Week 10 Results 2021

Plenty of changes on the horizon for 2022 with realignment out today. I might do a post about it if I get the itch. Not sure I remember there being 3 clearer favorites going into the playoffs than Parish, Regents, and St. Paul. It will still be a great postseason though. Good luck everyone as the season wraps next week.

This Week:

Bullard Brook Hill over Tyler Grace Community (44-7) -- Correct
--The Cougars tough season continues, but will make the playoffs with a win over Bishop Dunne. The Guard will play for the district title at DC next week.

McKinney Christian over Dallas Bishop Dunne (47-21) -- Correct
--Mustangs get all the way to 3rd place this year and will get FWC or Faith in Round 1.

Fort Worth Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (67-6) -- Correct
--No where close to what I had, but the right winner at least. Cardinals with just 2 wins on the year, but both in district play. They would host round 1 if they can beat Faith next week.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Fort Worth Nolan (63-35) -- Correct
--Panthers reverse the district title, and seem to be clear favorites for 3 in a row. Vikings will have a chance to regroup and take their shot in the playoffs.

Midland Christian over Plano Prestonwood Christian (27-21) -- Correct
--Great win for the Mustangs, as they will not be the team somebody wants in the playoffs. District 1 makes for a crowded playoff bracket every year though.

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Argyle Liberty Christian (20-17) -- Correct
--Friars get the win and thanks to the Nolan forfeit are guaranteed to be in the playoffs. Warriors and Plano John Paul II will settle last place in tough District 1 next week.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Houston Lutheran South (49-7) -- Correct
--Eagles will play Second Baptist for the district title. After this dominating win they might be the favorite. Both will start the playoffs at home. Pioneers will have to head on the road, a loss next week would send them to Regents in Round 1.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (41-13) -- Correct
--Lions will have a good chance in a wide open Division III.

Week 10: 8-0
Season: 56-20

Quick Hits:

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Cedar Hill Newman International (55-0) -- Correct
Grapevine Faith Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (58-14) -- Correct
Austin Brentwood Christian over Boerne Geneva (48-29) -- Correct
The Woodlands Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (42-15) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Plano John Paul II (56-16) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (78-6) -- Correct
Houston St. Pius X over San Antonio Christian (56-7) -- Correct
Addison Trinity Christian over Houston The Village (44-6) -- Correct
Houston St. John's over Houston Kinkaid (24-34) -- Wrong
Episcopal School of Dallas over Dallas St. Mark's (51-30) -- Correct

Week 10: 9-1
Season: 79-21

Week 10 Picks 2021

We near the end of our regular season journey with just 2 weeks to play. The nature of the TAPPS playoffs these days removes some intrigue as most of the qualifiers are already pretty evident. Nolan's forfeits change things a bit, combined with the messed up bracket in Division I and 5th might be the best place to finish in District 1. Will this week feature the big upset or will it have to wait for the playoffs?

This Week: (Season: 48-20)

Tyler Grace Community @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard returned to field after 2 weeks away and secured a 56-35 victory over McKinney Christian. The Brook Hill defense has been the strong unit all year, and them in position to get the 2nd seed in District 2. Last week's performance not being the ideal way to head into the key district games. The Cougars have struggled all season to a 1-7 mark. However, as I said last week its still in all in front of them. A win here could set up a 3-way tie scenario with each of Brook Hill, Grace, and McKinney Christian at 2 losses. I assume Brook Hill would not be put behind them just because Bishop Dunne couldn't play. The offensive struggles leave a lot of doubt about if the Cougars and spring the road upset. Will the Guard be looking ahead to Dallas Christian next week and a shot at the district title? With two teams familiar with each other, don't expect a blowout. The Guard and better and at home though. Brook Hill wins 28-14.

Dallas Bishop Dunne @ McKinney Christian -- The Falcons returned to the field in a non-district game after 2 cancellations, falling 22-7 to DasCHE. The 4-3 mark for the Bishop Dunne is an improvement over last year where they lost all 4 games they played and fail to score on the season. The Mustangs continue to improve in Division II and still have a path to finishing in the top 2 in District 2. The record is just 3-5 this season, with the struggles coming on defense. 120 points allowed in 2 weeks against the top of the district. The return to the lesser district opponents should do the Mustangs well. It should be a better contest than last year's 56-0 Mustang blowout, but MCA is still the favorite here and should slide into at least 3rd in District 2. Mustangs win 44-20.

