Area/Regional Playoff Picks 2020

Week 2 of the playoffs are here, and there's plenty of intrigue after all the road wins in Week 1. Hopefully we're just 3 weeks from 2 champions and 4 weeks from 2 more. Good luck everyone on the road to state. 

Division II Preview:

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Eagles opened November with a trip to Mesquite and they will close November with a trip to Mesquite. Back on 11/6, Legacy traveled to DC and played well in the early going and captured an early lead. The rushing attack of the Eagles moved the ball well through much of the game, but managed just 16 points. If they can get things in gear offensively they have a chance to score a road upset like so many did last week. Given the Eagles ground game they will need the lead early. The Chargers have won games big and bigger this season, with 36 being the closest margin. DC has scored early and often outside of two games. 2nd half dominance was needed against Argyle Liberty in the season opener and in the Chargers last outing against this Legacy squad. They turned a 14 point game at the half into a 42 point win against Liberty and a 3-0 deficit into a 40 point win over Legacy. I come back to the idea that Eagles must get the lead to have a chance. The 16 they scored in the first meeting was the most DC allowed all year, but won't be close to enough this week. After the big loss to FWC, I just don't see how the Eagles find the needed form in this one. Chargers win the rematch. 45-14.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Grapevine Faith Christian -- The Lions had bigger hopes for this season, but did rebound from a 1-2 start to finish 4-2 and secure the 2nd spot thanks to Legacy's loss to FWC. Faith needed OT to get by FWC the last time we saw them back on November 12. The Guard scored a come from behind victory in the opener of FWC, but when last we saw them they were being shutout by Tyler Grace. This was after Grace had allowed 117 in its previous two games. The off weeks make this such a strange season and I don't know where the twists and turns will take us. The Guard squad that played FWC and Anahuac has a good chance at the road upset. The Brook Hill team that played TCA and Grace has no chance at all. Faith has allowed some points on the year with opponents scoring 33+ 3 weeks in a row at one point. Brook Hill has been so hit and miss this year that I'm not sure what to think. Home teams always feel like the safer choice, but that move backfired last week. Lions win 35-28.

Fort Worth Christian @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cardinals are the only team in the northern half to play last week, dominating Hyde Park 62-21. This is a week after beating up Legacy 49-14. In contrast though, FWC entered play on October 30th winless at 0-3. The Cougars are bit Jekyll and Hyde like their Smith County neighbors. They just have the 1 loss to DC, but it was a big one. Needing OT to beat Cypress Christian is less than inspiring, but it is a win. Dominating Legacy and Brook Hill bodes well. Allowing 54 to McKinney Christian does not. The Cardinals are playing better, but how much better is Grace playing right now. I tend to land on home teams in the playoffs, but this is a spot for road upset. It is Grace's best chance to reach the semis in many seasons with a favorable bracket that has both DC and Faith in a different quarter. Last time these two played was a 2016 playoff game at Grace that saw 108 points in a 56-52 Grace win that was featured on DFW radio in "Homer Call of the Week." We can only hope this one is just as exciting. Grace wins a thriller again, but not quite so many points. Cougars win 41-40.

McKinney Christian @ Fort Worth Southwest Christian -- We come to our 2nd Eagles of the week as the surprising district champs from the shore of Benbrook Lake host a playoff game for the first time since I believe 2004. They've actually won 2 road playoff games since they last hosted one. The Mustangs have not had the success in Division II. They have looked better this year, but still short on getting the big win. MCA actually scored 54 twice this year in losses and that type of offense could pose problems for Southwest. The Eagles are a surprise 6-1 and district champion. Like so many this week its been since November 6 that they played. They were dominant in a win over Coram Deo though so were the Mustangs. The Eagle defense holding Faith to 7 and FWC to 8 are the best defensive performances between these two. I have to go all home teams I suppose. Eagles should score enough to win. Southwest wins 35-20.

