Last year, I was down 5 weather cancellations and this year just 1. I guess the weather is getting better this year, but not by much. Congratulations to all Division I and IV teams on securing their playoff spots this week.
This Week: (Season: 25-7)
Kemp @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers used a strong defensive effort, including 2 defensive touchdowns to take a handy 42-13 victory over Trinity Christian - Addison and reach 4-0. Not every victory has been "clean" but its been a nice start for sure. Certainly many difficult tests await for the Chargers with TCCH and Grace ahead on the district schedule. The Yellowjackets scored their first points of the season last week in capturing a 29-24 victory over Commerce. Kemp reached the second round of the playoffs a season ago after taking a 40 point defeat against the Chargers. The Yellowjackets seem to be up against it this year, having lost 128-0 in the first 3 weeks. This seems to be a far cry from the 2017 team that reached the state semifinals. The Chargers have a clear edge on paper but strange things do happen. Chargers win 42-7.
Tyler Grace Community @ Center -- The Cougars responded from being blown out by Parish with a 42-17 win over Wills Point. Only a 21-17 lead at the half was cemented with a shutout 2nd half to guide the Cougars to victory. The Roughriders reached the playoffs last year, but have started the season just 1-3. It was a similar setup last year, and the Roughriders took a 61-42 victory over Grace in a visit to Tyler. Center has seen 30 or more points posted against them in each of their four games thus far which should setup well for the always potent Cougars offense. The Cougars defense has been improved this year, but allowing 38 to Redwater is still a concern. The Grace defense will need its best to win this week, and if they find it they could be set up well for district play. Roughriders slide by at home. Center wins 37-35.
Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Houston St. Thomas -- The Tigers blowout of Melissa definitely turns some heads, but just further cements their place at the top of Division II. Parish's defeat of TCCH and subsequent loss might give a little hope to the 2nd tier though. Division I St. Thomas is off to a 2-2 start after beating Kinkaid and Stafford the last two weeks. The road trip gives me a little pause in assuming a Tigers victory, but I can't see the Eagles slowing down Sanders and company enough to win this one. If the Eagles can hold the Tigers under 21 they stand a great chance at springing the upset, but I don't see it happening. Tigers win 35-18.
Fort Worth Christian @ Midland Christian -- A 2-2 start for the Mustangs is a bit misleading with the losses to 6A El Paso Americas, having one of its best years ever, and state title contender Wall. They backed that with a blowout of Monahans last week that appears to put them back on track. The Cardinals enter at 3-1 having dropped a visit from San Antonio Cornerstone. Its hard to know if Country Day, Valley View, and Maypearl are better wins than El Paso Chapin and Monahans. This should be a good measuring game for Division I and II, and then matching the results with San Antonio Cornerstone's difficult schedule will further the lines of comparison. The road trip looks to be the challenge here, but 2nd only to the Mustang defense. If MCS held Wall to 20 they should keep the Cardinals offense at bay. Mustangs win 28-14.
Grapevine Faith Christian vs. Canadian @ Vernon -- The Lions find themselves with an interesting non-district neutral site Saturday game. The Wildcats are a strong UIL 3A side with multiple state titles in the last decade, reaching the state final last year. The Wildcats only other loss in 2018 was to the Lions and Faith is the only loss in the regular season since Week 3 of 2016. Canadian is off to a 4-0 allowing just 36 points total across the four games and entering this one off back-to-back shutouts. The Lions have also started the season 4-0 with a strong defense and an offense that is beginning to catch fire with a 49 point output last week. This is a long ride from Grapevine to the barren lands of West Texas, but they overcame it last year. This should be a good game with great measurement for TAPPS football. Last year Faith answered the bell and the offense posted 41. If they do it again Lions win. I'll take Faith 40-30.
Austin Regents @ Wimberly -- The Knights are off to their usual strong start at 3-1 and enter off a shutout of the Central Catholic Buttons last week. The Texans are off to a big 4-0 start including 40+ points in 3 of their wins. The Knights defense should slow the Texan attack, but it will take a good performance to get their 4th win. Regents should be in position to win this one if the game stays relatively low scoring, but a track meet could be trouble. Last year, the Knights posted a 48-13 victory and while Wimberly has improved I think the result holds. Regents wins 38-21.
Dallas Bishop Dunne @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Saints appear to have reversed last year's trend with a 3-0 start, culminating in last week's upset of Parish Episcopal. After allowing 47 points to Boerne Geneva, I just couldn't have seen taking down Parish coming. Now that they have that win it vaults them among the contenders in Division I. The Falcons fell to San Antonio Cornerstone last week 26-23. A big turnaround for the Warriors from last year's 48-0 loss. The Falcons may be a tad down from last year's state champion, but no reason to think they are not a strong squad. I would expect the Red Swarm defense to rebound this week, but its not clear that will be enough. Saints score another surprise (or is it a surprise if I pick them). All Saints wins 21-14.
