Week 6 Picks 2021

Another week is upon us. A few off weeks in the mix as teams either rest in the middle of district play or gear up to start district play. So we get a few different teams in the picks this week with the lighter schedule. Divisions I and II look to be very similar to last year, Division III looks to be wide open, and Division IV always fears Shiner St. Paul. Good luck and safe travels on another week.

This Week: (Season: 26-12)

Fort Worth Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers and Cardinals renew their long standing rivalry that spans all of the TAPPS era and before. In their last 17 meetings DC won 13, but FWC won the biggest in recent memory with the 2015 state title game. The most recent meeting was a 2019 win by the Chargers, 46-21. This season points to a continuation of the trend, with the Chargers entering at 4-1 and Cardinals struggling at 0-4. It hasn't been a blowout stretch for Fort Worth Christian. The largest loss is a 24 point defeat against ESD when was actually the biggest offensive output of the year for the Cardinals. The Chargers rebounded from their lone loss with a win of Fort Bend Christian last week, 35-13. We probably have to assume that the TCA loss was the outlier for the DC defense. If the defense retains its strong form, its hard to see a Cardinals team that scored 8 against Cypress Christian lighting up the scoreboard on the road. Particularly at home, this matchup favors the Chargers. However, rivalry games is always a chance for an upset. The leaning of the the author tells you where the pick is headed. Chargers defense holds strong and DC wins 29-7.

Brownsboro @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard have established themselves as the possible contender for the District 2 title, and they won't see DC on the field until November. A 4-1 start with a lone loss to Longview Spring Hill by just a field goal points toward that 2nd hosting slot in the playoffs. Interestingly, Brook Hill has played 5 games and just 1 time has either team scored 30 or more. The Guard scored 31 against Frisco Legacy and have held every opponent to 28 or fewer. The Bears are just 1-4 on the season, but enter this week after a 55-41 shootout loss to Rusk. The Guard defense should be able to compete well in this matchup and at home you have to favor Brook Hill. The Bears shouldn't get blown out and that isn't really Brook Hill's style anyway. Guard win 28-14.

Tyler Grace Community @ Beaumont Kelly -- The Cougars started in a bad way with just 14 points scored through 3 weeks. A nice win over Tenaha pointed their arrow up, but losing to then 0-4 Frisco Legacy dashes their hopes a bit. Ultimately it will come down to the games with Brook Hill and McKinney Christian for a spot in the playoffs. The Bulldogs had regained form a bit with 6 and 8 win seasons after losing 18 of 19 in 2 years before. COVID derailed things a bit with just a 1-4 season in 2020. A 3-0 start has become 3-2 after being dominated at Cypress Christian last week. The Cougars offense decides this one for me. The team that scored 36 against Tenaha should be a clear winner. The team that couldn't score early this season probably gets beat. Its a bit a trip for the Cougars, but they seem to have righted their ship a bit. Cougars win 35-21.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Addison Trinity Christian -- The Trojans have posted 3 huge wins in a row. Cistercian, Dallas Christian, and FW Southwest Christian is a nice trio of wins after doing a lot of losing in 2018 and 2019. After an 0-4 start the Eagles found the win column with a 31-30 victory over Tyler Grace last week. The TCA offense is just too good for this one with 57, 46, and 33 in 3 consecutive weeks. It should continue against the Eagle defense. This space also must pick against teams named the Eagles. TCA wins 42-12.

Little Rock Pulaski Academy @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The only team in Division I District 1 in action this week is the Warriors. They face an interesting opponent from Arkansas in the Bruins. Pulaski Academy is somewhat legendary for the mindset of never punting, constant onside kicks, and some other different takes on the way we conventionally play football. They've also been very successful doing it. Somebody has scored 60 in every Bruins game this season. Three times it was the Bruins in route to a 3-1 record. The Warriors won their opener, but took 3 losses in the following weeks. Holding DC to 7 gives hope for the Warriors. Allowing 41 to All Saints? Not as much. I think Liberty can stay in this one, but ultimately the Bruins prove too much. Pulaski wins 60-42.