Brownsville St. Joseph @ Austin Regents -- The Knights have been the power of the southern districts in Division II and that remains a constant in 2020. Its been a dominant campaign for Regents allowing just 49 points in 6 games this year. 28 were in one game and they still won that one by 28. The Knights have scored 55+ in their last 3 games but as a product of 2020 they haven't played since October 30. The Bloodhounds will travel north for a rematch of an October 23rd game where Regents shut them out 55-0. That game was the last part of an ugly 1-3 start for St. Joseph. The rebounded with 3 wins in their last 4, including 2 since Regents last played. The Bloodhounds offense has exploded for 110 points in the last 2 weeks, and a road upset of Lutheran South last week. The Hounds should be closer than they were in October and the layoff might make things interesting, but turning around 55 points is a tall order. Knights win 42-14.

Corpus Christi John Paul II @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian -- Our 3rd Eagles of the week is the Fort Bend Christian Eagles who are having their best season since a 7-0 start in 2014. Only Kinkaid and Second Baptist have gotten the better of the Eagles. There have been relatively few blowouts on the campaign, but still several good wins. In their most recent outing they bested Cypress Christian by 14. The Centurions have had a resurgent couple of seasons, but have struggled against the best in District 3. When last we saw JP2 they dropped a 17 point decision to Geneva in the regular season finale. They took a walkover to reach Round 2 when Frassati had to withdraw. This seems to be pretty evenly matched teams, so at home with a significant travel distance for the Centurions I have to take the Eagles. Fort Bend wins 33-28.

Boerne Geneva @ Austin St. Michael's -- Our 4th Eagles of the week travel to Austin to take on the Crusaders. Geneva has handled the transition to Division II better than many teams, posting 3 district wins and then a stunning late comeback win in Round 1. The 3 game win streak has seen 50 points scored by the Eagles in all 3 games and scored the most points anyone did against Regents. The Crusaders dropped their opener to Regents back in September and won 5 in a row after that. They've been a force defensively allowing just 49 points total in the 5 wins. Unless the St. Michael's defense was lost over the break I can't see Geneva scoring enough to win here. Crusaders win 35-14.

Victoria St. Joseph @ Houston Second Baptist -- The 5th Eagles of the week are the champions of District 4. They will play this "home" game in the shadow of the CVS Pharmacy at Houston Baptist. The Eagles clinched the district title with a win over Fort Bend Christian on November 6, 33-14. Their other district wins were blowouts with 49 points scored in each one. They were scheduled to play St. Joseph in the regular season finale but that game was called off due to COVID. The Flyers struggled early in the season being blown out by the teams that finished ahead of them in the district standings. The closest margin was 37 in the 3 game losing streak. They've fought their own COVID battles early on too. The Flyers were one of the many road upsets in the opening week and probably are better off having not played the Eagles in the regular season. They scored just 21 against Division IV Hallettsville Sacred Heart and 27 in the playoff win over Brentwood. I think they need at least 35 to take down Second Baptist and have only reached that against Frassati. Eagles win handily, 48-14.

I think we all know where my biases are, so no need to attempt to project the whole bracket. The committee of one has an affection for the interesting mascots across the state so the Division II playoff preview always ends with a rundown of the playoff teams. So even in the time of COVID, for the 7th year in a row...

The move of San Antonio Holy Cross to Division III means we have just 1 duplicate mascot this year, but we hope the best for all 5 Eagles anyway. A few common names take shot at the crown as well as some fun newcomers. Good luck to everyone on the road to state, 5 Eagles, the Knights, the Cardinals, the Cougars, the Lions, the Mustangs, the Crusaders, the Guard, the Flyers, the Centurions, and the Bloodhounds. Then we always finish with wishing the best of luck to the Chargers! 