Quick Hits: (Season: 29-10)
Carrollton Prince of Peace over Lubbock Trinity Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian
Bullard Brook Hill over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Fort Worth Country Day over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Houston St. Pius X
Plano John Paul II over McKinney Christian
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Trinity Christian - Addison
Argyle Liberty Christian over China Spring
San Antonio Holy Cross over Austin St. Michael's
Houston Christian over Houston Westbury Christian
Shiner St. Paul over Weimar
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Week 4 Picks 2019
As I look at last year's picks, I find that last year we were in the middle of the rainy period where we seemingly had delays every Friday. Hopefully we don't return to that as things are starting to pick up with some key matchups this week. District play is just ahead.
This Week: (Season: 18-6)
Dallas Christian @ Trinity Christian - Addison -- The Chargers and Trojans rematch the 1987 state championship game, a 19-14 DC win. DC enters having bested Plano John Paul 25-14 a week ago. It was another week in which the Chargers offense was just a little slow. That's not to say they've looked bad, at times they've been awesome but punching it in the endzone has been a bit challenging at times. The defense continues to be extremely strong, having allowed just 14 points from scrimmage in 3 games. The Trojans are off to an 0-3 start and have managed just 3 wins total since 2017. Losses to ESD, China Spring, and Prestonwood does little to inspire confidence in a possible resurgence. Now that is certainly not a group of opponents that would be considered weak but you'd like to hold someone under 34 points in your first 3 outings. The Trojans offense will have to manage more than 14 or 7 from the last 2 weeks to find the win column here. I'm not certain the Chargers need more than the 25 they managed against JP2, but it would probably be best to make sure. DC claimed a 20-10 shortened victory last year, and this will be a notable road test. Chargers win 28-14.
Melissa @ Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill -- The Tigers posted another strong victory a week ago, blowing out Spring Legacy 49-14 to start a new win streak at 1. The Cardinals have started 2-1 including a blowout of Liberty Christian in Week 1. Melissa should offer a decent resistance to the Tigers. Its a surprisingly long trip between the two schools with at least an hour drive awaiting the Cardinals and likely more on a Friday evening. Its no West Texas travel but a decent haul none the less. The Cardinals have scored 47, 41, and 36 in their 3 outings and that is what they'll need to best TCCH. Last season the Tigers squeaked out a 26-19 victory in Melissa. The Tigers offense is just too much for the Cardinals I think, but no layup for TCCH in this one. TCCH wins at home 35-25.
Wills Point @ Tyler Grace Community -- For the 2nd straight year, the Cougars explosive offense vanished quickly against Division I stalwart Parish Episcopal as they were routed 49-0. Returning the 70 point form of Week 2 is what the Cougars will be looking to do. The Tigers are off to a 1-2 start after last year's 5 win campaign that culminated in a 1st round loss. Only allowing 31 points in the last two weeks sets up well for the Tigers, that they only scored 21 in the two game combined could be a big problem. Is the Grace offense the one that scored 70+ in consecutive years against Redwater or the one that has trouble scoring against top opposition. Not sure we should take anything from the loss to Parish and last years 42-34 win for the Cougars seems like a decent starting point. Cougars offense gets going at home. Grace wins 38-28.
Redwater @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- The Crusaders host Redwater after winning 49-8 on the road last year. The Dragons option attack put up plenty of yards and points in another Week 2 against Grace posting 38 but still losing by 4 touchdowns. The Crusaders lost big to Tenaha last week and have hit hard times, dropping out of District 2. Look for their to be lots of points posted in this one, but TKG is going to need some real improvement or there may be a big reversal of last season. The Crusaders and Dragons both are suspect defensively and I don't think the Crusaders offense is going to be able to keep pace with the option. I'll take the Dragons to squeak by 42-14.
Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- A notable cross district clash that should give us some indicators of who will have playoff success. After a shortened shutout of Brock last year the Warriors could not duplicate the feet, falling 28-21 to reach 0-3. After several years of an incredible defense, the Liberty squad is not off to a great start. However, Melissa, Celina, and Brock is difficult trio to start with. The Lions offense is always a force and will look to duplicate the 49 points posted last year at home. The Warriors held them to just 14 two seasons ago but scored 0 of their own and were largely routed 49-20 last season. If Liberty can reach 30 they should have a chance to win since they will be keeping the Lion attack off the field, but they probably need all of those points to win. I just can't Liberty scoring enough to win this one. Lions win 42-14.
Midland Christian @ Monahans -- Its been a rocky start for the Mustangs at just 1-2 and Monahans is always a staunch opposition. The Loboes won 5 games last season and reached the playoffs, but were bested 28-7 by MCS last season. These two had 5 wins between them entering last year's Week 4 contest. This year, they share just 1 win combined. It was a tight 20-14 defeat against state contender Wall last week leaving plenty of unknowns for district play. The distances between teams in District 1 makes predicting based on non-district games quite challenging. I think the Mustangs will get back in the win column, but they'll have to work for it. MCS wins 28-21.
Boerne Geneva @ Falls City -- The Eagles get back in this week's picks this week much like last year because the opponent is the Beavers. The Beavers reached round 5 of the playoffs last year in a 14-1 campaign. Geneva fell 15-14 in a tightly contested state final against Willow Park Trinity. The Eagles have to feel like this year is another great chance to reach the top given Trinity's struggles early on. Its just a 1-2 start for the Eagles but losses to the larger Houston 2nd Baptist and FW All Saints are no shame by any means. Its going to take the Eagles best to win out over the Beavers and avoid 1-3. The state contending Beavers are just too much for Geneva in my opinion. Falls City won last year's meeting 36-15. I don't see enough to reverse this outcome on the road. Beavers win 42-21.