Fort Worth Christian @ Flower Mound Coram Deo -- The Cardinals have had a miserable 1-7 campaign, but just need 2 wins in the last two weeks to host the 1st round of the playoffs. While Tyler Grace has not looked very dangerous en route to 1-7, FWC is the opposite. Just a 2 point loss to Brook Hill and a 10 point defeat at DC, point to a record that is worse than the quality of the Cardinals. In the first big district test last week, the Cardinals struggled to just 7 points and a tidy 29 point loss to Southwest Christian. The Lions are 5-3 on the season, but the loss to Bishop Dunne doesn't send a lot of confidence into their chances this week. They did take down McKinney Christian and have shown some offensive firepower, posting 64, 55, and 49, in 3 games this season. They also scored just 6 against Grapevine Faith. Last season saw FWC win 48-33. All signs point to a high scoring game and with a narrow path to 2nd still there for both teams a highly competitive contest. Even at 1-7, I think FWC is better but this is close to the end. Cardinals win on the road, 45-44.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers and Vikings figured to settle District 1 in this one, but the Nolan forfeits changed that. The Vikings can still get into the home game mix with a couple of wins. They need at least one to be safely in the playoffs, and honestly 5th and 6th may have slightly easier paths in the playoffs than 3rd and 4th. The Panthers have won the last 2 state titles and all signs point in their direction so far this year. Both teams have been dominant in the district slate so far with Nolan holding two different teams to just 2 points. With far and away the best teams on the field this season in District 1 this should be a good one. I think the Panthers offense is just too much, particularly at home on the blue turf. Parish wins 33-28.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Midland Christian -- The Lions head west trying to cement a spot in the home game or bye half of the district standings. The Mustangs have a leg up with the forfeit win over Nolan and a home game in the Permian Basin gives theme a great chance. Strange as it is, these two didn't actually play in 2020. Given the distances there isn't a ton of great comparison points. Both squads have been strong defensively this season. MCS limited Parish to just 28. Prestonwood held All Saints to 14. There is plenty of reasons to like both teams, so lean toward the home team. Mustangs win 27-22.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Dallas Bishop Lynch -- Its a battle of two teams that haven't been able to find the needed district wins this season. The pathway to 6th place goes through this game between two teams with just 4 wins combined (and one of those was a forfeit win). Despite being 1-7, the Warriors can get two wins to close the season and make the playoffs. 6th place in District 1 stands a great chance against District 2 3rd place in round 1 as well. Coach Witten needs to figure out how to get offense and defense in the same game. Two of their best defensive outings, against DC and Prestonwood, saw the offense score just 6. 24 points against All Saints, 20 points at Midland, and the Warriors couldn't keep the opposition under 40. The Friars have 3 technical wins on the year, but just 2 on the field. They've lost big and close, but they've allowed a lot of points on the season. 5 of 8 opponents scored 38 or more. Both teams need the win and probably a close matchup. Lean home team in that case. Friars win 28-21.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ Houston Lutheran South -- The Eagles have seen the bottom of District 4 so far and boatraced them all, scoring 169 points en route to a 3-0 district mark. That leaves the frequent top 2 in recent years of Lutheran South and Second Baptist to play. The Eagles offense should have them in this to the end. The Pioneers have the better record coming in at 6-2, but struggled at Victoria St. Joseph before being blown out by Second Baptist. The best opponents have scored plenty against LSA this season, and that points to a great chance for the Eagles. I do not think the Pioneer defense is up to this task, but they should keep it close on offense. Eagles inch by, 42-40.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Fort Worth Lake Country Christian -- Another Eagles sees the relative newcomers from Lubbock visit this week. Lake Country is 4-4 this year, but has flown by many district mates. Holding their first 3 October opponents to just 14 points combined. Colleyville Covenant did score 28 last week, but still a good outing for the Eagles. The Lions offense scored 36 against a Colleyville Covenant squad that held Lake Country off the scoreboard completely. The road trip makes me worry for Trinity, but I think the offense should hold. The wind could make things interesting this week, but being from Lubbock should leave them well acquainted with the weather. Lions win 35-21.

Quick Hits: (Season: 70-20)

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Cedar Hill Newman International
Grapevine Faith Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
Austin Brentwood Christian over Boerne Geneva
The Woodlands Christian over Victoria St. Joseph
Fort Worth All Saints over Plano John Paul II
San Antonio Antonian over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
Houston St. Pius X over San Antonio Christian
Addison Trinity Christian over Houston The Village
Houston St. John's over Houston Kinkaid
Episcopal School of Dallas over Dallas St. Mark's

Week 9 Results 2021

Really still looking for the big upset in TAPPS play this season. Division I District 1 is where the intrigue always is and the Nolan forfeits will continue that tradition. However, District 1 looks so far ahead of District 2 that it kinda ruins it. We can almost fill out the Division II bracket tonight.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Tyler Grace Community (54-7) -- Correct
--Chargers defense continues to create lopsided margins in district play. Must figure out how to play cleaner games to succeed into December.