Bonus Division I Picks:

Fort Worth Nolan vs. Plano John Paul II @ Globe Life Park -- The Division I bracket brings us a lot of district matchups. Though in 2020, they didn't actually play in the regular season. The Vikings entered the season as the 2nd favorite in District 1, behind defending state champion Parish Episcopal. They lived up to that billing and then some beating Parish in the regular season finale, 31-14. That gave Nolan the opening round bye into the Regional round. Those 31 were actually the Vikings lowest output of the season, having scored plenty of points in their 6-0 season. They haven't been invincible, allowing quite a few points in the first half. Pretty fitting of the team that used to play where this game will be. That said the Vikings have been dominant in 2nd halves. The Cardinals did not get to play Nolan in the regular season. When they've been able to dodge the virus, they've been excellent for the most part. Dominating Midland Christian and playing Parish to OT the biggest examples. They disappointed against Prestonwood, but are still a long way from the teams that lost 33 in a row. Last season these two were in the same position, regional round, Nolan had a bye. The Cardinals won that one 49-15. This should be a reversal based on the regular season, but I'm not sure. Coach Teague seems to have the Cardinals play their best when they should be up against it. I'm taking Nolan but don't feel good about it. Vikings win 30-28.

Midland Christian vs. Houston St. Thomas @ Fredricksburg -- The Mustangs took the long trip to Houston and scored 64 against St. Pius X in a huge victory. Last season MCS opened the playoffs with a win over St. Pius, but did it at home. The Mustangs have beaten the teams they should've but struggled a little after a season opening tromp of Wall. They looked good in a loss to Parish, but very underwhelming at John Paul. The MCS team that nearly beat Parish and beat Wall by 35 has a great chance here. Our 6th Eagles of the week is the champions of District 2 and the only one from the district left standing in the Regional round. They dominated long time rival St. Pius after they had just narrowly edged Antonian in overtime. The Eagles have beaten every private school opponent so far and scored 31+ in 7 of their 8 games. I think a high scoring game is in order, but it looks like District 1 is way ahead of District 2 this year. Mustangs win 42-38.

Season: 43-19 

Quick Hits: (Season: 64-21)

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano Prestonwood Christian
Fort Worth All Saints over Argyle Liberty Christian
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Dallas Covenant
Arlington Pantego Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
San Antonio Holy Cross over Houston Northland Christian
League City Bay Area Christian over Schertz John Paul II
Dallas First Baptist Academy over Muenster Sacred Heart
Temple Central Texas Christian over Waco Reicher
Shiner St. Paul over Bryan Brazos Christian

Bi-District/Area Playoff Picks 2020

The year of the unprecedented continues into playoffs. Hopefully we're just 4 weeks from crowning some champions and we'll know all the title winners by Christmas. In this weird year, everyone is in the playoffs that wants to be but it leaves us just 15 games across all 11-man divisions given the byes. As you may know the committee focuses on Division II, and will usually have a full rundown of every Division II playoff game and listing of who is in the bracket by mascots. We will save that for the round of 16 next week, but will continue into year 6 of covering every Division II playoff game. Good luck and safe travels! 

This Week: (Season: 41-14)

Austin Hyde Park @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals are a bit unlucky to draw an opponent as they will be the only game in the northern half of Division II. FWC started the season a dismal 0-3 with 2 lost 4th quarter leads, 2 cancellations, and a loss where they managed just 8 points. That 14-8 loss to Southwest Christian set the Cardinals on the path where they would not get a bye in round 1. In their final 3 games the Cardinals played much better. Scoring 48 and 49 in big 2nd half wins over Legacy and Coram Deo while falling to Grapevine Faith by just 1. The Panthers have also managed just 2 wins on the season and were one of the few TAPPS schools to get all games in on all 8 weeks. It was an ugly start at just 1-6 with the only win over Austin LASA. They did close with a 35-12 win over Brentwood, a program on the rise in recent seasons, so I think they are playing their best at the end. The Panther defense has been pretty porous against the best in District 3 and FWC should rival that output. With both teams trending up at the end of the season, the Cardinals should have a clear edge. FWC gets the game at home too. Cardinals win 44-19.