Austin Brentwood Christian @ Brownsville St. Joseph -- Our best mascot matchup of the week sees the Bears travel south (very south) to take on the Bloodhounds. St. Joseph is 2-2 coming off a district opening domination of St. Anthony while Brentwood enters 3-1 with a domination of Hyde Park. These two seem to be likely in the top half of District 3. Everyone is chasing Regents, but there is room for 3 others in the playoffs. The Bears have scored 40 in all 4 games so far and the Bloodhounds have seen a few points allowed in their up and down start. This seems to be primed for an offensive display, so naturally we probably get a 10-7 game but I think they'll light the scoreboard up here. Bears travel south and get a high scoring win, 55-35.

Victoria St. Joseph @ Wallis Brazos -- The Flyers 3-1 start points to a chance to challenge for the top spots in District 4. Notably the chance to avoid Regents in Round 1 and maybe all the way to the semis if you could win the district. Last week's shutout of Bloomington is an encouraging sign for future games at Lutheran South, Second Baptist, and Fort Bend Christian. The Cougars are off to a 1-3 start and coming off a low scoring 13-9 loss to Weimar two weeks ago and then an off week. Brazos is likely better than that record, but the big loss to Bay Area Christian in Week 2 does not bode well. Flyers win 38-21.

Quick Hits: (Season: 36-14)

McKinney Christian over Atlas Rattlers
Austin St. Michael's over Corpus Christi John Paul II
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hyde Park
Houston Lutheran South over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
San Antonio Central Catholic over Houston St. Thomas
Dallas Covenant over Waco Reicher
Arlington Pantego Christian over Dallas First Baptist
Dallas Shelton over Tyler T.K. Gorman
Muenster Sacred Heart over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Marks

Week 5 Results 2021

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (35-13) -- Correct
--Chargers win the special teams in the 1st half and the defense returns to form. Rivalry meeting with 0-4 FWC next week.

Tyler Grace Community over Frisco Legacy Christian (30-31) -- Wrong
--Cougars unable to close the deal in Frisco. Legacy into the win column for the 1st time this season after a tough opening slate.

Bullard Brook Hill over Fort Worth Christian (23-20) -- Correct
--Guard just escape North Richland Hills with a win. FWC has to go to DC to try and get their 1st win this year.

Addison Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (33-7) -- Correct
--Trojans continue having a big season as an independent. Have to think they'll be back in Division I next season.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Midland Christian (28-14) -- Correct
--Panthers still can't be pushed off the mountain. Mustangs will have to settle for a home game as 3rd or 4th in District 1.

Grapevine Faith Christian over San Antonio Holy Cross (42-0) -- Correct
--Dominant performance on a long trip for the Lions. Have to think they are the favorites In District 1, but Southwest won't be an easy out. Knights should see better times against Division III opponents.

Brownsville St. Joseph over San Antonio St. Anthony (46-18) -- Correct
--Bloodhounds into the win column in district. Everyone looking for that 2nd hosting spot in the playoffs behind Regents in District 3.

Week 5: 6-1
Season: 26-12 

Quick Hits:

McKinney Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (41-49) -- Wrong
Austin Regents over Austin St. Michael's (49-21) -- Correct
Boerne Geneva over Corpus Christi John Paul II (14-20) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Nolan over Dallas Bishop Lynch (50-21) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood over Plano John Paul II (42-0) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Argyle Liberty Christian (41-24) -- Correct
Episcopal School of Dallas over Cedar Hill Newman International (63-12) -- Correct
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (12-36) -- Wrong
Waco Reicher over Dallas First Baptist (21-47) -- Wrong
Shiner St. Paul over Magnolia Legacy Prep (48-12) -- Correct

Week 5: 6-4
Season: 36-14

Week 5 Picks 2021

Another week in the blender and district play hits week 2 in the largest districts. We have some definite favorites, but a few contenders still looking to jump up and challenge for the crown.