Bullard Brook Hill over McKinney Christian (56-35) -- Correct
--Guard with the offensive outburst to put themselves in the driver's seat for 2nd place.

Fort Worth  Christian over  Fort Worth Southwest Christian (7-36) -- Wrong
--This was not the upset I though it could be. Eagles clinch the district title behind their strong rushing attack.

Midland Christian over Fort Worth All Saints (22-34) -- Wrong
--District standings a real mess with the Nolan forfeits. Mustangs not finding the key wins this season. District 1 always favored in the playoffs even if you're 5th or 6th.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (38-14) -- Correct
--Lions keep moving and the final week of the season at Nolan will be huge.

Austin St. Michael's over Boerne Geneva (30-7) -- Correct
--Crusaders will be the 2nd place team it looks like, just that the clear favorite Regents is the top seed.

Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South (47-14) -- Correct
--Eagles now the clear favorite in District 4, but closing the season at Fort Bend Christian is no guarantee.

Episcopal School of Dallas over Houston St. Johns (46-18) -- Correct
--The dream season continues for ESD. The path to the SPC 4A title is clear. Mavericks will have to reverse this result to claim the crown.

Week 9: 6-2
Season: 48-20

Quick Hits:

Flower Mound Coram Deo over Frisco Legacy Christian (38-9) -- Correct
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (63-7) -- Correct
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano John Paul II (56-10) -- Correct
Fort Worth Nolan over Argyle Liberty Christian (38-2) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over Houston St. Pius X (37-14) -- Correct
Austin Brentwood Christian over Corpus Christi John Paul II (57-32) -- Correct
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (28-0) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian (61-21) -- Correct
Beaumont Kelly over Houston The Village School (64-12) -- Correct
Dallas St. Marks over Bellaire Episcopal (21-28) -- Wrong

Week 9: 9-1
Season: 70-20

Week 9 Picks 2021

Just 3 weeks to play as we enter the home stretch, and we get our first big turn of events. Unfortunately it comes off the field, as Nolan is directed to forfeit 3 wins, including 2 district wins. They should still be in the playoffs, but the path to the 2nd bye behind Parish is much more interesting now (if that's even what you want looking at the bracket). Maybe we'll get a twist on the field this week too. Good luck and safe travels!

This Week: (Season: 42-18)

Dallas Christian @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Chargers head into the Piney Woods for a game that has been for the district title some years. This year the teams seem headed in opposite directions, but after a week off its all still in front of the Cougars. Despite a 1-6 start, one home win this week would change everything. The Cougars seemed to right the ship with a win over Tenaha, but 3 straight losses and the an inability to get any stops at critical moments have doomed Grace this season. The Chargers blasted past McKinney Christian in the early stages last week en route to a 64-0 win. After last season saw several very lopsided scores like that for DC, this season has seen plenty of wins but not as many laughers. It can't be encouraging for Grace knowing they lost to the same McKinney Christian team. At home, maybe the Cougars can keep this one interesting for a little bit. Have to think DC is a big favorite here though. Chargers win 42-14.

Bullard Brook Hill @ McKinney Christian -- The Mustangs took a big beating at DC last week and will see the other district contender this week. The Guard figure to be the main candidate for 2nd place in District 2, but we'll get a shot at DC in Week 11. Brook Hill hasn't played since Oct. 1 with Bishop Dunne's cancellation. The Brook Hill defense has led the charge until being bludgeoned by Brownsboro in their last outing. The Mustangs got their first ever win over Tyler Grace and will not be an easy task for the Guard to dismiss. Brook Hill wins but its close, 30-21.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals struggled mightily in a very difficult non-district slate, winning none from six tries. Their 1-6 record though tells us they did win their only district game so far. The Eagles secured the early district win over Grapevine Faith which put the target on them for the rest of the district campaign. FWC's worst loss of the season was just 24 points to an ESD squad that may be headed for the SPC title. They played TCA to just a 13 point loss last week, a closer margin that some contenders (like Dallas Christian). They lost to DC by just 10. A win here and they might go from 0-5 to district favorite in just 3 weeks. Southwest lost to the same ESD and TCA squads in the non-district, but found 3 wins over SPC squads in the early stages of the season. At 5-2 and 2-0 in district the Eagles will clinch the top seed from District 1 with a win over the Cardinals this week. At FWC this is a tough test. The Eagle defense should give them a great chance to win, but I'm going Cardinals. FWC wins 19-18.