Brownsville St. Joseph @ Houston Lutheran South -- The Bloodhounds are always a favorite of this space, but have been average hunters this year. They were dominated by the top of District 3, Regents by 55 and St. Michael's by 24. However, they are 3-2 in their other 5 games, with close losses to John Paul and Brentwood. Getting the offense going will be key for the Hounds on the road. The Pioneers enter with a matching 3-4 record on the season. LSA was dominated by district champion Second Baptist in a 49-0 shutout. Against 2nd place finisher Fort Bend Christian the Pioneers dropped a 2 point decision. I said St. Joseph needs to get the offense going in part because LSA needs the defense to play well. In 3 wins the Pioneers allowed 14, 12, and 12. In 4 losses they allowed 56, 49, 38, and 41. If the Bloodhounds can score 30 they win, it will keep the Pioneer offense off the field as well. I just don't see it happening on the road though. Pioneers win 38-20.

Boerne Geneva @ The Woodlands Christian -- The Warriors host a playoff game as one of the few teams with winning records on the schedule for this week in Division II. The 4-3 season saw The Woodlands dominate the teams that finished at the bottom of districts and score some points against the higher ranked opposition but fall well short. For example, Lutheran South failed to score against Second Baptist while the Warriors managed 24. All signs point to a Warriors win given their higher ranking and better record. The Eagles finished the regular season 3-5, but scored a mild upset in the finale against Corpus Christi John Paul II. The case of another team playing well at the end. I just don't see the scoring output being their for Geneva in this road contest. This looks like the closest game of the 5 in Division II this week to me. Warriors win at home though, 28-24.

Victoria St. Joseph @ Austin Brentwood Christian -- The Bears are the other team with a winning record in action in the bi-district round. A 4-3 season is a bit of a disappointment after an 8-3 campaign last season. Though Brentwood lacks any real impressive wins. Margins of 1, 3, and 6 over the lesser teams in District 3 while shutting out St. Anthony is good, they had the smallest margin of victory over the 0-5 last place finisher. Scoring just 12 in a season closing loss to Hyde Park is not the momentum you'd be looking for head to the playoffs. The Flyers have seen their season ravaged by COVID, completing just 5 games at a 2-3 record. They dominated last place Frassati 61-8, but secured just a 5 point victory over Division IV Hallettsville Sacred Heart. In the middle the top 3 of District 4 put up a ton of points in three losses. Really neither team has a terribly impressive resume this season, but who does in the time of COVID. This looks like a Brentwood win, but I'm not sure we've seen the Flyers best this season if I can play both sides a bit. Bears win 28-15.

Spring Frassati @ Corpus Christi John Paul II -- The last matchup in Division II sends us to the Gulf Coast, where the Centurions are in the midst of their best stretch of football in 20 years. At 4-4, they still finished 3rd in district 3 but took a disappointing loss to Geneva to close the season. A huge 52 points allowed was the most of the season. The Falcons have been non-competitive so far on the season at 0-7. The closest defeat was 32 and they've allowed at least 42 points in all 7 losses. I try to sugar coat things most of the time, but I can't see this one being close. Centurions win 48-7.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ San Antonio Central Catholic -- The Division I portion of the schedule see a few interesting crossover matches. The Warriors struggled all year, but saw quality opposition in their 6 losses. The trouble is you'd like to hold one of those opponents to under 42 points. The Buttons saw just 5 games of action this season, posting a 4-1 record. Beating St. Pius certainly raised some eyebrows for how competitive Central might be. The northern schools in Division I have traditionally been the stronger squads creating some road playoff wins in the opening round. Even bad teams from strong District 1 have looked quite good against a top offerings in District 2. A 1-9 Plano John Paul team of the past comes to mind. The Warriors may be well positioned to win this, but on the road in the time of COVID, I think they fall just short. Buttons win 28-24.