This Week: (Season: 20-11)

Dallas Christian @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian -- The Chargers travel south to the Houston area after being thoroughly beaten by TCA a week ago, 46-26. The most points DC has allowed in a game since 2017. The Eagles feature a DC alum at head coach and are off to a 2-2 start with the losses coming by just 13 points combined. After a down cycle where they actually had to cancel a game due to low numbers, they've rebounded to 5-5 and then 7-3 in consecutive years. They reached the Regional round last year, before falling to the eventual champs in Regents. Fort Bend needs to keep the offensive form to beat DC. 40 would have won last week against Fulshear and that's probably what you need to beat DC. Now we saw last week that it is possible. I expect the Chargers to rebound. DC wins 42-21.

Tyler Grace Community @ Frisco Legacy Christian -- The Cougars were being run over through the first 3 weeks, scoring just 14 points. Hosting Tenaha didn't feel like a perfect chance to right the ship, but they did. A 36-14 win over a highly ranked UIL program will certainly put them back in the mix. After a 5-2 season last year, it seemed they shouldn't be quite as bad as the first 3 weeks. They will certainly be well tested for district play. The Eagles are off to a rough start at 0-4. They've been improving though. After seeing 50-burgers put up by Liberty and Prestonwood, they still allowed 69 to John Paul while scoring 43 of their own. Then a closer 31-7 score against Brook Hill gives a bit of hope for district play. With 4 teams making the playoffs in Districts 1 and 2 it is very much in range for both teams despite a combined 1-7 start. The Cougar offense scored 36 on Tenaha, they should find 40 against the Eagles. Grace wins 44-28.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Guard travel to Fort Worth for what is a rare non-district rematch from 2020. Hard to pair up the two teams from last year's odd schedule. This season Brook Hill has an impressive 3-1 start with wins over Tenaha, Wills Point, and Frisco Legacy. The Cardinals have started 0-3 and enter this one after an off week. No ugly losses in the bunch, but allowing 41 in back-to-back games is never encouraging. How do the Cardinals get to a winning number against the Guard defense? Brook Hill has allowed just 50 points through 4 games, and 28 came in their lone loss. I'm not sure the Guard have the best offense, but I don't think it matters here. Guard wins 28-14.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Addison Trinity Christian -- The Trojans return to Tom Landry Stadium after dominating DC for much of the game last week. The 46-26 victory is TCA's biggest since winning a playoff game in 2017. TCA won 4 games last year in the shortened season after having won just 3 in the 3 seasons before. The Eagles (another one?) jumped back into the mix last season, reaching the semifinals after not winning a playoff game for a decade. Southwest is off to a 3-1 start and would have practically been the SPC champs if they'd managed a 4th straight win last week against ESD. The trend has been the wrong direction offensively for the Eagles. Dropping from 50 in week 1 to 10 in week 4. The opposition has been improving in that span too and this is another step. I think Southwest gets back to scoring, but the 46 posted by TCA last week has to put opponents on notice. Trojans win 42-28.

Midland Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- These two met in a classic out west last season, with the Panthers staging a late comeback to win 34-32. The Mustangs looked great in their 3-0 start, and weren't pushovers last week against Nolan. However, allowing 48 is not going to win many games in the deep District 1. Starting with two district losses would make it almost impossible to reach a top 2 finish and 1st round bye. The Panthers have their own 3-1 start, with a lone defeat against Austin LBJ. It hasn't been as dominant as two seasons ago, but the Panthers have to be the favorite in Division I right now. MCS is always ready to travel, and I'm sure they'll be a tough out for Parish. I just can't see Parish getting shut down at home when Nolan scored 48 on the road. Panthers win 38-28.