Midland Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Mustangs find themselves back in the running for a bye due to the Nolan forfeits. The bracket appears to be set up incorrectly, actually making that a bad thing. 5th and 6th places from District 1 could dodge all district mates while 1st place plays the 4th place finisher in round 2. 2nd round match-ups should be inter-district not intra-district if higher seeds win. Hopefully this is a typo that will be corrected. Enough about the future though, in the present MCS strong non-district puts them in a good spot to succeed in the playoffs. Holding Parish to just 28 suggests this will be tough on the Saints offense. The Saints held Nolan to 29 last week which suggests this will be tough on the Mustangs offense. They also allowed 31 to a Bishop Lynch, which mean the Mustangs might score a bunch. This is a lot of words to say I think this is a pretty even game. The Mustangs have better on the whole this year so I'll lean that way. I think defense wins the day above all here though. MCS wins 21-14.

Dallas Bishop Lynch @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions will not get the benefit of a Nolan forfeit since they do not play until Week 11. 2 wins between now and then and Prestonwood will likely be playing for a bye that week, and maybe a shot at sharing the district title. The offense has left the Lions of late, but the defense has been very good. Liberty and John Paul combined to score just 6 in their two match-ups. The Friars have struggled to just 2-5 and the defense has left them in recent weeks with the last 3 opponents combining for 143 points. The Lions should be able to get healthy offensively this week. The Friars have not shown the offensive power to eclipse Prestonwood in this one. Lions win 44-21.

Boerne Geneva @ Austin St. Michael's -- The Crusaders and Eagles are the best two in District 3 outside of defending State Champion Regents. St. Michael's has started 5-2 having scored in bunches in their last 3 district wins. 166 points in 3 weeks. They were handily defeated by Regents before the recent run of success. The Eagles are just 3-4, but scored 62 in Brownsville. Geneva also had Regents to just 38, their lowest output against a TAPPS opponent this season. The Eagles defense will have to keep this form to get past the Crusaders on the road. When you think a game is close, its hard to pick against the home team, particularly with a better record. Crusaders win 35-27.

Houston Second Baptist @ Houston Lutheran South -- The Pioneers ascended to be Second Baptist's chief rival, but have fallen back a little in recent seasons. However, a 6-1 season for LSA has them pointing toward the top spot or at least a 1st round home game. Its a 6 game win streak for the Pioneers after opening with a dud 15-9 loss to Houston Christian. The Eagles have posted 25 district wins in a row, last losing to LSA in 2015. It was a 49-42 game that night and that is probably how the Pioneers will have to get past the Eagles, outscore them in a shootout. Last week's lesser performance for Second Baptist against The Woodlands Christian, just an 11 point win, points toward a big chance here for Lutheran South. With still the biggest games in District 4 ahead, there is a bit of mystery around LSA coming in here. With the game at home, its a real opprutunity for the Pioneers. History says not to pick against Second Baptist in this district though. Eagles win 42-32.

Houston St. Johns @ Episcopal School of Dallas -- I don't include many SPC games since I tend to know less about the teams, but ESD has been mowing down the opposition this season. The Eagles have taken out several notable TAPPS foes en route to a 8-0 mark, one of the few with that many wins in the state already. TCA, FWC, and Southwest Christian already in the Eagles wake. These two are likely to meet again for the SPC 4A title in a couple of weeks. The Mavericks are off to one of their best starts at 7-0. Just a 1 point win over Fort Bend Christian probably puts them behind in this one and a long trip north is not going to do them any favors either. Both teams got dominant victories over the teams they should. Probably the best game among private schools on paper this week in the state. ESD wins a close one at home. Eagles victorious, 33-26.

Quick Hits: (Season: 61-19)

Flower Mound Coram Deo over Frisco Legacy Christian
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Victoria St. Joseph
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano John Paul II
Fort Worth Nolan over Argyle Liberty Christian
Houston St. Thomas over Houston St. Pius X
Austin Brentwood Christian over Corpus Christi John Paul II
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Lubbock Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Beaumont Kelly over Houston The Village School
Dallas St. Marks over Bellaire Episcopal

Week 8 Results 2021

Other than Division III, there isn't much mystery in the TAPPS ranks right now. Southwest over Faith last week is probably the biggest upset so far, and that might be that we just had the teams slotted wrong. Someone will surprise us soon. Try to keep it from being your team that gets surprised...