Fort Worth All Saints @ San Antonio Antonian -- The Apaches reached the semifinals last season in surprise fashion before falling to the bigger surprise in Plano John Paul II. Only an OT loss to St. Thomas blemished the 6-1 season. The points should fly in this one with Antonian scoring 28 in every game and 42 in 5 out 7. The Saints should be a part of that points offering with opponents scoring 50, 41, and 35 in three of their 4 games. Just a 1-3 season for the Saints that hasn't seen them on the field since Halloween. The lone win back in September was a 70-50 victory over Azle. I think the Saints are better than their record, and if they can find their form after playing so little, they should be dangerous. I just can't predict it in this road clash. Apaches win 38-31.

Midland Christian @ Houston St. Pius X -- Another team we haven't seen since Halloween is the MCS Mustangs. The long trip to Houston doesn't seem encouraging, but they are still the team that outplayed the defending champs for 46 minutes. The Mustangs also crushed state ranked Wall back in their opener when Wall was playing its 4th game. Its been a struggle on the road for MCS, shut out in the 2nd half at Nolan, and managing just 13 at JP2. The MCS squad that played Parish and Wall beats this St. Pius group handily. The Panthers are 4-3 and have not looked good against the best of Division I. They were blown out by rival St. Thomas and saw Antonian score 44 against them for the 2nd year in a row. St. Pius had won the last 5 meetings over Antonian before that. This does not look like the Panthers best squad and that might make them the overlooked team in the playoffs. This is a tough trip for the Mustangs, but the Permian Basin inhabitants always know how to travel. Just enough for MCS, Mustangs win 32-30. 

Quick Hits: (Season: 57-20)

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Plano John Paul II over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
Dallas Shelton over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Dallas First Baptist over Fort Worth Temple Christian
Temple Central Texas Christian over Weatherford Christian
Waco Reicher over Fort Worth Calvary
Houston Lutheran North over Hallettsville Sacred Heart

Week 8/12 Picks 2020

The last week of the regular season is here. The latest any TAPPS season has ended will lead to the longest playoffs TAPPS has ever held. Good luck and stay safe and we'll see you next week for the postseason. 

This Week: (Season: 37-13)

Dallas Christian @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Chargers started slowly against Legacy and it looked like it could be close to the end. The big plays put DC ahead by a bunch in the 3rd and led to another 40 point win. At 6-0, 5 wins have been by 40+ with the other by 36. The Guard disappointing offensively against Grace, locking them into the 3rd place position in District 2 unless they can spring the upset. Both losses for Brook Hill have been shutouts. While a 4-2 campaign is hardly a poor one, the opening win over FWC had to lead to some increased expectations and they haven't really delivered on those. The common opponents just doesn't bode well for the Guard here. DC scored 9 touchdowns against Grace and Brook Hill failed to score. The Chargers posted 76 at McKinney Christian while the Guard scored just 35 at home against the same squad. The upset is hard to imagine here, but road games when you've only played 1 all year to this point would how it would happen. Chargers just too much, DC wins 45-12. (Cancelled)