Van Vleck @ Houston Second Baptist -- The Leopards took down the Eagles last year with a dominant offense, winning 48-14. Second Baptist is always a contender in the southern portion of Division II, and is the last school south of the I-20 corridor to win the title in TAPPS 2nd largest classification. The Leopards won 11 games in reaching round 3 of last year's playoffs and are off to another strong start with 40+ points posted in each outing so far. If the Eagles turn the tables here it will be huge sign to the division that this could be the year Second Baptist reaches the finals. Though the home game will help, I can't see the Eagles having enough to take this one. Van Vleck spots their way to a 40-20 win.
Quick Hits: (Season: 22-8)
McKinney Christian over Colleyville Covenant
Grapevine Faith Christian over Dallas Lincoln
Fort Worth Christian over Maypearl
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Fort Worth All Saints
Dallas Bishop Dunne over San Antonio Cornerstone Christian
Fort Worth Nolan over Fort Worth Eastern Hills
Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt
Austin Regents over San Antonio Central Catholic
The Woodlands Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Bellaire Episcopal over Episcopal School of Dallas
This Week: (Season: 18-6)
Dallas Christian @ Trinity Christian - Addison -- The Chargers and Trojans rematch the 1987 state championship game, a 19-14 DC win. DC enters having bested Plano John Paul 25-14 a week ago. It was another week in which the Chargers offense was just a little slow. That's not to say they've looked bad, at times they've been awesome but punching it in the endzone has been a bit challenging at times. The defense continues to be extremely strong, having allowed just 14 points from scrimmage in 3 games. The Trojans are off to an 0-3 start and have managed just 3 wins total since 2017. Losses to ESD, China Spring, and Prestonwood does little to inspire confidence in a possible resurgence. Now that is certainly not a group of opponents that would be considered weak but you'd like to hold someone under 34 points in your first 3 outings. The Trojans offense will have to manage more than 14 or 7 from the last 2 weeks to find the win column here. I'm not certain the Chargers need more than the 25 they managed against JP2, but it would probably be best to make sure. DC claimed a 20-10 shortened victory last year, and this will be a notable road test. Chargers win 28-14.
Melissa @ Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill -- The Tigers posted another strong victory a week ago, blowing out Spring Legacy 49-14 to start a new win streak at 1. The Cardinals have started 2-1 including a blowout of Liberty Christian in Week 1. Melissa should offer a decent resistance to the Tigers. Its a surprisingly long trip between the two schools with at least an hour drive awaiting the Cardinals and likely more on a Friday evening. Its no West Texas travel but a decent haul none the less. The Cardinals have scored 47, 41, and 36 in their 3 outings and that is what they'll need to best TCCH. Last season the Tigers squeaked out a 26-19 victory in Melissa. The Tigers offense is just too much for the Cardinals I think, but no layup for TCCH in this one. TCCH wins at home 35-25.
Wills Point @ Tyler Grace Community -- For the 2nd straight year, the Cougars explosive offense vanished quickly against Division I stalwart Parish Episcopal as they were routed 49-0. Returning the 70 point form of Week 2 is what the Cougars will be looking to do. The Tigers are off to a 1-2 start after last year's 5 win campaign that culminated in a 1st round loss. Only allowing 31 points in the last two weeks sets up well for the Tigers, that they only scored 21 in the two game combined could be a big problem. Is the Grace offense the one that scored 70+ in consecutive years against Redwater or the one that has trouble scoring against top opposition. Not sure we should take anything from the loss to Parish and last years 42-34 win for the Cougars seems like a decent starting point. Cougars offense gets going at home. Grace wins 38-28.
Redwater @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- The Crusaders host Redwater after winning 49-8 on the road last year. The Dragons option attack put up plenty of yards and points in another Week 2 against Grace posting 38 but still losing by 4 touchdowns. The Crusaders lost big to Tenaha last week and have hit hard times, dropping out of District 2. Look for their to be lots of points posted in this one, but TKG is going to need some real improvement or there may be a big reversal of last season. The Crusaders and Dragons both are suspect defensively and I don't think the Crusaders offense is going to be able to keep pace with the option. I'll take the Dragons to squeak by 42-14.
Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- A notable cross district clash that should give us some indicators of who will have playoff success. After a shortened shutout of Brock last year the Warriors could not duplicate the feet, falling 28-21 to reach 0-3. After several years of an incredible defense, the Liberty squad is not off to a great start. However, Melissa, Celina, and Brock is difficult trio to start with. The Lions offense is always a force and will look to duplicate the 49 points posted last year at home. The Warriors held them to just 14 two seasons ago but scored 0 of their own and were largely routed 49-20 last season. If Liberty can reach 30 they should have a chance to win since they will be keeping the Lion attack off the field, but they probably need all of those points to win. I just can't Liberty scoring enough to win this one. Lions win 42-14.
