week 9 Picks 2017

Now that the big realignment dominos have fallen (well in a few hours when most people read this), let's get back to football. District races begin to solidify and some final showdowns will be set up by this week's results. Which one of these picks will be the one to break the streak of 35 in a row? Someone snags a big win this week for sure.

This Week: (Season: 44-14)

Bullard Brook Hill @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers really distanced themselves in the 2nd half at TKG and this is the last obstacle in the way before a Week 11 game with TCCH. The Guard has had an up and down 3-3 campaign thus far and are a bit tough to figure out. On the one hand, the defense has appeared to be a competitive unit including 2 shutouts, holding a potent TKG offense to 28, and Mt. Vernon to just 21. The trouble has been some of those defensive outings have been backed by offensive performances of just 3 and 6. The Charger defense held TKG last week to just 13, its hard to see where the points are going to come from for Brook Hill. Football is curious sometimes though and strange things can happen. The Guard are responsible for the last district loss for DC, 22 wins ago. Chargers offense is just too much here. DC wins 42-13.

Tyler T.K. Gorman @ Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill -- The Crusaders did not look good defensively in allowing 50 to DC last week. This comes after showing their best defensive teams in a decade in a 6-0 start to the year. The odd TKG schedule sees this as just their 2nd road game. The Tigers announced themselves early with a road win over Grapevine Faith and have only solidified that status with a win over Houston St. Thomas and a huge blowout at Tyler Grace. If the TKG defense is closer to the one they showed in the lead up to the DC game they will have a chance to keep this one tight. If their defense is the one DC scored at will against in route to 50 then the Tigers will do the same. The Tigers have only been held under 30 by St. Thomas and Brock. TCCH may not quite be ready to challenge for the state title, but we won't really know that until they matchup in November. Not enough defense for the Crusaders to take the road challenge. Tigers win 40-21.

Carrollton Prince of Peace @ Tyler Grace Community -- It has been a disappointing season for the Cougars as they've found the win column only 2 times thus far and finally return to district play after the 60-0 drubbing put on them by TCCH. The Eagles promising non-district wins have given way to the typical struggles in the district campaign. Unable to repeat the Brook Hill victory from a year ago, this is the last shot at a district win for the Eagles. The dropped schedule of All Saints and the already scheduled district bye in Week 11 makes this the last chance at getting rid of that 0. The Cougars offense has not had the same punch as recent seasons in the important district games. A loss here would appear to make it nearly impossible to reach the postseason and it will already be very difficult to not finish 4th and draw the District 1 champion in Round 1. At times the Cougars offense has shown signs of past glories, such as 47 against state-ranked Malakoff and 42 against Waskom. However, the bagel against TCCH and slog to 17 at DC leave a bad taste. The Eagles have scored just 22 points in their last 5 games and it appears unlikely they can challenge Grace on the road here. Cougars win 42-8.

Midland Christian @ Wall -- The Mustangs take a holiday from district play for a match with the undefeated Hawks. Wall has dropped 78 and 64 on their opponents in their most recent outings and sets up a stiff test for MCS. The Hawks entered last year's game with 2 losses before falling to the Mustangs 41-36. This Hawks squad appears to be a step better and the game is in Wall this season. The Mustangs appear to be up a notch too making for an intriguing pairing. The Mustangs have started a bit slow in their last two district games and such a start might be fatal to their chances this week. The MCS defense has only allowed more than 30 twice on the season, once in week 1 and once to FW All Saints who we expect to be right in the mix in Division I. If the MCS defense is up to the task I think the Mustangs will get to their usual 25 to 30 points. I think the Hawks just edge them at home, winning 35-29.

Fort Worth Christian @ Grapevine Faith Christian -- The Cardinals enjoyed a week off from district play by dominating Greenhill 57-7. The Lions thoroughly controlled a matchup with Legacy last week but were not as dominant as FWC had been the week before. A home game for Faith is critical here as they risk losing both games within the presumed top 3. An FWC win would almost certainly set up a district title game with MCS to close the season and relegate Faith to a Round 1 road trip. The Lions offense has struggled thus far against better opposition and managed at most 21 in their 3 losses. Getting back to the state title game would start with this win for Faith. The Cardinals have scored more than 40 in all 6 wins but managed just 14 in the loss to DC. That's where this game bends for me. If FWC can get to 30 they win. If they are stuck around 20 by Faith they're beatable. I'll take the Cardinals offense in a close one. FWC wins 31-28.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Fort Worth Southwest Christian -- Another battle of Eagles will likely decide 4th place and the final playoff spot in District 1. The Southwest Eagles have looked much better on the season so far with a 5-2 mark compared with Legacy's 2-5 record. This is a challenging choice with the relative lack of common opponents. Southwest did down Colleyville Covenant 37-7 while Legacy went down 22-16 in their matchup. Legacy has allowed 102 points in two district losses to Faith and FWC but did look more competitive against Faith after going down 40 in the 1st half at FWC. Especially at home, with the Eagles (Legacy) making the long (by DFW standards) trip, Eagles (Southwest) win 40-20.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Bishop Lynch -- The Friars have controlled the district and division after losing Week 10 last year to Nolan. Including a dominant blowout of Bishop Dunne and much closer but still impressive defeat of Prestonwood, Lynch has run off 12 in a row dating back to last season's title. The Warriors defense has been among the best in the district, and maybe the top unit in the district holding 5 of their 7 opponents to 14 or fewer points. The 26 surrendered to a struggling Parish squad is not the best omen for taking on this group of Friars. All signs continue to point to an All Saints-Lynch showdown, but there are many hurdles left for both. The Warriors defense will keep this one interesting for most, but Lynch pulls away in the 2nd half. Friars win 31-7.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Bishop Dunne -- The Falcons have rebounded well after the blowout loss to Lynch, rolling off 3 district wins in a row. The winner here has a clear inside track to 2nd place and staying far away from the 4th place prize of hosting FW All Saints. Its a different season than normal for the Lions. Not to say their offense is anemic by any means, but the defense has carried the day thus far. The offense has struggled at times with only 14 and 13 against Liberty and Lynch. The defense has allowed just 33 points in their last 5 games. FW All Saints scored over half of all points the Lions have allowed this season. Dunne has allowed just 35 points in 3 district games since the Bishop Lynch debacle. The defenses should carry the day here and expect a big turnover and defensive score to turn the game. Falcons sneak by at home 24-21.