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Eagles looked game for the 1st half at DC. Leading 3-0 deep into the 1st and trailing just 11 at the half it seemed they would be in it to the end. A 21-0 3rd quarter got the game out of reach and they ultimately fell by 40. 16 was the most scored on DC this year and I think Legacy would be better in a rematch. The Cardinals had a rocky start to the year with late defeats and cancelled games. FWC was finally able to reach the win column over Coram Deo and had a lead late last week against Faith. Faith squeaked by 21-20 positioning this as a possible 3rd place game. Legacy lost to Faith 49-35 after leading much of the way. With this being the last game of the district season, depending on the tiebreakers, its possible a win vaults Legacy to 1st and a loss drops them to 4th. FWC can only reach 3rd place given they already have 2 losses in district play. If Legacy avoids the turnover bug that can plague option teams from time to time they should be in position to win this. Road wins are always tough and despite being 1-4, FWC is no easy out. FWC finds a way at home, 28-26.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Fort Worth Nolan -- The much anticipated District 1 showdown will finally happen (he says hoping not to jinx things). The Panthers have started 6-0, but not without some bumps. Both MCS and JP2 largely controlled games and had late leads. Its a point in Parish's favor that they are never out, but it certainly leaves room for doubt. The Vikings 5-0 start included a dominant 2nd half against Midl Christian, but they didn't have to see John Paul in the regular season. Nolan struggled a little more with Prestonwood, but still won handily. I think these may be the best defenses the teams see and with a week off to prepare I think we get a big of a slug fest here. Given the late heroics of the Panthers thus far and their status as the champs I'll have to lean that direction. Panthers win the district title, 22-20.

Plano John Paul II @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions have suffered as many schedule changes as anyone, this week is no exception. MaxPreps actually still doesn't have this one right. Especially by Prestonwood standards its been a struggle of a year. They haven't really been close in the "big" games. Though they did only lose to Nolan by 14. The Cardinals have been close on the other hand. Last we saw the Cardinals, they took Parish to OT. Its just a 2-2 season so far for JP2. They suffocated the MCS offense before that in a 24-13 win. Given the Parish blowout of Prestonwood, I feel like I should lean toward John Paul. It just doesn't feel like a game that sets up well for either team. When I don't feel good either way, just take the home team. Prestonwood wins 35-31.

Episcopal School of Dallas @ Addison Trinity Christian -- Will work the Trojans in to finish off their regular season. TCA was on a 21 game losing streak to start 2020, but have gone 3-1 on the season. Its been a while since we've seen the Trojans, who last shut out Brook Hill on Oct. 23. The Eagles are 2-0 onthis renegade SPC season, having held Trinity Valley and St. Marks to just 9 points combined. The loss to Legacy seems a bit odd for TCA at this point of the season given wins over FWC and blowing out Brook Hill. This should be an interesting game, even if the stakes are pretty low. I think TCA gets another win to close out the season. The Trojan offense should be the best ESD has seen this year. Trojans win at home, 28-21.

San Antonio Holy Cross @ Schertz John Paul II -- The Knights have been a contender for Division II in recent years, but find themselves in Division III in this odd season. After a couple of nice wins over the always strong pair of Shiner St. Paul and Hallettsville Sacred Heart, the Knights were absolutely demolished by Central Texas Christian. A strange trio of results. Giving up 26 to Hyde Park who only matched that total once in their next 6 game doesn't bode well either. So why does this game make the list? Well it will decide the playoff seeding on the Division III side of the district with the winner avoiding a district champion opponent in the area round. Also, Knights vs. Guardians is a great pairing. The Guardians were also blown out by Central Texas Christian. They were also dominated by Shiner St. Paul. No shame in that, but Holy Cross wins that common opponent. This seems to be a close game. I think the Guardians will struggle to score, but that has been a problem for the Knights in big game in the recent past. Knights have enough here I think. Holy Cross wins 28-21.

San Antonio Antonian @ San Antonio Central Catholic -- The Apaches have followed up last year's surprise semifinal appearance with a good season. By far the closest district opponent to St. Thomas, Antonian fell by 7 in OT for their only loss of the season. The Buttons are just 4-1, being limited by the schedule changes of 2020, but haven't been as dominant against the common opponents. That said they weren't blown out by St. Thomas and there is no reason to think they won't be competitive here. The Apaches look to be the better team and the offense has posted 40+ in 5 of 7 outings this year. Antonian should have enough, but this space does love a mascot of Buttons. Apaches win 42-29. (Cancelled)