Midland Christian @ Monahans -- Its been a rocky start for the Mustangs at just 1-2 and Monahans is always a staunch opposition. The Loboes won 5 games last season and reached the playoffs, but were bested 28-7 by MCS last season. These two had 5 wins between them entering last year's Week 4 contest. This year, they share just 1 win combined. It was a tight 20-14 defeat against state contender Wall last week leaving plenty of unknowns for district play. The distances between teams in District 1 makes predicting based on non-district games quite challenging. I think the Mustangs will get back in the win column, but they'll have to work for it. MCS wins 28-21.
Boerne Geneva @ Falls City -- The Eagles get back in this week's picks this week much like last year because the opponent is the Beavers. The Beavers reached round 5 of the playoffs last year in a 14-1 campaign. Geneva fell 15-14 in a tightly contested state final against Willow Park Trinity. The Eagles have to feel like this year is another great chance to reach the top given Trinity's struggles early on. Its just a 1-2 start for the Eagles but losses to the larger Houston 2nd Baptist and FW All Saints are no shame by any means. Its going to take the Eagles best to win out over the Beavers and avoid 1-3. The state contending Beavers are just too much for Geneva in my opinion. Falls City won last year's meeting 36-15. I don't see enough to reverse this outcome on the road. Beavers win 42-21.
Van Vleck @ Houston Second Baptist -- The Leopards took down the Eagles last year with a dominant offense, winning 48-14. Second Baptist is always a contender in the southern portion of Division II, and is the last school south of the I-20 corridor to win the title in TAPPS 2nd largest classification. The Leopards won 11 games in reaching round 3 of last year's playoffs and are off to another strong start with 40+ points posted in each outing so far. If the Eagles turn the tables here it will be huge sign to the division that this could be the year Second Baptist reaches the finals. Though the home game will help, I can't see the Eagles having enough to take this one. Van Vleck spots their way to a 40-20 win.
Quick Hits: (Season: 22-8)
McKinney Christian over Colleyville Covenant
Grapevine Faith Christian over Dallas Lincoln
Fort Worth Christian over Maypearl
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Fort Worth All Saints
Dallas Bishop Dunne over San Antonio Cornerstone Christian
Fort Worth Nolan over Fort Worth Eastern Hills
Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt
Austin Regents over San Antonio Central Catholic
The Woodlands Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Bellaire Episcopal over Episcopal School of Dallas
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Week 3 Picks 2019
A few surprises last week for sure. A couple arrows pointing up, a couple pointing down, but lots of time to change your fate with all of district play still ahead.
This Week: (Season: 11-6)
Plano John Paul II @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers have opened with two large wins, including allowing no points on defense and just one defensive touchdown on the scoreboard. The Cardinals have also blown out two opponents to get the season off to a big start. Coach Teague appears to be the coach that will finally turn around the Cardinals fortunes. John Paul II has no winning seasons in its history, reaching a high water mark of 4 wins last season. Last season DC held JP2 to a single touchdown in a handy 37-9 win in Plano. With the daunting quartet of teams ahead on the district slate for the Cardinals this has to feel like a huge game with a chance to reach 3-0 for the first time in program history. The Chargers offense looked a little unsettled at times against Bryan Adams and benefited from a terrible special teams night from the opponents to set them up with good field position and ultimately establish a big lead. If DC scuffles with scoring again this week it will be a tight battle. The usually strong DC defense should limit the Cardinals more than Krum and Brook Hill, but I can't see the Cardinals getting blown out in ugly fashion. A couple of late score widens the margin and DC wins 34-10.
Legacy School of Sport Sciences @ Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill -- The Tigers suffered their first loss since 2017 and their first loss to a private school since 2016 last week in overtime at Parish Episcopal. There is still plenty to like about the Tigers chances for a state title, and this week should prove no different. The Titans lost just 1 game last year in their first season, winning the TCAL. This season has seen Legacy lost by just 6 at Bishop Dunne and then defeat Kinkaid by 14. Now Kinkaid was blown out by Nolan, so what that means for the Division I contenders I'm not sure but it feels significant. I feel like the Tigers will be well prepared for this one to get back in the win column, but no easy win to be expected here. I think the Titans fall just short in this one. Tigers high valued offense should be enough to win this win. TCCH wins 30-18.
Parish Episcopal @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Panthers scored a huge victory with the TCCH overtime win, probably their biggest regular season win in program history. This sets the Panthers as strong contender in District 2, in what should an incredible 4-way battle with Prestonwood, Dunne, and Lynch. The Cougars are off to a good start with wins over Canton and Redwater, but Parish presents a much bigger test. The Grace defense that allowed 38 to Redwater will need to do much better to spring the upset this week, and the offense will need that 70 point form. The Panthers offense I think will be too much for the Cougars. Last year's margin was 56-7 for the Panthers. Maybe a tad closer but Parish wins handily, 42-14.
Huntington @ Bullard Brook Hill School -- The Guard posted an opening win over Southwest Christian before taking a 42-10 loss last week at John Paul II in Plano. Brook Hill has typically played well in the non-district and has always been frequently competitive in games they might appear to be overmatched. Last year the Guard went to Huntington and scored a 42-20 victory en route to a 6 win campaign. The Red Devils posted a 3 win season last year, and this season has started 0-2. A season opening loss to Warren reversed one of last season's wins for Huntington and then 61-0 loss will never leave a good impression, no matter the quality of the opponent. The Guard should have enough at home. Brook Hill wins 42-21.