Shiner St. Paul @ Hallettsville Sacred Heart -- The last two Division IV champions (5 years between them) match up in a big district showdown. The Cardinals have run out to a 7-0 start including close wins over Geneva and Brentwood. The Indians have struggled to a 2-5 start and have struggled offensively, including being shut out twice and managing just 14, 14, and 17 in their other 3 losses. The St. Paul defense is not the unit you want to see when needing to find your offensive stride. Only likely Division II playoff team has scored more than 17 on the Cardinals all year. Expect the small school that can to move to 8-0 this week. Cardinals win 35-7.

Quick Hits: (Season: 63-16)

Fort Worth Nolan over Trinity Christian - Addison
Parish Episcopal over Plano John Paul II
Houston St. Pius X over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
San Antonio Central Catholic over Brownsville St. Joseph
Austin Hyde Park over San Antonio Christian
Austin Regents over San Antonio St. Mary's Hall
Houston Lutheran South over Corpus Christi John Paul II
Dallas Shelton over Dallas First Baptist
Flower Mound Coram Deo over Colleyville Covenant Christian
Austin Brentwood Christian over Schertz John Paul II
Waco Reicher over Bryan Brazos Christian

Week 8 Picks 2017

The picks column briefly considered retirement after last week's 18-0 performance, but the tens of readers cannot be let down. Next week we'll stir the pot with realignment talk and the district standings will begin to solidify as we had to the playoffs. As always, feel free to chime in with your own thoughts. See you all on the road to basketball season...

This Week: (Season: 36-14)

Dallas Christian @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- The Chargers pounded Prince of Peace last week to regain their footing in district play. The Crusaders have reached this one undefeated. DC and TKG have met numerous times on the gridiron going back to before the creation of TAPS. Games played in near monsoon conditions, scoreless games to the final 6 minutes, various tales of field conditions on both sides of various match-ups, OT battles, 96-yard punts in playoff games. There are more stories than I can mention here. What tale will we tell about this game? The Crusader defense seems to have finally made the step forward to keep up with their offense though there are still signs of weakness. The Chargers defense did not rise to the occasion against All Saints and though TKG may not be as difficult a task they provide a stern test nonetheless. The 1st half Chargers that jumped to leads against Grace and @FWC should be enough to win this one, but they probably need to not see the 2nd half Chargers that saw the lead @FWC nearly evaporate and somewhat oozed through the later stages against Grace. If the Crusaders can score into the 30s here it will be a tough road to Tyler for the Chargers. DC is able to hold them off though and wins 31-21.

Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Carrollton Prince of Peace -- The Tigers have moved up to #2 in the TAPPS Coaches' Poll edging past DC and appear to be a strong contender for a deep playoff run. The two big matchups with DC and TKG loom ahead on the district schedule for TCCH. The Eagles took an early deficit against DC last week and never approached recovering. The Eagles have simply not yet been able to raise their level to the standards of District 2 on a consistent basis. Upset wins have been snagged on occasion and likely will be again, but a path that leads to the Tigers dropping 60 and a shutout at Grace and then backing that with a loss to Prince of Peace seems very unlikely. If the Eagles turn the ball over it could be a big number for the Tigers. TCCH wins easily, 62-6.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs continue to point to toward a big December and see a visit from another Eagles. MCS did not look as dominant as we might have expected in last week's road test at Grapevine Faith. However, district games on the road always provide some unique challenges and frequently lead to closer games. Maybe some dents in the Mustang armor, but still plenty of firepower for the Mustangs going the rest of the way. The Eagles have definitely been on the uptick and a 5-1 start to the season is no exception. However, this matchup sees their first game against a Division II for this season. In their 4 game winning streak, the Eagles have allowed just 21 points to 4 Division III opponents. They will need to be every bit that good and more to do the same to the Mustangs. The Mustang defense should continue its good form after hold Faith to just 7 points in each half last week. MCS wins handily, 48-12.

Fort Worth Christian @ Dallas Greenhill School -- The Cardinals scored early and often in their district-opening win over Frisco Legacy. The Hornets should provide a slightly tougher test but are tricky to place with only playing 6 SPC opponents so far. Greenhill dropped a decision against Trinity Valley who had lost earlier in the year to Southwest Christian. The pecking order I believe to be established in District 1 where FWC, MCS, and Faith are clearly separated from Legacy and Southwest leads me to think the Cardinals are well ahead of the Hornets on paper. Both teams played FW Country Day earlier this season. FWC was not challenged in a 41-0 victory and Greenhill handled them easily with a 31-7 win. The Cardinals offense has scored at least 41 in their 5 wins and just 14 in their lone loss. A similar output to the wins should lead to a clear victory here. FWC wins 42-16.