This Week:

Dallas Christian over McKinney Christian (64-0) -- Correct
--Chargers dominate from the 1st minute and never look back. Bishop Dunne's struggles likely mean the Mustangs will make the playoffs.

Grapevine Faith Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (53-6) -- Correct
--It was just 22-6 at the half, but the Lions showed their might in the 2nd half. Having already lost to Southwest likely puts Faith in the 2nd slot, but FWC will be looking to grab that 1st round home game as well.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (57-12) -- Correct
--Eagles pull away in the 2nd half. Legacy and Coram Deo figure to determine the last playoff spot in District 1.

Addison Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Christian (33-20) -- Correct
--The Trojans continue their banner season with another win. Cardinals with big district games ahead.

Fort Worth Nolan over Fort Worth All Saints (29-7) -- Correct
--Vikings with the road win they needed to stay in the running for the top seed. The Nolan defense may lead them to a district title and more.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Argyle Liberty Christian (24-6) -- Correct
--Warriors just can't put offense and defense in the same game this season. A strong effort, but Liberty and John Paul figure to be the two teams out of the playoffs right now. Lions should be in the playoffs, but will need to beat both MCS and Nolan to get a bye.

Austin Regents over Boerne Geneva (38-14) -- Correct
--The Knights finally struggle a little, but still win by a comfortable 24.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Lubbock Christian (10-22) -- Wrong
--Eagles bounce back with a win on the road. With Division III looking wide open, there is room for the Eagles at the top possibly.

Week 8: 7-1
Season: 42-18

Quick Hits:

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch (49-13) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Plano John Paul II (42-6) -- Correct
San Antonio Central Catholic over Houston St. Pius X (44-21) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Antonian (35-14) -- Correct
Austin St. Michael's over Brownsville St. Joseph (51-6) -- Correct
Austin Brentwood Christian over San Antonio St. Anthony (48-0) -- Wrong
Houston Second Baptist over The Woodlands Christian (34-23) -- Correct
Victoria St. Joseph over Houston Lutheran South (7-24) -- Wrong
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Weatherford Christian (7-12) -- Wrong
Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (47-20) -- Correct

Week 8: 7-3
Season: 61-19

Week 8 Picks 2021

Another week on the horizon. We've dodged the zonks of cancellations for the most part, but not entirely. two divisions (II and IV) with clear favorites at this point, one (I) with a favorite but another contender, and one (III) wide open. TCA is the surprise of the year, but not being in a division takes most of the intrigue away from them. Where is that big upset? Good luck and safe travels.

This Week: (Season: 35-17)

McKinney Christian @ Dallas Christian -- After a cancellation last week, the Chargers return home to take on the Mustangs. While the 5-1 record points to a promising district season for DC, they've been a bit sloppy in their wins. Just 7 points scored against Liberty, and thorough beating by TCA, and numerous penalties, are the potential signs of concern. The Mustangs are 3-3 on the season and secured a district opening win over Tyler Grace last week. The McKinney Christian offense has produced a number of points in recent years, but struggled to show it against Division II opponents. That has been changing lately with 54 and 56 in district games last year and 48 in a playoff win a season ago. However, last year's meeting was 76-0. That's a tall order to turn around in a trip to Mesquite. Its closer, but Chargers win 42-14.

Flower Mound Coram Deo @ Grapevine Faith Christian -- The Lions welcome the Lions to Grapevine Ford Field. Faith opened the district slate with a 34-16 defeat at Southwest Christian. Just 5 points away from tripling their points allowed on the season. In 5 wins to start the year, Faith allowed just 13 points. That defense is going to hard for much of Division II to compete with. We've seen Southwest do it, I suspect the perennial district leaders in DC, Regents, and Second Baptist can as well. Will the other Lions be able to match that? Coram Deo is 4-2 on the year, but lacks a signature win. A 2 point victory over McKinney Christian shows us the Lions have improved, but 47 points allowed doesn't make us think they can slow down Faith Christian. Particularly at home, Grapevine Faith wins 44-12.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Fort Worth Southwest Christian -- One district game features Lions, the other features Eagles. Southwest Christian enters at 4-2 having just posted a victory over district favorite Grapevine Faith. Perhaps they should not have been the favorite given Southwest won the district last year. ESD and TCA are quality losses if there is such a thing as both continue marching toward their best seasons in recent times, but neither is in Division II. Legacy is struggling, just 1-6 on the season with a win over Tyler Grace, who also has just 1 win this year. However, the Legacy Eagles came in unimpressive with a 1-2 record a season ago and really pounded Southwest, 46-19. Can lightning strike again for a Legacy surprise? I just don't see it given the big losses Legacy has taken this year. Southwest Christian win 49-13.