Midland Christian @ Wall -- The Mustangs suffered a 35-28 home defeat to Americas last week, putting them behind a couple of teams in the early power rankings of District 1. Last year the Mustangs took down the Hawks in a 35-34 battle in Midland. This year's squad would appear to be a little worse given the Americas defeat and Wall's squad would appear to be a little better given the defeat of Mason in Week 1. As an aside, I really hope Wall's head coach, Houston Guy, eventually gets a job in Houston but we know I'm easily amused. Wall at home appears to be too much for MCS to overcome, but this is also just the type of game the Mustangs usually win. I'll take the Hawks at home 38-30.
Austin Regents @ Fort Worth Trinity Valley -- The Knights suffered a surprising set back at home, falling to FW All Saints 36-31. Even with this loss, Regents is likely the favorite among Districts 3, 4, and 5. The Trojans are off to an 0-2 start falling to Grapevine Faith and Southwest Christian. Regents dominated the game last season in Austin, 46-13. The Knights should quickly be back on track this week. While the home field should help some, I can't see the Trojans having enough. Regents wins 42-7.
Grapevine Faith Christian @ Caddo Mills -- While they just missed the cut for this column in Week 3 last year, Faith is a clear contender for 2nd in Division II. Its hard to push TCCH off the top step, but many will have their chance and Faith will likely be one. The Foxes have opened 2-0 like the Lions and this should be an interesting road test for Faith. Last year, Faith took a 28-13 home victory setting up a tough trip to Hunt County. The Foxes wrapped a 6-win campaign last season and looked a little stronger than last season in their season opener. The Faith offense moved a little slowly against Country Day last week, but should have the strength to manage the 4 touchdowns or so this one should require. Lions win a tight one, 28-21.
Quick Hits: (Season: 13-7)
Fort Worth Christian over Valley View
McKinney Christian over Fort Worth Temple Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Dallas Shelton over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Dallas First Baptist Academy over Colleyville Covenant
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Trinity Christian - Addison
Brock over Argyle Liberty Christian
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Frisco Centennial
Desoto over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Shiner St. Paul over Austin Saints
This Week: (Season: 11-6)
Plano John Paul II @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers have opened with two large wins, including allowing no points on defense and just one defensive touchdown on the scoreboard. The Cardinals have also blown out two opponents to get the season off to a big start. Coach Teague appears to be the coach that will finally turn around the Cardinals fortunes. John Paul II has no winning seasons in its history, reaching a high water mark of 4 wins last season. Last season DC held JP2 to a single touchdown in a handy 37-9 win in Plano. With the daunting quartet of teams ahead on the district slate for the Cardinals this has to feel like a huge game with a chance to reach 3-0 for the first time in program history. The Chargers offense looked a little unsettled at times against Bryan Adams and benefited from a terrible special teams night from the opponents to set them up with good field position and ultimately establish a big lead. If DC scuffles with scoring again this week it will be a tight battle. The usually strong DC defense should limit the Cardinals more than Krum and Brook Hill, but I can't see the Cardinals getting blown out in ugly fashion. A couple of late score widens the margin and DC wins 34-10.
Legacy School of Sport Sciences @ Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill -- The Tigers suffered their first loss since 2017 and their first loss to a private school since 2016 last week in overtime at Parish Episcopal. There is still plenty to like about the Tigers chances for a state title, and this week should prove no different. The Titans lost just 1 game last year in their first season, winning the TCAL. This season has seen Legacy lost by just 6 at Bishop Dunne and then defeat Kinkaid by 14. Now Kinkaid was blown out by Nolan, so what that means for the Division I contenders I'm not sure but it feels significant. I feel like the Tigers will be well prepared for this one to get back in the win column, but no easy win to be expected here. I think the Titans fall just short in this one. Tigers high valued offense should be enough to win this win. TCCH wins 30-18.
Parish Episcopal @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Panthers scored a huge victory with the TCCH overtime win, probably their biggest regular season win in program history. This sets the Panthers as strong contender in District 2, in what should an incredible 4-way battle with Prestonwood, Dunne, and Lynch. The Cougars are off to a good start with wins over Canton and Redwater, but Parish presents a much bigger test. The Grace defense that allowed 38 to Redwater will need to do much better to spring the upset this week, and the offense will need that 70 point form. The Panthers offense I think will be too much for the Cougars. Last year's margin was 56-7 for the Panthers. Maybe a tad closer but Parish wins handily, 42-14.
Huntington @ Bullard Brook Hill School -- The Guard posted an opening win over Southwest Christian before taking a 42-10 loss last week at John Paul II in Plano. Brook Hill has typically played well in the non-district and has always been frequently competitive in games they might appear to be overmatched. Last year the Guard went to Huntington and scored a 42-20 victory en route to a 6 win campaign. The Red Devils posted a 3 win season last year, and this season has started 0-2. A season opening loss to Warren reversed one of last season's wins for Huntington and then 61-0 loss will never leave a good impression, no matter the quality of the opponent. The Guard should have enough at home. Brook Hill wins 42-21.