San Antonio Holy Cross @ Austin Regents -- The rare game between teams with the same mascot and it's not the Eagles. The Regents Knights have won 19 in a row in the regular season and are working a streak of 2 shutouts and allowing just 32 points in their last 4 games combined. Holy Cross was the ruler of the District 3 roost before Regents current run began. These Knights have long been defensive stalwarts and this season is no different. In their 6-1 start, the Holy Cross Knights have not allowed 11 points in a game and have pitched 4 shutouts. Some alarm might have been triggered by only scoring 17 points against Cornerstone but then were erased with a 43-0 shutout of San Antonio Christian last week. So neither team has allowed a point in October. The relatively recent rise of Regents in the classification means these two have only met 6 times previously with the road team winning the 5 regular season games. Regents won the last two meetings including last year's semifinal. The defenses should carry the day here, and don't expect either team to run away. Regents win 22-10.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions fell in a big road matchup with Bishop Lynch last week and have had some uncharacteristicc struggles on offense this season. Scoring just 14 and 13 in district games with BL and Liberty. To compare the Lions scored 57 and 45 in those matchups last year. How do we then adjust expectations for this game against the Vikings? Prestonwood took down Nolan 54-36 last year. The Vikings have looked good on offense against the lower portion of the district, against JP2 and Parish. They've also struggled to slow Prestonwood in recent meetings. The Lions should find enough of a stride at home to take this one but expect the Vikings to hang around a while. I'd say 3 Lion turnovers would make this one tight to the end. I do not think it will happen though. Lions win at home 45-20.

Bishop Dunne @ Parish Episcopal -- The Falcons returned from their massive defeat against Lynch too dominate TCA last week. The Panthers have struggled all year but showed signs of progress dropping only a 5 point decision against Liberty last week. The Parish defense has not been up to the standard of District 1 so far allowing 129 points in 3 district games. The Falcons may be finding their stride after some out of state opponents and that awful showing against Bishop Lynch. The Parish offense will need to show a form it has not shown against TAPPS opposition this year to win this one. Maybe a little blue field magic will bring this one closer, but I think the Falcons run away with this one. Dunne wins 49-13.

Sherman Texoma Christian vs. Dallas Shelton School @ Plano John Paul II -- The Chargers earn their spot in the picks with a 5-0 start for the first time in program history and the first 5 game win streak in program history. The Eagles (another one) are new to the 11-man football scene in just their 2nd district campaign after a long run as a Fall Soccer power. Texoma has matched last year's win total with a 4-1 start. Interestingly, the Eagles defeated First Baptist last year and then took a 39 point defeat last week from First Baptist for their first loss this year. The Eagles have nursed home a couple of victories against Division V opponents and may not be up to Shelton's level for this one. The Chargers have won some close ones but ran away with a victory over the newly named Lone Star North (formerly Gainesville State School) with 47 points last week. Chargers run away again winning 42-12.

Quick Hits: (Season: 54-16)

Argyle Liberty Christian over Trinity Christian - Addison
Bishop Lynch over Plano John Paul II
Grapevine Faith Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
Austin Hyde Park over San Antonio Cornerstone
San Antonio St. Mary's Hall over San Antonio Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South
Waco Reicher over Marble Falls Faith
Flower Mound Coram Deo over Arlington Pantego Christian
Shiner St. Paul over San Antonio St. Gerard
Boerne Geneva over Austin Brentwood Christian

Week 7 Picks 2017

Just 2 weeks from realignment and all but the smallest Division I districts reach district play. The common opponents will start to pile up and we'll know more in a couple of weeks. Good luck and safe travels!

This Week: (Season: 28-14)

Carrollton Prince of Peace @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers return to district play after being defeated soundly by All Saints. The TCCH domination of Tyler Grace takes a bit of shine off the district-opening win for DC. The DC vs. TCCH matchup waits until Week 11 so both teams will be looking to pile up wins and not need a win that night to secure a playoff spot. The Eagles were shutout last week against Brook Hill to start district play at 0-2. Prince of Peace had scored a big upset in that game a year ago. The DC defense has been able to control district opponents during the current district winning streak. In their last 14 district games, TCCH reached the highest score for any district opponent last year with 27. They lost the game by 35. It seems incredibly unlikely that the POP offense will be the team to put up bunches of points on the road at DC. There's always room for the unexpected, but I don't see it here. Chargers win 42-6.

Tyler T.K. Gorman @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Crusaders see their first road game of the season in Week 7 after a 5-0 start. The Guard has had an up and down 2-2 start, but against opposition that is difficult to match-up to TKG's opposition. Its unclear to this point if Brook Hill will be a team fighting for 1st or fighting for 4th in district play. The 43 points allowed to Houston St. John's is probably most concerning for the Guard defense, but holding a 6-0 Mt. Vernon squad to just 21 suggests Brook Hill is far from playing with an empty deck. The Crusaders have been much better defensively than in recent seasons. Last year TKG allowed 213 points in their first 5 games. This year just 125 against the same 5 opponents. The usually strong Crusader offense is back though maybe not on 91 point form from a year ago. Gorman squeaks by a game Brook Hill squad, 42-30.

Tyler Grace Community @ Irving Cistercian -- The Cougars have to still be feeling the sting of the 60 spot put on them in a home district game and heading to a 1-5 start to the season. A somewhat lengthy trip (at least for us non-west Texas folk) awaits them to visit the Hawks. Cistercian has started 5-1 against mostly SPC opposition holding 4 of 6 opponents to under 20 points. The Cougars nearly took down a state-ranked Malakoff squad before falling behind DC and then being dominated by TCCH. The Hawks have wins against teams that are probably behind the likes of Malakoff but the size of defeat by TCCH leaves many questions about Grace and Cistercian seems a possibility to be able to capitalize on those deficiencies, particularly at home. I think the Cougars sneak this one out though. Just enough offense to win, 30-27.