Fort Worth Christian @ Addison Trinity Christian -- The Trojans continue their big season having posted five consecutive victories. Losses to China Spring and ESD look more reasonable all the time and quality victories keep piling up. Wins over district favorite Dallas Christian and district leader Southwest Christian suggest the best TCA team in multiple years. The Cardinals are a bit snake bit by opponents having gone 0-5 in non-district, including 3 and 10 point defeats and the best offensive performance against ESD this season. They did respond with a 67 point outburst in the district opener over Frisco Legacy. Dallas Christian is the common opponent with a the Trojans besting the Chargers 46-26 and the Cardinals falling at DC, 35-25. I don't think that makes TCA 30 points better than FWC, but all signs point to a Trojan win. TCA wins 40-28.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Vikings travel across Tarrant County to resume the district slate. After a 1-2 start against big competition, Nolan was ready for district play. An opening win at Midland Christian followed by offensive outputs of 50 and 78 suggest that not many can push the Vikings off the district throne. Nolan will of course want to get a state title to go with the district crown they won last season. With the Parish game still two weeks out, I can't see the Vikings overlooking the Saints. All Saints enters at 3-2 with a 2-1 district mark. Limiting Prestonwood to just 28 points suggests the Saints shouldn't be overrun by the Vikings like John Paul was (78-2!). 31 points allowed to Bishop Lynch makes us think they can't slow them down too much. Vikings win a tough road game, 38-28.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Jason Witten led Warriors won their opener, but then 5 losses in a row have them with an ugly record. The Warriors are averaging just 15.6 points per game during the losing streak and will have to find some offense to get in the district win column. The Lions were always at the top of District 1, but have taken a back seat lately to Nolan, Parish, and Midland Christian. Prestonwood couldn't get past the first big opponent, taking a 35-10 loss to Parish Episcopal. A season ago it was a 47-21 win for the Lions. The game is in Argyle and that might bring it a bit closer, but hard to see it reversing the outcome. Prestonwood wins 42-16.

Austin Regents @ Boerne Geneva -- The Knights finally reached the top last year after dropping 4 straight state title games. They've come out with a dominating 5-0 start, with just 29 total points allowed and 3 shutouts. Regents is the clear favorite in Division II right now. With the results so far and St. Michael's already being dismissed by the Knights, Geneva appears to be the toughest test remaining on the regular season slate. The Eagles are just 3-3, but did post 62 points on the long trip to Brownsville last week. Regents biggest challenge is maintaining focus until the playoff games get here. Knights win 48-6.

Lubbock Christian @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- The battle of Lubbock sees the long time program taking on the new comer. The Eagles have been contending in TAPPS football for decades and come to this one at 6-1. They've had some big wins already this year, but its always tricky picking their district games since the non-district slate is so different from their district mates. Last week they took their first loss to Colleyville Covenant, 41-20. The Lions are the upstart in football, with 2021 being just the 8th season on the gridiron. This season looks to be there best, having already beaten defending champion Colleyville Covenant, 36-12. Always hard to read these matchups with limited exposure between the teams. Based on the Covenant results and the home site, have to think Trinity is the favorite here. Lions win 31-28.

Quick Hits: (Season: 54-16)

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Midland Christian over Plano John Paul II
San Antonio Central Catholic over Houston St. Pius X
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Antonian
Austin St. Michael's over Brownsville St. Joseph
Austin Brentwood Christian over San Antonio St. Anthony
Houston Second Baptist over The Woodlands Christian
Victoria St. Joseph over Houston Lutheran South
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Weatherford Christian
Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart

Week 7 Results 2021

This Week:

Tyler Grace Community over McKinney Christian (27-35) -- Wrong
--Cougars get a bit better on offense, but neither team looking like they can push DC off the top of the district.

Grapevine Faith Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (16-34) -- Wrong
--The Eagles push the favorites off the top step and remind us who won District 1 last year.

Midland Christian over Argyle Liberty Christian (48-20) -- Correct
--Mustangs get a win they had to have to stay in the home playoff race.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano Prestonwood Christian (35-10) -- Correct
--Parish continues its reign at the top. Nolan will be the last of the top group to take a shot at the champs.