Midland Christian @ Wall -- The Mustangs suffered a 35-28 home defeat to Americas last week, putting them behind a couple of teams in the early power rankings of District 1. Last year the Mustangs took down the Hawks in a 35-34 battle in Midland. This year's squad would appear to be a little worse given the Americas defeat and Wall's squad would appear to be a little better given the defeat of Mason in Week 1. As an aside, I really hope Wall's head coach, Houston Guy, eventually gets a job in Houston but we know I'm easily amused. Wall at home appears to be too much for MCS to overcome, but this is also just the type of game the Mustangs usually win. I'll take the Hawks at home 38-30.
Austin Regents @ Fort Worth Trinity Valley -- The Knights suffered a surprising set back at home, falling to FW All Saints 36-31. Even with this loss, Regents is likely the favorite among Districts 3, 4, and 5. The Trojans are off to an 0-2 start falling to Grapevine Faith and Southwest Christian. Regents dominated the game last season in Austin, 46-13. The Knights should quickly be back on track this week. While the home field should help some, I can't see the Trojans having enough. Regents wins 42-7.
Grapevine Faith Christian @ Caddo Mills -- While they just missed the cut for this column in Week 3 last year, Faith is a clear contender for 2nd in Division II. Its hard to push TCCH off the top step, but many will have their chance and Faith will likely be one. The Foxes have opened 2-0 like the Lions and this should be an interesting road test for Faith. Last year, Faith took a 28-13 home victory setting up a tough trip to Hunt County. The Foxes wrapped a 6-win campaign last season and looked a little stronger than last season in their season opener. The Faith offense moved a little slowly against Country Day last week, but should have the strength to manage the 4 touchdowns or so this one should require. Lions win a tight one, 28-21.
Quick Hits: (Season: 13-7)
Fort Worth Christian over Valley View
McKinney Christian over Fort Worth Temple Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Dallas Shelton over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Dallas First Baptist Academy over Colleyville Covenant
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Trinity Christian - Addison
Brock over Argyle Liberty Christian
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Frisco Centennial
Desoto over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Shiner St. Paul over Austin Saints
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Week 2 Picks 2019
The excitement is never quite as high for Week 2, but still plenty of snags awaiting the top contenders. Good luck and safe travels.
This Week: (Last Week: 7-1)
Dallas Bryan Adams @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers scored early and often against Westbury last week, boat racing to a 52-0 victory. This improved on last year's 47-13 win and sets up for a very successful non-district slate for DC. The Cougars come in having been beaten even worse, suffering a 58-0 defeat against Dallas Madison. After three straight playoff appearances, Bryan Adams went just 1-9 last season and the week 1 rout points to another long season for the Cougars. Always have to show up and play the games, but if the Chargers defense produces its usual standard then I have a hard time seeing the Cougars scoring. The Chargers should race to a home opening rout. Chargers win 45-0.
Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Parish Episcopal -- The Tigers are the back-to-back state champions and see a big ESPN showdown with the Panthers ahead. TCCH took a 16-13 win over Bishop Lynch in the opener and will stake its 24-game win streak against the Division I contenders. The Panthers are actually opening the season here with a tough oponent. Last season Parish went out in the semifinals with a loss to eventual champion Bishop Dunne. This is absolutely the marquee game of the week. The Tigers offense is likely going to need more than the 16 they posted last week. I would not expect the Panthers defense to be as good as Lynch, but they will not be a pushover by any means. I think these two will score quite a few against each other. I think TCCH will keep its streak alive with another close one. Tigers win 38-33.
San Antonio Cornerstone Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals slid by a very competitive Country Day squad for the 2nd straight year in their opener. Coming off a semifinal appearance last season, expectations are high for FWC. Interestingly, for both FWC and Faith all roads appear to lead to a Week 11 showdown for the district title. Last season the Cardinals traveled to TK Gorman and suffered a defeat that appeared to position them to struggle in the district campaign. The Cardinals rebounded to win District 1 and then reach the 3rd round. TK Gorman has moved to a independent schedule this season, leaving several openings for San Antonio Cornerstone to test themselves against many TAPPS powers. The Warriors posted a 7-3 record against a schedule that included 7 out-of-state opponents, and then upped the ante last week by opening with an out-of-country team. Its hard to project a 33-21 win over Autonoma de Nuevo Leon to this matchup. We'll see the Warriors against DC, Lynch, Dunne, TCCH, MCS, and Parish this season so we'll have plenty to go on after the fact, but hard to know what happens here. I think the Cardinals take their opener with a usually strong defense. FWC wins 26-14.
Tyler Grace Community @ Redwater -- The Cougars head deep into Northeast Texas to take on the Dragons after opening with a dominant 46-13 win over Canton. This is a much improved defensive outing from Grace, who saw Canton score 40 in last season's opener. The Dragons were a playoff team in 2017, but struggled to just 1-9 a year ago. Last season, saw Grace allow Redwater's high output of the season in a 75-54 home win. The Cougar defense should be much tougher this year. The Dragons fell 42-21 in their opener, but only managed 6 against the same opposition last year. The road trip complicates things a bit for the Cougars, but they should be the stronger side this week. Lower scoring on both sides than last year. Cougars win their road opener 45-20.