Midland Christian @ Grapevine Faith Christian -- The Mustangs favored status was further cemented with last week's dominant victory for All Saints at DC. Earlier MCS took down a Brock squad that went on to beat both Faith and TCCH in consecutive weeks. The Mustang defense appears to be a tall order for the Lions to overcome. MCS held Brock to just 9 points and next week they put up 42 on the Lions. This one goes a long way to determining who is in the top 2 of District 1 and Faith gets both MCS and FWC at home. Faith has not appeared to be quite up to the standard of last year's state championship team. Mustangs overpower the Lions 42-20.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals have dropped only the DC game entering district play. The Eagles have really struggled in the past 3 seasons after losing close games to seemingly the entirety of District 2 in 2014. A road game at FWC does not look like the ideal place to try to get on track. The Cardinals 4 wins have not come against the strongest of opposition it appears, but FWC will undoubtedly be in the mix come November. I just can not see where the struggling Legacy offense finds much of the end zone in this one. Cardinals run away 40-12.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Bishop Lynch -- The big game of the week in District 1. After the Friars pounded Bishop Dunne this was known to be the next big task for Lynch. The Friars have not lost since Week 10 last year to FW Nolan. The Lions have looked its usual dominant self on offense but perhaps hasn't shown the strongest defense, but also have only allowed 7 points in the last three games. So perhaps the Lions have turned a corner there. Lynch played a surprisingly low scoring game against TCA last week maybe indicating the first sign of weakness. The Friars would be in a prime position for the top playoff spot with wins over Dunne and Prestonwood in their pocket. If the Lions can score in the 40s I think they will upset the Friars. However, I think Lynch will hold them in check. Friars win 35-21.

Boerne Geneva @ San Antonio St. Gerard -- The Eagles at 4-1 enter off their loss to small school juggernaut Shiner St. Paul. Last year Geneva upset St. Paul on their way to a 9-1 regular season. The Royals finished 1-9 a year ago and have historically struggled to raise their game to match the quality opposition. Already 2 wins this season for St. Gerard and a much better showing defensively against Sacred Heart than in the past. The Eagles will still be too much for the Royals to overcome, but expect St. Gerard to hold them below last year's 47 point total. Geneva wins 35-8.

San Antonio Christian vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ Harlandale Memorial Stadium -- With Regents off last week, Holy Cross positioned itself at 2-0 and a logical contender for 2nd in District 3. The Knights need this one to set up a battle with Regents next week for the driver's seat in the southern half of Division II. Regents appears to be the class of the district but the Lions have reached 2-0 as well. Neither the Lions nor their opponents have scored 30 yet this season and the Knights have done so only once. Expect the defenses to carry the day, and Holy Cross has allowed just 26 points in 6 games. Knights slide by in a trench battle, 17-6. 

Quick Hits: (Season: 44-16)

Bishop Dunne over Trinity Christian - Addison 
Argyle Liberty Christian over Parish Episcopal
Fort Worth Nolan over Plano John Paul II
Austin Regents over San Antonio Cornerstone
Houston Lutheran South over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian
Fort Worth All Saints over Pearland Shadow Creek
Flower Mound Coram Deo over Arlington Grace Prep
Waco Reicher over Central Texas Christian
Shiner St. Paul over Schertz John Paul II
Tyler All Saints over Irving The Highlands

Week 6 Picks 2017

Another week of district play will undoubtedly see a few blowouts and a few barnburners. The downhill stretch run starts next week. Who will position themselves to lead the pack into the final run to the playoffs? The picks are surging after an undefeated week in the top section in Week 5.

This Week: (Season: 25-10)

Fort Worth All Saints @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers took a big victory 35-17 to open district play against Tyler Grace. The loss of Tyler All Saints from the district slate opens up this slot on the schedule to slide in a different All Saints. The Saints have staked their claim to a de facto District title by beating Prestonwood, TCA, and Nolan to open the season. Bishop Lynch will have plenty to say about that in the playoffs, but backing those wins up with a victory at Midland Christian certainly stamps All Saints as a Division I contender. The Charger defense is where they have won games in recent years, and last week's early stops put Grace in a hole, and then they never led in the game. The lead is critical for the Chargers in this one. The Saints offense is likely to score more than a few every time they take the field, averaging 47 points a game. Trying to run them down from behind seems to be a fool's errand. The author of the picks has a reputation to uphold. Chargers win 42-39.

Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cougars took a tough road loss to open district play at DC last week. The Tigers sat on a bye before opening district play this week. The Cougars defense has struggled so far this season in Grace's 1-4 start allowing 28 in every game and more than 42 in weeks 2 through 4. The Tigers promising start hit a bit of a bump with a loss to Brock. Early returns suggested some offensive prowess that last year's 5th place squad did not possess. All signs point to a high scoring contest. An 0-2 start for Grace would put them in a tight spot to stay out the possible 4th place trip to Midland or in danger of missing the playoffs entirely. There is probably more on the line for the Cougars in this one, and the game is in Tyler. I'll take Grace 42-39.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Carrollton Prince of Peace -- The Eagles were not able to stick with TKG as they did last year but played reasonably well in 2 non-district wins. The Guard had an up and down 2-2 non-district slate to lead into their district opener. An 0-2 start for POP would make it very difficult for them to reach the playoffs with DC and TCCH still to play. Brook Hill scored 40+ in its two wins and 21 or less in the two losses. The Eagles rushing attack makes the lead critical to success or failure for both them and their opponents. Will the Guard be able to squash the Eagles rally early or will the Eagles hold the Guard offense in check as they did a year ago? Brook Hill managed just 7 points in last year's home defeat but still reached the playoffs. If the Guard score 30 in this one, they win easily. If the Eagles keep them in range, they will probably surprise us again as they did last year. Brook Hill finds its offensive stroke and wins 38-16.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Bishop Dunne -- The Falcons took their worst defeat since a shutout playoff loss in 2013 last week at Bishop Lynch. The Vikings are off to a better start than recent seasons including a dominant victory over Parish Episcopal last week. Nolan's defense allowed just 15 points in their two wins but 108 in their two losses. Can the Vikings hold the Falcons in check the way Lynch did? Unlikely that the Nolan defense is up to that standard. A win here for Nolan would get them a 2-0 start in district and a home game with JP2 next week. A prime playoff seeding seems to await the winner with Lynch already out of Dunne's way and Nolan poised for a 3-0 start. The Dunne offense I think responds at home following last weeks drubbing. Falcons win 35-20.

Parish Episcopal @ Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions offense was held to just 14 points by a potent Liberty defense to open district play. This after non-district outings of scoring 50, 48, and 41. The 50 came against All Saints who we feel is a definite contender for the title while the jury may still be out on Liberty. The Panthers defense allowed 45 to Nolan in last week's road defeat. Two road games provide a tough start to any district schedule, but even more so in District 1. The Panther's offense is going to have to be much better to outpace Prestonwood. Replicating Liberty's defensive performance in Plano would appear to be too difficult a task for Parish. Prestonwood runs away with this one 42-7.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Willow Park Trinity Christian -- The Lions have begun to make inroads on the football scene after years of basketball prowess. A strong early defensive showing before last week's loss to Lubbock Christian indicates the strength for Lubbock. The Eagles of Parker County dominated Lake Country to open district play and look again to be one to figure into the late playoff picture in Divisions III or IV. Willow Park's offense has scored at least 46 in 4 of 5 outings. I do not think the Lions defense has reached the heights needed to take this road challenge. Eagles win 43-14.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Austin St. Dominic Savio -- The Legacy Eagles travel to Division V opponent Savio after starting 1-3. The three losses have come by just 14 points though. The Savio Eagles (really people stop choosing Eagles for the mascot) opened 0-3 including two losses to Division III opponents. Both teams have been unable to produce significant offensive outputs except for their blowout wins. Neither has appeared to be a sieve defensively, and that makes this for an intriguing pairing. Legacy needs to show some signs of improvement to find a district win and a playoff spot, while Savio needs to score some wildcard points to reach the Division V playoffs. Savio takes this one at home 22-20.

Quick Hits: (Season: 37-13)

Fort Worth Christian over TACA
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Colleyville Covenant
San Antonio St. Mary's over Austin Hyde Park
Argyle Liberty Christian over Plano John Paul II
Bishop Lynch over Trinity Christian - Addison
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day
Houston Christian over Episcopal School of Dallas
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Houston Lutheran South
Austin Brentwood Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Houston Northland Christian over The Woodlands Christian

Week 5 Picks 2017

This Week: (Season: 18-10)

Tyler Grace Community @ Dallas Christian -- The district opener for both teams for a 2nd straight season. When the schedules were drawn before last season, I think both schools (and maybe the rest of the district too) knew that we would find out quite a bit very quickly in the district campaign. Last year's 26-24 victory for the Chargers sprung them to an undefeated district schedule while also indicating the Cougar defense had improved, ultimately getting them over the 1st round hump in the playoffs (and a near Homer Call of the Year win). This year Grace dropped a much closer contest with Malakoff than a year ago. Does this point to a further improved Grace squad? The Chargers' win at FWC points to the usual contender status, but the other games tell us very little about what the season might hold. If the DC defense can remain the strength it has been for the past decade, then the Cougars will have to produce a special effort to steal a victory on the opening night of the renovated Wheeler Field. Could they? Absolutely. Will they? I think we all know where this space leans toward. Chargers secure an early district win 30-24.

Carrollton Prince of Peace @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- The Crusaders have reached 4-0 and are yet another team attempting to claim favored status in District 2. The Eagles have struggled in Division II, but also scored a win over Brook Hill last season and tied their high of 5 wins since joining Division II. Prince of Peace played TKG to a 6 point defeat in Carrollton last season and was within stinking distance of a huge upset. The other question is when do the Crusaders play a road game? The answer is not until Week 7 after opening with 5 home games and a bye week. TKG has turned around multiple results already this season compared to a year ago. No need for the 91 points to get past Ore City since the Crusaders held them to 64 fewer points than last season. The improved defense for TKG should lead to a handy victory. Crusaders win 49-16.

Prestonwood Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The odd case of the Liberty Christian Warriors has continued into this season. Last year the Warriors opened 0-4 and few signs pointed to a big year. I suppose a first round exit isn't a big year, but after the start to roll of 5 of 6 in one of the toughest top to bottom districts around and wind up as the district runner-up is quite the turnaround. This year they opened with 2 wins, though a big loss to Gilmer last time out dampens the mood. Not that losing to Gilmer means you're a bad team because Gilmer is really good, but you'd like to be closer than 60-7 going into the bye week. The Lions ran into the unstoppable force that was Bishop Lynch in last year's playoffs after dominating the district schedule. Prestonwood dominated Liberty last year 57-20 in Plano. The Warrior defense appears to have more to offer than they did last year, but Prestonwood still should have the depth to control this one. No easy road wins in District 1 though. Lions win 40-18.