Fort Worth All Saints over Dallas Bishop Lynch (44-31) -- Correct
--The Saints push by the Friars in the race for 4th and the 1st round home game.

Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph (44-0) -- Correct
--The Eagles remain the very top of District 4. Can they compete with Regents in November?

Shiner St. Paul over San Antonio Holy Cross (24-22) -- Correct
--Cardinals and Knights can't meet in the playoffs, but both have a great chance at deep runs.

Week 7: 5-2
Season: 35-17

Quick Hits: (Season: 46-14)

Fort Worth Nolan over Plano John Paul II (78-2) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian (20-41) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (67-21) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Houston St. Pius X (28-7) -- Correct
Austin St. Michael's over Austin Brentwood Christian (49-18) -- Correct
Brownsville St. Joseph over Boerne Geneva (7-62) -- Wrong
Addison Trinity Christian over Beaumont Kelly (61-23) -- Correct
Episcopal School of Dallas over Houston Kinkaid (31-21) -- Correct
Fort Bend Christian over The Woodlands Christian (53-14) -- Correct
Irving Cistercian over Arlington Oakridge (36-7) -- Correct

Week 7: 8-2
Season: 54-16

Week 7 Picks 2021

District play is here for everyone. Maybe a stray non-district game in a bye week, but the push to the playoffs is definitely on. I think we're still looking for that first big surprise of the season to push a favorite off the top of the pile. Maybe this week. Good luck and safe travels.

This Week: (Season: 30-15)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Bishop Dunne -- Cancelled

Tyler Grace Community @ McKinney Christian -- The Cougars head on the road again after taking a loss in Beaumont a week ago. A 1-5 start for Grace that has seen them score more than 8 points only twice in 6 outings. The win over Tenaha lead to some confidence, but its been undone by being Frisco Legacy's first win and then back to scoring 8 against Kelly. The Mustangs have been finding the endzone, but not always the win column. A 2-3 season has seen losing point totals of 33 and 47. They did post 66 last week in a win. Last season these two played a 4 hour 74-54 shootout, and I think we'll see more of the same. Grace should be better, but the offensive inconsistencies leave room for worry. Cougars win 42-35.

Grapevine Faith Christian @ Fort Worth Southwest Christian -- The Lions took a down turn in the COVID year, finishing just 5-4. It was a regional round playoff appearance through. Something to build on for this year as they've already matched the 5 wins from a season ago during their undefeated start. The Eagles were the surprise of 2020, reaching the semifinals. A notable 33-7 domination for Southwest last year was the launching point for that campaign. After 3 wins to start the Eagles took defeats at strong ESD and TCA squads. The Lions look to be the favorite in District 1, but we'll know for sure this week. Faith scores a couple of home runs on the Southwest Christian baseball field and wins a close one, 28-21.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Midland Christian -- The rivalry is renewed again, allowing us to revisit the "Game of Inches". The UNT soccer team now calls that field home as the Warriors moved up to Argyle. With the campus movements and stadium rebuilds, this matchup has been played at 6 different home fields and at least 1 neutral site. While the past is fun, the current teams will decide this one. The Mustangs are 3-2, but 0-2 in district play. They have played the top two teams already so could run the table to 5-2, and probably are favored to do so. Liberty lost by a bunch to Pulaski Academy from Little Rock last week and has taken a strange route to 1-4. Driving to the Permian Basin probably isn't the best choice for getting yourself right. The Warriors haven't been able to have good offense and good defense in the same week. Hold DC to 7, score just 6. Score 24 against All Saints, allow 41. I can't see them putting it together in Midland. Mustangs win 40-20.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions had a COVID season last year at just 4-4, admittedly an asterisk season but it was Prestonwood's fewest wins in a season since 2008. While being known for offense for a decade or more, it was the defense the last few years that was leading Prestonwood. The offense has been back this year though, opening with 111 points in 2 weeks. The win over Coppell put everyone on notice and losing to Garland looks better and better with each win by the Owls. The Panthers are the defending champs in Division I and nothing so far has changed that. A tidy win over Midland Christian to get to 2-0 in district play put Parish in the drivers seat going into the off week. The showdown with Nolan looms in Week 10, and not getting tripped before then is the challenge. I don't think the Panthers run away in this one, but someone has to push the king off the mountain. Parish wins 35-28.

