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
No comments:
Post a Comment