Grapevine Faith Christian vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ Mary Hardin-Baylor -- The Lions had a bit of a down season a year ago (at least by their high standards) with a 5-3 record and regional round exit. The reversed last year's loss to Nevada Community in a big fashion with a 41-7 win over the Braves last week. Notably, Faith has allowed just 13 points on the season. Given the opponents they probably aren't that dominant, but its still going to be tough for Holy Cross to score. The Knights have been a strong program in Division II for a number of years, before moving to Division III last season. The change in fortunes for Holy Cross if they hadn't seen Regents so much would be striking. Regents took 8 in a row from their Knight counterparts before Holy Cross dropped a division. The defense has always led the charge for the Knights with the offense trailing behind. This season supports that trend again with just 22 points allowed and entering off of consecutive shutouts. The Lions offense will have to produce the points against its toughest test since Week 1. While the road trip gives me some pause, Faith wins 35-15.

San Antonio St. Anthony @ Brownsville St. Joseph -- The Yellowjackets have lost 9 in a row dating back to 2019. Just 2 losses on the campaign so far and hard to know how these two will match up. The 1-2 start for the Bloodhounds includes a victory over Santa Rosa and a respectable 35 points scored at Hebbronville last week. The Hounds probably have to be favored over a struggling St. Anthony squad, and with the game all the way south in Brownsville that cements it further. Bloodhounds win 41-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 30-10)

McKinney Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Austin Regents over Austin St. Michael's
Boerne Geneva over Corpus Christi John Paul II
Fort Worth Nolan over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Plano Prestonwood over Plano John Paul II
Fort Worth All Saints over Argyle Liberty Christian
Episcopal School of Dallas over Cedar Hill Newman International
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
Waco Reicher over Dallas First Baptist
Shiner St. Paul over Magnolia Legacy Prep

Week 4 Picks 2021

Another year of district play is upon us. While some will have to wait a few more weeks, it should be an exciting group of games this Friday. Good luck and safe travels. 

This Week: (Season: 18-6)

Dallas Christian @ Addison Trinity Christian -- While they haven't played as much in recent times, these two go way back to the beginnings of TAPPS. Including DC's 1987 state championship, making 3-in-a-row, won 19-14 over TCA. This season, the Chargers reached 3-0 with a win in their 1st road game of the season. That wasn't surprising itself, but when you score a 1st quarter touchdown you don't expect that to be enough. It was in DC's 7-6 win over Argyle Liberty. The Trojans had lost 21 in a row before last season's pandemic campaign. TCA went 4-1 in a resurgent season. This year the Trojans are just 1-2, but both losses came to strong teams in China Spring and ESD. It was a turn around from defeating ESD a season ago and you wonder if the TCA defense can produce the same type of results that Liberty did. The Chargers defense continues to make the team hard to beat. DC has only allowed more than 16 points to just Regents in the title game over the last two seasons. Only Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill and Fort Worth All Saints have scored 30 points against DC since 2017. I just can't see TCA scoring enough to win this one. Even holding DC to 7 may not be enough and the Trojans aren't pitching a shutout. Chargers win 33-7.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard are off to a strong 2-1 start, with just a 3 point loss to Longview Spring Hill keeping them from a perfect start. No one has scored 30 in a Brook Hill game this year, neither the Guard nor their opponents. The Eagles are off to an ugly 0-3 start, but have also taken on strong opposition. Prestonwood, Liberty, John Paul is a strong group of Division I opponents. They were better last week, scoring 43 against Plano John Paul II, but much of it came late after John Paul posted 62 in the 1st half. The Legacy offense must find that form to get any points against the Brook Hill defense. I'm not sure the Guard can score like the previous blowouts the Eagles have suffered, but it should be enough to win. Brook Hill wins at home 28-7.