Fort Worth Country Day @ Grapevine Faith -- The Lions find a Week 2 opponent that just played District 1 competitor Fort Worth Christian. Faith dominated Fort Worth Trinity Valley last week, 56-0. The Lions were ousted in the regional round last season, being shutout by TCCH. The Falcons improved greatly last season finishing 7-4, 5 wins better than 2017. Faith seeing just a 6 point win for FWC should be looking to measure themselves early for the Week 11 projected district showdown. The Lions defense should carry the day, particularly at home. Faith wins handily with some late scores. Lions win 34-16.
El Paso Americas @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs take on the Trailblazers for the 6th year in a row hosting Americas for the 3rd time. The Trailblazers could not find the endzone in last year's 22-3 MCS win. Americas dominated Eastwood last week, 63-0, while MCS pounded Chapin 42-0. If Week 1 is indicative of the Mustangs defense this year it puts them in a favorable spot to win this one, but the Trailblazers appear to be improved over last season as well. The Mustangs should be favored in this one, but no easy victory should be expected. Somebody allows their first points of the year, but MCS should have this one. Mustangs win 30-14.
Fort Worth All Saints @ Austin Regents -- Another year of an interesting clash of a Division I contender and a Division II contender. The Knights dominated Division III contender Cypress Christian to open the season while the Saints will open the season in Week 2. The Knights went to Fort Worth last year and came away with a 7 point victory. This has to make Regents the favorite in the cozy confines of the capital city. No long regular season win streak to defend for Regents, but still a strong contender after reaching 3 straight state finals. The Saints dropped all the way to 2-8 last season after being a perennial contender in the SPC and Division I before. The Knights should be a clear winner here, but a surprise is coming somewhere. Regents wins 35-21.
Shiner St. Paul @ Victoria St. Joseph -- Using fewer players than some TAPPS 6-man squads St. Paul is always in the mix (in every sport too). The Cardinals had a lean season going just 2-8 in the regular season before running to a state title as they got healthy. The Flyers have a long history but it has been hard times of late. 6 wins in 2018 was the most since 2009 for St. Joseph. The Flyers will open their 2019 campaign in this one after reaching the playoffs last season. The Cardinals would have to be favored given the last decade of program histories except that St. Joseph won last year's game in Shiner. St. Paul's opening win over Yorktown points to a better regular season ahead for the Cardinals. Cardinals head back to Shiner with a win, 30-20.
San Antonio Central Catholic vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ Alamo Stadium -- With a great name like "Holy Bowl" and a great mascot like Buttons this one always makes the cut. The historic rockpile of Alamo Stadium hosts the annual showdown of the largest Catholic schools in the San Antonio area. The Knights have been a consistent playoff contender in the South, reaching the semifinal again but falling to Regents. The Buttons have struggled in recent years in Division I, as the entire group of District 3 teams has in Division I. The Buttons lead the all time series 35-12 with 7 of the Knights 12 wins coming since 2000. Holy Cross secured an 8-7 victory in last year's contest, and a close battle would seem likely after Central's 42-19 win and Holy Cross' 41-17 win in their respective openers. Expect a close, coin flip type, game. I'll take the Knights 20-18.
Quick Hits: (Last Week: 5-5)
Plano John Paul II over Bullard Brook Hill
Dallas Shelton over Carrollton Prince of Peace
Waco Reicher over McKinney Christian
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Trinity Valley
Flower Mound Coram Deo over Frisco Legacy Christian
Celina over Argyle Liberty Christian
China Spring over Trinity Christian - Addison
Austin Brentwood Christian over Austin Texas School for the Deaf
Arlington Pantego Christian over Dallas Covenant
Houston Kinkaid over Houston Westbury Christian
This Week: (Last Week: 7-1)
Dallas Bryan Adams @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers scored early and often against Westbury last week, boat racing to a 52-0 victory. This improved on last year's 47-13 win and sets up for a very successful non-district slate for DC. The Cougars come in having been beaten even worse, suffering a 58-0 defeat against Dallas Madison. After three straight playoff appearances, Bryan Adams went just 1-9 last season and the week 1 rout points to another long season for the Cougars. Always have to show up and play the games, but if the Chargers defense produces its usual standard then I have a hard time seeing the Cougars scoring. The Chargers should race to a home opening rout. Chargers win 45-0.
Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill @ Parish Episcopal -- The Tigers are the back-to-back state champions and see a big ESPN showdown with the Panthers ahead. TCCH took a 16-13 win over Bishop Lynch in the opener and will stake its 24-game win streak against the Division I contenders. The Panthers are actually opening the season here with a tough oponent. Last season Parish went out in the semifinals with a loss to eventual champion Bishop Dunne. This is absolutely the marquee game of the week. The Tigers offense is likely going to need more than the 16 they posted last week. I would not expect the Panthers defense to be as good as Lynch, but they will not be a pushover by any means. I think these two will score quite a few against each other. I think TCCH will keep its streak alive with another close one. Tigers win 38-33.