Bishop Dunne @ Bishop Lynch -- A rematch of the state title game from last December heads to Ferguson Rd. The Falcons have started 1-1 with two out of state opponents that we know to be good, but also are difficult to compare with the District 1 teams. Dunne lost to Fayetteville last year in Dallas but won two weeks ago in Arkansas. Does this indicate the Falcons are better than last year's 5th place district finish (that they parlayed into the semis)? The Friars are off to a big 3-0 start allowing just 14 points in 3 games. The nature of the opponents (all UIL schools) makes comparing the Friar offense to the Falcon defense a murky proposition. I think the Falcon's struggle to score on the road, but its tight to the end. Lynch wins 28-14.

Fort Worth Temple Christian @ Fort Worth Southwest Christian -- The author likes to make fun of how many schools use Eagles for a mascot, so here we are with a battle of Eagles. Temple and Southwest both enter at 3-1 looking to head into district play on a high note. Southwest putting a 37 point beating on Temple last year and Temple went on to the Division IV semis. Southwest has made progress in the last couple seasons but still has a lot of ground to cover to match the top three of District 1. The Southwest Christian Eagles should be able to take this one on depth. Southwest wins 42-20.

Pearland Shadow Creek @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs had an uneven start to last season and then seemed to right themselves with a win in greater Houston over this Shadow Creek squad. The Sharks enter their second year of varsity play having lost just 2 games a year ago. 2-0 for Shadow Creek at the start of this season with 1 score victories over Marshall and Kinkaid. The challenge of the unknown makes picks a challenge here, but I do not think the Sharks have improved much on last year and the Mustangs appear to have improved quite a bit though could not get past All Saints last week. Mustangs swim past the Sharks 42-14.

Shiner St. Paul @ Austin Brentwood Christian -- The Cardinals continue to play well and continue to be featured here. The Bears make their first appearance in the picks after starting 4-0 in their 3rd season of varsity football and turning around last year's result against TMI. To stay in this one the Bears will need something more like the 39 and 41 scored in weeks 2 and 3 and less like the 14 put up last week. The Cardinals took down Division II playoff team Hyde Park last week and have opened the season 3-0. Always a tough nut for any Division III school to crack, the Cardinals have scored at least 34 in each of three outings this season and 10 games overall going back to last season. The Bears would definately announce themselves as a D3 contender with a win here, but I think will fall to the Division IV favorite Cardinals. St. Paul wins 42-19.

Quick Hits: (Season: 29-11)

Fort Worth Nolan over Parish Episcopal
Trinity Christian - Addison over Plano John Paul II
Fort Worth Christian over Whitesboro
Austin Regents over Austin St. Michael's
Shelton over Arlington Grace Prep
Houston Second Baptist over Katy St. John XXIII
Fort Bend Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian
Lubbock Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
Waco Reicher over Tolar
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian

I did this last year so I thought I would again. Full district predictions. Please ignore if they turn out badly :)

Division I
District 1 - 1) Dunne 2) Prestonwood 3) Lynch 4) TCA 5) Parish 6) Nolan 7) Liberty 8) John Paul II
District 2 - 1) Brownsville St. Joseph 2) Central 3) Antonian
District 3 - 1) St. Pius 2) Concordia 3) St. Thomas 4) Kelly
Independent - 1) FW All Saints (transitive District 1 champ probably)

Division II
District 1 - 1) MCS 2) Faith 3) FWC 4) Southwest 5) Legacy
District 2 - 1) DC 2) TCCH 3) TKG 4) Grace 5) Brook Hill 6) Prince of Peace
District 3 - 1) Regents 2) St. Mary's 3) Holy Cross 4) Hyde Park 5) St. Michael's 6) SA Christian 7) SA Cornerstone
District 4 - 1) 2nd Baptist 2) Lutheran South 3) Fort Bend 4) Westbury 5) CC John Paul 6)  Victoria St. Joseph

Division III Pretty much guessing
District 1 - 1) WP Trinity 2) FW Lake Country 3) Lubbock Chr. 4) Lubbock Trinity 5) Sacred Heart 6) FW Calvary 7) San Jacinto
District 2 - 1) FW Temple 2) Colleyville Covenant 3) Coram Deo 4) Grace Prep 5) Fellowship 6) Pantego
District 3 - 1) McKinney Chr. 2) Shelton  3) Texoma 4) 1st Baptist 5) Dallas Covenant 6) Gainesville State
District 4 - 1) Reicher 2) Brazos Chr. 3) Bryan St. Joseph 4) Marble Falls Faith 5) TSD 6) Central Texas
District 5 - 1) St. Paul 2) Geneva 3) Brentwood 4) St. Gerard 5) Hallettsville SH 6) Schertz JP2 7) San Marcos
District 6 - 1) Cypress 2) Beaumont Legacy 3) Woodlands Legacy 4) Bay Area 5) Northland 6) Rosehill 7) Woodlands Chr. 8) Pasadena 1st 9) Lutheran North 10) Logos

Week 4 Picks 2017

We're just one week away from much of district play. A couple of big ones this week, with some big-name opponents matching up with other teams from the same district for us to compare. Who will surprise? Who will disappoint? Will the picks be able to continue their rebound after improving last week?