Tenaha @ Tyler Grace Community -- As ugly as the Legacy 0-3 start has been, the Cougars have topped them scoring just 8 points through 3 weeks. Regents and West is certainly a tough test to start the year, and while losing to Colleyville Covenant is certainly understandable you'd like to score at least. The Tigers are a strong UIL 2A program and has to be smarting a bit from a loss to Brook Hill last week, dropping them to 2-1. Grace has to find a ton better form to get back on track this season, and we just haven't seen it yet. Perhaps they might have a better numbers advantage against Tenaha, but they should have had that against Covenant last week too. Where do the points come from for Grace? Through 3 weeks they simply haven't. Tigers win 33-7.

Westlake Academy @ McKinney Christian -- The Mustangs are the somewhat forgotten member of District 2, and have struggled defensively in the early season. 112 points against through just two games has McKinney Christian at 0-2. The Blacksmiths make their first appearance in the picks as they've opened 3-0 this year. Westlake is averaging over 40 points per game and seems like a struggling Mustang defense should keep that train moving. The Mustangs have to get better defensively to move up in Division II. This is nice opponent to start with, but I think its an 0-3 start in Collin County. Blacksmiths win, and have the better mascot, 41-21.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Episcopal School of Dallas -- Its all Eagles and all wins in this meeting. Southwest Christian is 3-0 after reaching the semifinals last season. ESD is 3-0 this year after playing just 3 games in last season's abbreviated SPC campaign. Episcopal defeated FWC 41-24 last week and this is a chance for Southwest to measure their district competition. Southwest has scored 133 points in 3 weeks, but this should be the toughest test for the offense. Still early and difficult to match up the opposition at this point. I think Southwest Christian is the better squad, but ESD is a very good team so far. Picking home teams is always a way to go as well. Hard choice here, definitely going Eagles. Southwest Christian wins 28-21.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Midland Christian -- District play kicks off in District 1 for 2021, and starts with a bang. The Mustangs have a 3-0 start with at least 42 points in every game. The Vikings have opened just 1-2, with losses to UIL champion Argyle and and a California team. With Prestonwood and Parish, these are the four favorites for District 1. This game go a long way to determining who gets the two byes to the quarterfinals. Nolan is better than 1-2, but we haven't seen them against any in-state private schools. The Mustangs are exactly as good as their dominant 3-0 record, but we haven't seen them against any private schools either. Both teams should be tested by the other's defense. Nolan took last year's meeting in Fort Worth 38-21. That seems a reasonable starting point for the 2021 meeting. However, the trip to the Permian Basin is never an easy one. Mustangs win a big one at home, 30-27.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers are the defending state champions, but will look to get the district title back after losing to Nolan last season. A 2-1 start with just a 2-point loss to Austin LBJ is a great start with a new QB for the Panthers. Pushing Parish off the throne will not be easy. The Warriors lost just 7-6 to Dallas Christian last week after dominating Frisco Legacy in their opener. They're going to need a lot more than 6 to beat Parish, particularly on the blue field. However, I think the Liberty defense can keep this one interesting. I can't see them getting over the hump, but Jason Witten appears to have the Warriors playing better and I think they upset one of the top 4 before the season is over. Just not this week, Panthers win 40-16.

Quick Hits: (Season: 21-9)

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Plano John Paul II
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal
Grapevine Faith Christian over Nevada Community
Fulshear over Fort Bend Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Cypress Christian
Houston Lutheran South over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
Muenster over Lubbock Trinity Christian
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day
Kountze over Beaumont Kelly
Hebbronville over Brownsville St. Joseph

Week 3 Picks 2021

 Week 3 brings us a few district games in the larger districts. Many more will start district play next week. I don't know if there is a "big" matchup this week, but sometimes that helps us find the best games. Good luck and safe travels.