San Antonio Cornerstone Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals slid by a very competitive Country Day squad for the 2nd straight year in their opener. Coming off a semifinal appearance last season, expectations are high for FWC. Interestingly, for both FWC and Faith all roads appear to lead to a Week 11 showdown for the district title. Last season the Cardinals traveled to TK Gorman and suffered a defeat that appeared to position them to struggle in the district campaign. The Cardinals rebounded to win District 1 and then reach the 3rd round. TK Gorman has moved to a independent schedule this season, leaving several openings for San Antonio Cornerstone to test themselves against many TAPPS powers. The Warriors posted a 7-3 record against a schedule that included 7 out-of-state opponents, and then upped the ante last week by opening with an out-of-country team. Its hard to project a 33-21 win over Autonoma de Nuevo Leon to this matchup. We'll see the Warriors against DC, Lynch, Dunne, TCCH, MCS, and Parish this season so we'll have plenty to go on after the fact, but hard to know what happens here. I think the Cardinals take their opener with a usually strong defense. FWC wins 26-14.
Tyler Grace Community @ Redwater -- The Cougars head deep into Northeast Texas to take on the Dragons after opening with a dominant 46-13 win over Canton. This is a much improved defensive outing from Grace, who saw Canton score 40 in last season's opener. The Dragons were a playoff team in 2017, but struggled to just 1-9 a year ago. Last season, saw Grace allow Redwater's high output of the season in a 75-54 home win. The Cougar defense should be much tougher this year. The Dragons fell 42-21 in their opener, but only managed 6 against the same opposition last year. The road trip complicates things a bit for the Cougars, but they should be the stronger side this week. Lower scoring on both sides than last year. Cougars win their road opener 45-20.
Fort Worth Country Day @ Grapevine Faith -- The Lions find a Week 2 opponent that just played District 1 competitor Fort Worth Christian. Faith dominated Fort Worth Trinity Valley last week, 56-0. The Lions were ousted in the regional round last season, being shutout by TCCH. The Falcons improved greatly last season finishing 7-4, 5 wins better than 2017. Faith seeing just a 6 point win for FWC should be looking to measure themselves early for the Week 11 projected district showdown. The Lions defense should carry the day, particularly at home. Faith wins handily with some late scores. Lions win 34-16.
El Paso Americas @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs take on the Trailblazers for the 6th year in a row hosting Americas for the 3rd time. The Trailblazers could not find the endzone in last year's 22-3 MCS win. Americas dominated Eastwood last week, 63-0, while MCS pounded Chapin 42-0. If Week 1 is indicative of the Mustangs defense this year it puts them in a favorable spot to win this one, but the Trailblazers appear to be improved over last season as well. The Mustangs should be favored in this one, but no easy victory should be expected. Somebody allows their first points of the year, but MCS should have this one. Mustangs win 30-14.
Fort Worth All Saints @ Austin Regents -- Another year of an interesting clash of a Division I contender and a Division II contender. The Knights dominated Division III contender Cypress Christian to open the season while the Saints will open the season in Week 2. The Knights went to Fort Worth last year and came away with a 7 point victory. This has to make Regents the favorite in the cozy confines of the capital city. No long regular season win streak to defend for Regents, but still a strong contender after reaching 3 straight state finals. The Saints dropped all the way to 2-8 last season after being a perennial contender in the SPC and Division I before. The Knights should be a clear winner here, but a surprise is coming somewhere. Regents wins 35-21.
Shiner St. Paul @ Victoria St. Joseph -- Using fewer players than some TAPPS 6-man squads St. Paul is always in the mix (in every sport too). The Cardinals had a lean season going just 2-8 in the regular season before running to a state title as they got healthy. The Flyers have a long history but it has been hard times of late. 6 wins in 2018 was the most since 2009 for St. Joseph. The Flyers will open their 2019 campaign in this one after reaching the playoffs last season. The Cardinals would have to be favored given the last decade of program histories except that St. Joseph won last year's game in Shiner. St. Paul's opening win over Yorktown points to a better regular season ahead for the Cardinals. Cardinals head back to Shiner with a win, 30-20.
San Antonio Central Catholic vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ Alamo Stadium -- With a great name like "Holy Bowl" and a great mascot like Buttons this one always makes the cut. The historic rockpile of Alamo Stadium hosts the annual showdown of the largest Catholic schools in the San Antonio area. The Knights have been a consistent playoff contender in the South, reaching the semifinal again but falling to Regents. The Buttons have struggled in recent years in Division I, as the entire group of District 3 teams has in Division I. The Buttons lead the all time series 35-12 with 7 of the Knights 12 wins coming since 2000. Holy Cross secured an 8-7 victory in last year's contest, and a close battle would seem likely after Central's 42-19 win and Holy Cross' 41-17 win in their respective openers. Expect a close, coin flip type, game. I'll take the Knights 20-18.
Quick Hits: (Last Week: 5-5)
Plano John Paul II over Bullard Brook Hill
Dallas Shelton over Carrollton Prince of Peace
Waco Reicher over McKinney Christian
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Trinity Valley
Flower Mound Coram Deo over Frisco Legacy Christian
Celina over Argyle Liberty Christian
China Spring over Trinity Christian - Addison
Austin Brentwood Christian over Austin Texas School for the Deaf
Arlington Pantego Christian over Dallas Covenant
Houston Kinkaid over Houston Westbury Christian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)