This Week: (Season: 13-8)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Gateway Charter -- This game probably shouldn't get top billing, but the rules are the rules. The Chargers built a 3 score lead on the road against rival Fort Worth Christian and then held on for a 19-14 victory. We'll be able to match that one up to Faith and MCS meetings with the Cardinals later in the season. The defense provided the key stops early and late as has been typical for the Chargers in notable wins. When the opponents reach 25, the Chargers have just 4 wins in the last 4 seasons and only 2 in that span (curiously Lutheran South twice) when the opponent reaches 30. Not to say DC has been poor on offense, but the defense has been the unit to secure the big wins (except against Lutheran South). The Gators enter at 1-2 including a loss to D3 competitor FW Temple Christian. The Chargers took this one 57-8 a year ago, and even on the road, this one shouldn't be close. Chargers muzzle the Gators 56-7.

Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Brock -- The Tigers are off to a big 3-0 start including wins over defending state champion Grapevine Faith and D1 Houston St. Thomas both on the road. Brock figures to be the toughest test of the non-district schedule. The Eagles are two years removed from a UIL championship and defeated the same Grapevine Faith team the Tigers did. The Eagles scored only 9 against Midland Christian but 42 against Faith the next week. How does the TCCH defense compare with those two? Difficult to tell with TCCH allowing 14 to Faith and Brock allowing 21. This should be a very competitive game, and I think if the Eagles are on track on offense the Tigers will be unable to keep pace. However, I feel the TCCH defense will be up to the task landing between MCS 9 points allowed and Faith's 42. The Eagles just squeeze past the Tigers 29-26.

Waskom @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- The Crusaders have jumped on a 3-0 start to the year after starting just 1-2 against the same schools a year ago. The TKG defense has been the story of improvement allowing only 71 points in 3 games after allowing 148 in these three games to start last year. Last year the trend continued as the Wildcats piled up 43 in a 2 touchdown victory over the Crusaders. Waskom took down Tyler Grace last week pointing to either a Wildcat improvement over last season or that Tyler Grace has fallen back a tad. This week's result will offer some insights. Look for the TKG defense to continue its good play at home and aid the always potent offense to another victory. Crusaders win 42-28.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Midland Christian -- The Saints travel west to almost visit Odessa in their never-ending quest to win the 2015 version of Division I District 1. A 3-0 start for the newest TAPPS member and a playoff spot announced this week to boot. All Saints comes off their lowest scoring output of the year at just 43 (sounds like less if you put "just" in front of it). The Mustangs have allowed 54 for the year and just 23 in the last two weeks. MCS always hard to beat on the road given the distance traveled, but mostly because they're hard to beat anywhere. The Saints offense looks to be as good as anyone in either division having already outscored Prestonwood this season. So its the classic unstoppable force (Saints O) vs. immovable object (Mustangs D). If MCS' defense can find a big turnover or two, they will take this game. Mustangs out slug the Saints 50-40.

Austin Regents @ Houston Second Baptist -- It has been a while since the Knights dropped a regular season game, but this rematches the closest non-district contest from last year. The Eagles went to Austin a year ago limiting the Knights to their season-low point total of 28. The problem for the Eagles...they only scored 10. Regents scored a notable victory over Parish Episcopal to open the season and dominated two games to reach 3-0. The Eagles have struggled to 0-2 in recovering from Harvey, and the Knights are a tough team to face when trying to find your footing. Second allowed 54 points to open the season against Houston St. Johns. The defense improved to just 24 allowed against D1 Concordia last week. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I don't see that being enough to topple the Knights. Regents takes a road win 35-20.

Austin Hyde Park @ Shiner St. Paul -- This space praises the Cardinals as often as practical for playing 11-man football and playing it as well as any smaller private school around. TAPPSter list St. Paul with just 97 students in high school, and also the #1 Division III ranking in the coaches poll. Hyde Park appears in TAPPSter with 340 students. The Panthers come in at 2-1 and having played no private school opponents makes for a difficult choice. The Cardinals could not compete with the depth of Hyde Park last season falling 42-20 in Austin. I think at home with what I believe is a slightly weaker Hyde Park team this one is closer this time. However, the numbers prove to be too much, and the Panthers take this one 35-28.

Bremond @ Waco Reicher -- Bremond enters this CenTex road trip with the longest winning streak in the state with no losses since a 2013 playoff loss to Tenaha, 49 wins in a row. The current seniors can achieve the rare never losing in a year career with an undefeated season this year. The Cougars enter this one undefeated for the second straight year stacking 3 victories to start the year. Last year, the Tigers dominated Reicher running away with a 56-13 victory. Have to appreciate the willingness to take on the best, but can't see the Cougars being the one to keep Bremond from 50. Tigers win handily, 48-18.

Quick Hits: (Season: 21-9)

Tyler Grace Community over Malakoff
Fort Worth Christian over Gainesville State
Grapevine Faith Christian over Dallas Lincoln
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Arlington Grace Prep
Colleyville Covenant over Shelton
Muenster over McKinney Christian
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Kennedale Fellowship
Sherman Texoma Christian over Irving The Highlands
Boerne Geneva over Austin St. Dominic Savio
El Paso Cathedral over San Elizario

Picks Archive:

Week 3 Picks 2017

The numbers have been turned in, so that means it's time for everyone's favorite part of high school football...Realignment Talk! Ok, not this week but coming in October we get to find out who will be publically shamed for being the largest in their division. In more current matters, we inch closer to district play for most with the usual dotting of big games. Also, want to give a shout to Plano John Paul II for breaking their 33 game losing streak. Feels only right to credit them when I've dealt a fair amount of abuse out over the past couple seasons. Good luck and safe travels to all!