Dallas Bishop Lynch @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Friars head West in search of a 2nd district win. An up and down 2-3 start leaves a lot of questions for Bishop Lynch. With a win over John Paul already, just one more district win would likely put the Friars in the top 6 and the playoffs. The Saints put up a respectable performance in a 14 point loss to Prestonwood and posted 41 against Liberty. While not a game for the district title, the winner is almost certainly in the playoffs. I'm not sure there is any trend to point to as obvious here, and COVID actually kept this district matchup from happening last year. Home team seems like the best play. Saints win 24-13.

Victoria St. Joseph @ Houston Second Baptist -- The Flyers are the up and coming program in District 4, and they get their shot at the top to start district play. A 4-1 with back-to-back shutouts coming into this one should mean St. Joseph could spring the upset. A long trip up from Victoria is a negative, but one they've made before. The Eagles are the perennial top contender in District 4. While Regents has kept them out of the title game, they've been the District 4 title holder for 5 seasons. A 4 game win streak after starting with a loss mean Second Baptist should be the contender again. They struggled to score a bit last time out against Port Lavaca Calhoun, but always good to see you can win without the 40 points. I think we point to a low scoring game here, and again home team always feels like the better play. Eagles win, 26-21.

San Antonio Holy Cross @ Shiner St. Paul -- We close this week with Division IV title holder and favorite taking on a Division III side in Holy Cross. The Cardinals do the most with the fewest every year, featuring a smaller enrollment than many TAPPS 6-man schools. They've won with good regular seasons and bad, winning state after a 2-8 record one season. This year's 3-1 start leaves open many questions. Just 14 point allowed in 2 weeks, seems like a good Cardinals team. Being handily defeated by Cypress Christian? Could be lack of depth or a sign that they might struggle. The Knights are off to a 3-3 start that has seen 5 blowouts in a row after a 3 point loss to open the season. The Cardinals need to be good early in this one, or the depth might catch up to them. No obvious pick again, so we go home team like the last 2. Cardinals win 35-21.

Quick Hits: (Season: 46-14)

Fort Worth Nolan over Plano John Paul II
Lubbock Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian
Fort Worth Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
San Antonio Antonian over Houston St. Pius X
Austin St. Michael's over Austin Brentwood Christian
Brownsville St. Joseph over Boerne Geneva
Addison Trinity Christian over Beaumont Kelly
Episcopal School of Dallas over Houston Kinkaid
Fort Bend Christian over The Woodlands Christian
Irving Cistercian over Arlington Oakridge

Week 6 Results 2021

No shockers this week and many teams off until next week when district play continues. Seems to still be a handful of clear favorites.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Fort Worth Christian (35-25) -- Correct
--Chargers are able to get the home rivalry win, but it wasn't pretty. DC will need a much cleaner game to challenge for the title or the state final.

Bullard Brook Hill over Brownsboro (43-32) -- Wrong
--The Guard defensive dam finally breaks as they take their 2nd loss. Still think they look at the DC results and will feel they can win at home the last week of the season.

Tyler Grace Community over Beaumont Kelly (8-26) -- Wrong
--Seemed like the Cougars had righted the ship, but the road and field conditions were too much in this one. Still all in front of them in the district play though.

Addison Trinity Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (53-17) -- Correct
--Trojans continue their resurgence. Have to think they'll be back in Division I in the next alignment.

Little Rock Pulaski Academy over Argyle Liberty Christian (63-14) -- Correct
--Warriors bit off a bit more than they could chew with the unorthodox Bruins.

Austin Brentwood Christian over Brownsville St. Joseph (34-55) -- Wrong
--Another win for the Bloodhounds, who have a decent chance of bringing someone South for the 1st round.

Victoria St. Joseph over Wallis Brazos (26-0) -- Correct
--Dominant defensive performance for the Flyers. Maybe a shot at a home playoff game.

Week 6: 4-3
Season: 30-15

Quick Hits:

McKinney Christian over Atlas Rattlers (66-18) -- Correct
Austin St. Michael's over Corpus Christi John Paul II (66-28) -- Correct
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hyde Park (42-6) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (30-20) -- Correct
San Antonio Central Catholic over Houston St. Thomas (35-31) -- Correct
Dallas Covenant over Waco Reicher (31-8) -- Correct
Arlington Pantego Christian over Dallas First Baptist (43-0) -- Correct
Dallas Shelton over Tyler T.K. Gorman (30-6) -- Correct
Muenster Sacred Heart over Willow Park Trinity Christian (26-13) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Marks (64-27) -- Correct

Week 6: 10-0
Season: 46-14