This Week: (Season: 12-4)

Dallas Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Chargers head on the road for the first time this season and take on their 3rd Division I opponent of the young campaign. The Warriors, with new coach Jason Witten, play just their 2nd game after blowing by Frisco Legacy to start the season 1-0. These two met in their opener last season with DC turning a 21-14 halftime lead into a 56-14 win that started the Chargers on a dominant but short regular season. DC was not as dominant as a year ago in two wins in 2021, but wins over Bishop Lynch and St. Pius X are quality wins. Not sure who is sending halftime scores to the AP, but last week was 31-6 not 17-0 at the half. Liberty's 55-13 win over Frisco Legacy is a nice start to a season with a new coach, particularly when you just won 2 last season. The Warriors should be improved, and the game is at home, but I don't see that they've made up 42 points on the Chargers from last year. Dallas Christian wins 31-20.

Colleyville Covenant Christian @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cougars are smarting from an ugly 0-2 start where they've scored just 8 points. Regents and West are certainly top quality opposition, so I do not think things are quite as bad as they might seem in Tyler. The Cougars dropped their opener to Grapevine Faith before besting Oakridge last week, 35-14. Coming off a state championship where they won as many playoff games as regular season games, Covenant appears to still be contenders for the crown. Both teams have been known for explosive offenses over the years, but are looking a bit suspect early. Both teams may be the right foil to get their offenses on track. Things do not get much better next week with Tenaha on the Cougars schedule, so this would be a good one to get. I think Covenant is too good though and just sneaks over the line for a road win. Cougars win 30-28.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Tenaha -- The Guard took a 3 point loss in a lately scheduled road meeting with Longview Spring Hill last week to fall to 1-1 on the year. The Tigers are a traditional strong program in East Texas and this year is off to a 2-0 start. With 41 and 35 points in their two games this year, Tenaha will be a tough stop for the Brook Hill defense. Coming off a 3rd round playoff appearance the Tigers should be a real contender in UIL 2A. The Guard simply must find a way to score to stay in this one. They did not score 30 in either of their games so far and Tenaha may have the best defense of the bunch. On the road this is too big a lift for Brook Hill, but they should be ready for district play when it hits next month. Tenaha wins 42-21.

Bishop Lynch @ Houston St. Pius X -- The Friars and Panthers complete a round robin of the first 3 weeks as both lost to DC in the opening weeks of the season. Both teams really wore down as the game progressed at DC. The Friars had a much better start in Week 1, leading 14-6 late in the 2nd quarter. They also had the worse finish suffering a 28-0 2nd half. The Panthers managed just a handful of 1st downs, but a blocked punt set up a 4th quarter score and St. Pius offered much stiffer resistance in the 2nd half, going down just 14-6 after the break. St. Pius blew out Lutheran North in week 1 and Lynch bested Fort Worth Christian by 20 in week 2. This should be a pretty even match. I think neither team is well equipped for a comeback and whoever strikes first wins. Panthers win at home 21-14.

Garland @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions earn a mention with a road win at Coppell in Week 2, playing the Owls will get you into the picks as well. The Prestonwood offense has returned to past glory with 55 and 56 on the board the 1st two weeks. The Lions had been knocking on the door for a couple years of a big win over a top UIL program and finally got it last week. The return of the high-powered offense will be a welcome sight in Plano as being unable to produce the points has led to their most recent playoff defeats. The Owls have a storied past, but have been mostly also-rans in recent times. A 2-0 start certainly is strides in the right direction, but the Lions figure to be far and away their toughest opponent so far. Lions win handily, 42-15.