This Week: (Season: 7-6)

Dallas Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Chargers head to Tarrant County for the always big game with Fort Worth Christian. Both teams come into the season expecting to have a big year and ranked in the top 5 in the TAPPS poll. Both teams only played once thus far. A dominant victory for the Cardinals over Country Day and a handy victory for DC over Houston Christian. So both teams have done a lot of practicing and not a ton of playing in competitive situations. Last year the Cardinals came to Dallas dropping a close one 24-20. The DC defense dominated Houston Christian and will look for more of the same. When last we saw FWC against a TAPPS opponent they allowed 56 points to Tyler Grace in a 1st round playoff game. It would seem that the Chargers should score enough in this one but remains to be seen if the defense is actually the dominant unit it was in the opener. I, of course, have a reputation to uphold and will pick the Chargers to win 35-28.

Brock @ Grapevine Faith Christian -- Both teams enter off losses to Division II opponents. The Lions fell at home to TCCH a week ago, and look to bounce back. The Eagles (really? another one?) struggled mightily offensively in Midland last week. A year ago Faith traveled to Brock coming away with a 42-35 loss before winning the state title in December. When the Lions held the opposition under 40 last season they won. Looking ahead if the Faith defense allows too many in this one it does not look promising taking on MCS later in the season. Does the Eagle offense return to the form that won its first 13 last season? Can the Faith defense put together a better 2nd half than last week? I'll take Lions to bounce back 38-30. (Though it might have to do with my bias against schools using Eagles for their mascot)

El Paso Americas @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs are off to a very different start than a year ago. Last season MCS headed to El Paso at 0-2 and took another loss allowing 41 points. In contrast, the Mustangs have just 40 points scored against them in 2 games this season. The Trail Blazers (now this is a mascot) enter at 1-1 but with the distance involved to the Mountain Time Zone I have no idea what losing to Rio Rancho from New Mexico by 32 really means, but they were a New Mexico state champion last year. Trail Blazer results suggest they aren't quite as good a last year and Mustangs results suggest they are better than a year ago. Mustangs go to 3-0 with a 42-20 victory.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Vikings are off to a better start even with the drubbing by Richland to open the season. A win over Joshua hopes to start the momentum for them. The Saints have scored 112 points in two weeks and look to cement their place as a de facto District 1 champ with a 3rd win over district opponents. Does the Nolan defense continue its shutout form from the Joshua win? That will be the question. Based on recent seasons it is hard to see the Vikings scoring a bunch of points on the road in this one, but if their defense can keep them in it things could be interesting and add even more intrigue to the always delicious District 1 slate. I think All Saints will score plenty to win, taking the game 50-28.

Ore City @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- Speaking of scoring plenty, The Crusaders and Rebels return to the field to rematch last years 91-71 TKG victory. Yes, 71 for Ore City in a 20 point loss. The Crusaders QB sees an opponent that last saw him throw 10 TD passes in a 13 TD explosion for the Crusaders. The defense has been TKG's undoing for a number seasons including 64 and 83 allowed in their last 2 playoff games. Where does this leave the Rebels? With only 34 points scored in two weeks, I don't see where the offense can keep pace with the Crusaders. TKG wins 50-30.

Tyler Grace Community @ Waskom -- The Cougars came up with a big victory a year ago over the Wildcats. Announcing its presence with a 52-20 win over what was believed to be a top 3A contender in Waskom. The Wildcats have fallen back after a state championship in 2015. Waskom sees an 0-2 start to this season and will try to find its form against a Cougar squad that has scored 30 in its two outings thus far. How will this one unfold against a Wildcat defense that has held both opponents under 30 in its 2 losses? Look for the Cougars to struggle against the Wildcat defense, but for Waskom to be unable to consolidate it on offense. Cougars win on the road 29-17.

Beaumont Kelly @ Austin Regents -- The coach working the phones for Regents deserves immense credit for filling these games one after another on short notice. Three different opponents for the 1st three games when compared to last season. The Bulldogs likely have the longest TAPPS losing streak now at 14 entering what has become their season opener. Their own hurricane recovery obviously makes playing football a difficult, and many times, unimportant matter, but it's great to see all these schools getting back to the field (including incredibly hard hit Rockport-Fulton last week). The Knights have won 15 regular season games in a row and fell by only a point in the state final last year. Great to see Kelly out there playing this Saturday, but it looks like a hard road to a victory. Regents wins 42-7.

Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Houston St. Thomas -- The circumstances surrounding the Evangel Christian cancellation is odd, to say the least. The film reason seems flimsy to then go ahead and schedule someone else, but I suppose everyone has their reasons and to be honest it's probably not as interesting a story as the media coverage makes it feel like. Anyway, on the field, the Tigers somehow managed to find an Eagles to replace a scheduled game against the Eagles (because there can never be enough Eagles). St. Thomas hasn't played yet this year with Hurricane Harvey's impacts. The Tigers have two nice victories over ESD and Grapevine Faith, particularly last week's squeezing of Faith in the 2nd half. Expect the TCCH defense to be ahead of the Eagle offense in this one and for the Tigers to score enough for a road victory. TCCH wins 33-18.

Quick Hits: (Season: 13-7)

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Pantego Christian
McKinney Christian over Carrollton Prince of Peace
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Conrad
Bullard Brook Hill over Houston St. John's
Prestonwood Christian over Lake Dallas
Fayetteville (AR) over Bishop Dunne
Bishop Lynch over Kaufman
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Cistercian
Waco Reicher over Bosqueville
Shiner St. Paul over Flatonia