Shiner St. Paul @ Austin St. Michaels -- We'll add this one to make up for the cancelled DC game. The Cardinals will travel to Austin for a interdivision game that cross two divisions. The Cardinals are 5-1 on the season and rarely lose inside of Division IV. However,  the Crusaders are a Division II squad. St. Paul has never been scared off by numbers, playing 11-man with fewer students that at least 10 TAPPS 6-man programs. Dominant wins over Central Texas Christian and Hallettsville Sacred Heart speak well for the Cardinals chances in this tough road game. Its a tough one given the Crusaders 5-1 record. Only dropping the opener to Regents and have been stingy defensively with only Regents managing more than 20 points. The Crusaders struggled a bit with a 1-6 Hyde Park team and will need to better from the jump against St. Paul. Always enjoy seeing these cross division games to make some comparisons. I'm going to go with St. Mikes, because I think they are better than SA Holy Cross and they defeated St. Paul this year. Crusaders win 28-22. (Cancelled)

Quick Hits: (Season: 52-16)

Tyler Grace over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Flower Mound Coram Deo over McKinney Christian
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Austin Brentwood Christian over Austin Hyde Park
Brownsville St. Joseph over San Antonio St. Anthony's
Corpus Christi John Paul II over Boerne Geneva
Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Houston Cypress Christian
Arlington Pantego Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman
Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Lubbock Trinity Christian over Muenster Sacred Heart

Week 7/11 Picks 2020

We get another week closer to the end of the strangest regular season in TX HS Football history. The playoff picture is a bit clearer. Some districts will be decided this week. The effects of COVID and bye weeks should make for an interesting playoffs. Stay safe and good luck this week.

This Week: (Season: 34-11)

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Dallas Christian -- This will possibly be a meeting of the champions of Districts 1 and 2. That took a hit last week as Legacy fell to Grapevine Faith putting us on a 3-way tie path. The Eagles will travel to Mesquite for a football game for just the 3rd time in school history and just the 4th meeting overall between these two. In the last meeting the Chargers won a 17-3 decision in the opening round of the 2018 playoffs. That seems so long ago at this point. Its been a dominant campaign thus far for the Chargers, tallying at least 48 points in all 5 games thus far. 36 points is the closest margin in the 5-0 start. The Eagles have started 3-3 but notched a couple of notable wins along the way. A 23-20 win over TCA looks better with TCA shutting out Brook Hill a few weeks later. The 2nd half domination of Southwest Christian seemed to put them on track for a district title. Last week's slip up against Faith muddies the water a bit. Seeing DC put 63 on Tyler Grace can not be encouraging for Legacy given the 42-21 loss they took against Grace to open the season. The Eagles rushing attack will have a lot to deal with given the DC defense has allowed just 40 points on the entire season. The offensive attack for Legacy should let them hold the score a little more in check, but it seems DC has too much to offer based on the results this year. Chargers win 43-14.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Tyler Grace Community -- With Grace's defeat in Mesquite last week, this appear to be a de facto 2nd place game in District 2. The winner will almost certainly get the 2nd bye from this district. These two have contested the middle places in the district for a number of years. Last year, Grace fell to Brook Hill 33-28 to begin a 4 game slide to close the season. The Guard started a 3 game win streak with that win and would win a road playoff game in round 1 after securing the better seed. The Cougars were off to a 4-0 start and while not scoring much against Cypress Christian had been impressive offensively. How they respond to the blowout loss to DC this week will be interesting to see. Being back at home is certainly a perk for the Cougars. The Guard have their own 4-1 record to match Grace, but the blowout loss to TCA really changed the mood. Brook Hill has been less impressive offensively compared to Grace. In contrast though Brook Hill held McKinney Christian to just 8 while they scored 54 against Grace. I think this solely rests on the Guard defense against the Cougar offense. I expect Brook Hill to score around 30, does Grace match that total? Cougars win at home, 40-30.