Midland Christian @ Boerne -- The Mustangs were the latest to need to schedule a replacement game on short notice, and will take a lengthy trip to Boerne. Though 297 miles is nothing to sneeze at, its actually 8 miles closer than their Week 1 trip to El Paso. The Greyhounds are off to a 1-1, with a 7 point win and a 4 point loss. MCS 2-0 start is a promising beginning to a season with high expectations. I suspect Boerne to be better than both Americas and Eastwood, but I think MCS is a favorite here. 93 points in 2 weeks points to an offense that might be too much for the Greyhounds. Mustangs win on the road 38-23.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Austin Regents -- The Regents Knights finally got over the championship game hump and have picked right up where last season ended. Regents absolutely crushed UIL 5A Pflugerville Connally, 55-0. 100 points through 2 games certainly has everyone wondering how to push the champs off the mountain top. The Epsicopal Knights were an SPC champion in 2019, back in the distant pre-COVID world. 2020 saw just a 2-4 season where Episcopal never scored more than 27 in a game. Its hard to put too much into last year since it was well...weird. This season Episcopal is off to an 0-2 start, but Parish Episcopal and Vidor are no pushovers. They could be headed to an 0-3 start for sure. I think this is the closest for Regents so far, but deep in the Travis County woods is not where I'd want to see Regents on a football field. Regents wins at home, 40-20.

Shiner St. Paul @ Schulenburg -- Our last game takes us to I-10 between San Antonio and Houston as the Cardinals travel just 30 miles to take on the Shorthorns. St. Paul took a loss to Cypress Christian last week and find a difficult opponent this week. The numbers game probably caught up to the Cardinals a bit last week. Their success makes it easy to forget how small the school is. The Shorthorns will be a little more even coming out of UIL 2A. A 2-0 start leaves removes some of the sting of an 0-3 close to last season. The Shorthorn defense should limit the Cardinals a bit, but may have a tough time scoring. Cardinals get back in the win column, 28-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 14-6)

McKinney Christian over Collinsville
Flower Mound Coram Deo over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Episcopal School of Dallas over Fort Worth Christian
Fort Bend Christian over Houston St. John's
Victoria St. Joseph over Houston Northland Christian
Plano John Paul II over Frisco Legacy Christian
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Malakoff
Lubbock Christian over Muenster Sacred Heart
Dallas St. Marks over Dallas Greenhill
Irving Cistercian over Addison Trinity Christian

Week 2 Picks 2021

Week 1 went about as well as we can expect given the times. A few common opponents already to try and get a feel for how November and December will look. Bishop Sycamore will not be featured in the picks this week. Though my standards are pretty low for inclusion, I might recommend the TCAL consider severing that membership. Stay cool out there for a hot Week 2. 

This Week: (Season: 6-2)

Houston St. Pius X @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers start the season with a 2nd home game against a Division I foe. Last week Bishop Lynch had a 14-6 late into the 1st half before DC tied it just before half and then leaned on the Friars in the 2nd half, in route to a 42-14 victory. Penalties would have been the story if DC had not produced a better 2nd half. I suppose a bit of sloppiness can be forgiven in Week 1. The Panthers dominated Lutheran North last week to open their 2021 campaign. Not sure we can draw many conclusions from that one. Last season ended in a home playoff loss for St. Pius, falling 64-28 to Midland Christian. A 4-4 season a year ago makes us think the Panthers are ahead of Bishop Lynch this season and shouldn't be quite so pushed around by the Chargers. The trip north to the always interesting confines of Wheeler Field present a unique challenge for the Panthers. If the St. Pius can force the turnovers and penalties that Bishop Lynch did they should be in this game to the end. I'm not going to change my usual procedure for these picks, but I think this one is close into the 4th. Chargers win 35-25.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Frisco Legacy Christian -- The Jason Witten era begins at Liberty Christian. With his kids already in school there, I'm sure he'll learn to dislike Midland Christian quick enough. The Warriors did not play last week, instead scheduling Pulaski Academy from Arkansas into the district bye week to reach 10 games. Last season Liberty finished just 2-7, but did win a playoff game and did not go easily in the regional round. The Eagles (always another Eagles) started the season getting blown out by Prestonwood, 56-10. Last year Legacy went just 3-6, though did soundly defeat semifinalist Southwest Christian. The challenge for Legacy in Division II has been scoring. Frequently they've been in games before a couple of quick turnovers or special teams miscues have put the number out of reach. A year ago I think Liberty is the better team, but not by a large margin. Both took similar defeats at DC for example. Not much to go on for this year, but I think the larger squad in Liberty is the way to go here. Warriors win 30-14.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Longview Spring Hill -- The Guard were supposed to travel to Garrison, but COVID strikes again. So this game was assembled this week on short notice. Brook Hill opened the season with a 26-3 victory over Wills Point. The strong defense of the Guard has served them well over the years, and this year appears similar. They won 4 of their first 5 last year before limping home at just 4-3, losing to Grapevine Faith in the playoffs just 14-7. The Panthers come into this one having lost the opener to Sabine. Spring Hill finished just 5-6 with a couple of COVID forfeits in there too. Falling in the playoffs to the Mexia Black Cats (had to work them in). I think these two should be pretty even, so we'll take the home team. Spring Hill wins 24-10.

West @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cougars traveled to Austin to take on defending champion Regents, and took a big loss. Things do not get any easier with a Trojans team that went 9-3 last year and dominated Lexington in Week 1 to avenge one of those losses from 2020. The Cougars offense has been the strength for many seasons. With just last week's blowout to look at its hard to know if that will still be the case. This is a big ask for Grace, but they do get the game at home. Trojans win 38-21.

Fort Worth Christian @ Dallas Bishop Lynch -- The Friars return home after last week's short trip to Mesquite. Bishop Lynch hasn't won a game since 2019, a playoff win over All Saints. With a 14-14 tie at the half, it seemed like the Friars had a chance at a road win, but really struggled in the 2nd half that went 28-0. The Cardinals went to Houston and took a 23-8 loss to Cypress Christian to open the season. I do not think either has enough points in their opener to win this one. I think the Friars offense has enough to produce a win here and just 8 points in the opener concerns me here. Friars win 31-20.

El Paso Franklin @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs opened the season with the always tricky 4:00 game in El Paso. They passed the test with flying colors, winning 42-7. The Cougars enter from a loss to Cleveland, NM, 35-32. I'm not sure there is much we can do in picking this one. The Mustangs are a strong side this year and historically El Paso schools have struggled. Eastwood did defeat Americas last year and so should be just a bit closer this week, but it seems like to big a mountain to climb. Always go with home teams where you can. Mustangs win 35-10.

Cedar Hill Newman International vs. Dallas First Baptist Academy @ Dallas Christian -- Play your game at Dallas Christian and you make the picks. The Saints dominated Inspired Vision last week, 49-0. This will be there "home" opener and with new turf being installed at the Saints Athletic Complex they will travel to DC to host this one. The Warriors won their opener in a real shootout, 48-42 over Life Oak Cliff. Newman last scored a win over a TAPPS opponent in Week 1 of 2019, besting Prince of Peace by a point. They were very competitive with Dallas Covenant last year as part of a 4-4 season in the TCAL and shouldn't be a pushover here by any means. Saints win at "home" 42-28.

Victoria St. Joseph @ Karnes City -- The Flyers know how to get in the picks, but having interesting mascots and scheduling interesting mascots as opponents. The Flyers travel up US 181 to take on the Badgers (had to look up both the highway and mascot). The Badgers took an 18-13 loss in Week 1 against Kenedy while St. Joseph will open their 2021 season. The Flyers posted a 3-4 season last year, but defeated Brentwood in the playoffs. Things have been looking better on the coast after some tough seasons. Karnes City posted a 4-6 season last year and struggled to keep teams out of the endzone. I think this one should see lots of points. We like home teams and fun mascots, so Badgers win 44-35. 

Quick Hits: (Season: 5-5)

Austin Brentwood Christian over McKinney Christian
Grapevine Faith Christian over Dallas Inspired Vision
Houston St. Thomas over Plano John Paul II
Colleyville Covenant over Arlington Oakridge
Austin Regents over Pflugerville Connaly
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Country Day
Arlington Grace Prep over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Shiner St. Paul over Houston Cypress Christian
Episcopal School of Dallas over Addison Trinity Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Christian