Grapevine Faith Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals have had a campaign of adversity. Starting 0-3 with 2 cancelled will certainly lessen expectations. However, they responded with a 2nd half victory over Coram Deo that was very similar to Faith's win. The Lions loss to Southwest Christian changed the outlook for District 1, but their victory over Frisco Legacy changed it back somewhat. A Faith win would set things up for a 3-way tie, but Cardinals could just as easily win their last 2 and be right in the mix for the top spot. The Cardinals have lost 2 double digit 4th quarter leads this season and just changing those results makes them 3-1 and gives us a totally different outlook. Faith won a year ago, 27-23. FWC won 2 years ago, 38-27. This should be a close game, and I think in 2020 you go with the home team. Cardinals win 21-18.

Plano John Paul II @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Cardinals surprised me with their strong performance against Parish last week. Looks like District 1 will still come down to Nolan vs. Parish, but John Paul is a stronger contender for December than I realized. The Saints have struggled so far this year, dropping all 3 district contests so far. All Saints scored just 7 points against Parish and can't be encouraged to see 51 on the board for JP2 last week. I think COVID and the uncertainty seems to have impacted All Saints more than most, but it just doesn't seem favorable. The good news is the game is in Fort Worth. The Cardinals defense should be able to replicate much of what the other district opponents have done so far. John Paul probably doesn't produce the big 51 point total a 2nd week in a row, but I think they have enough. Cardinals win 30-20.

Midland Christian @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Mustangs have been great at home this year. They've dominated state ranked Wall, outplayed Parish for most the game in a last minute defeat, and then squashed the All Saints offense last week. On the road has been different. They couldn't slow down the Nolan attack and were offensively troubled in their last trip to Plano to play JP2. They did beat Liberty handily in a trip to Argyle. The Lions have not only beaten the teams they were supposed to, they dominated them. Including last week's shutout of Bishop Lynch, Prestonwood leads 137-28 in their 3 wins. They also could not slow the Nolan offense and Parish rolled up 55 on the Lion defense. If the game were in Midland, I would have to take the Mustangs given their success and the difficulty of long road trips in 2020. Since the game is in Plano its much more interesting. The winner here has the inside path to a home game in round 1. I think this breaks low scoring, Lions win 24-21.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ Houston Second Baptist -- The Eagles descend on Texas largest city for a de facto district title game. Fort Bend Christian has already won 4 district games and racked up a ton of points in the process. They just narrowly slipped by Lutheran South last week, 38-36, to set up this title game. For as dominant as Fort Bend has been offensively, Second Baptist has been better. Notably shutting out Lutheran South 49-0. Its been a great season of resurgence for Fort Bend, but I can't see it being enough here. The Sugar Land Eagles will get the 2nd bye from District 4, but fall here. The Second Baptist Eagles win 40-20.

Colleyville Covenant @ Lubbock Christian -- The Eagles are always strong in the regular season, and 2020 is no different. Lubbock Christian enters this rescheduled meeting at 5-0. Things have been getting a little dicey in recent weeks after scoring 50+ in their opening 3 games Lubbock Trinity lowered that to 36. Last week, Willow Park Trinity allowed just 22 in a 2 point victory for the Eagles. The Panthers have had a 3-0 start but the 3 week break is probably not what they wanted in the middle. The 1 point margin for the Panthers over Lubbock Trinity does not bode well given the Eagles 30 point victory. Its an interesting matchup of undefeated squads, but I think the road trip is too much this week. Lubbock Christian wins 35-28.

Quick Hits: (Season: 45-14)

Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
McKinney Christian over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Arlington Pantego Christian over Arlington Grace Prep
Dallas Shelton over Tyler All Saints
Austin Regents over Austin Brentwood Christian
San Antonio Holy Cross over Temple Central Texas Christian
Houston St. Pius X over San Antonio Christian
Houston Lutheran South over The Woodlands Christian
Houston Cypress Christian over Houston Northland Christian
League City Bay Area Christian over Houston Westbury Christian