Week 10 Results 2022

The story of the night did turn out to the be the weather, particularly in the DFW area. Lots of playoff spots and district crowns determined. We'll start to formulate the playoff pairings this week.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over McKinney Christian (60-0) -- Correct
--Mustangs no match tonight for the Chargers, but MCA will be in the playoffs. Chargers clinch the district title. Mustangs will play for 3rd and 4th next week against Brook Hill.

Dallas The Covenant over Dallas Shelton (42-0) -- Correct
--Knights secure 2nd place in District 2 and will open the playoffs at home on the side of 635. The Chargers are eliminated from playoff contention.

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (36-20) -- Correct
--Eagles continue to find ways to win and will likely decide 2nd place at Grace Prep next week. The Panthers have to win at district champion Lubbock Trinity next week to have any chance at the playoffs.

Tyler Grace Community over Dallas Bishop Dunne (21-14) -- Correct
--Cougars find a way to win with a overtime thriller in the East Texas rain. Grace finishes district play at 3-1, but with Dunne and Faith playing next week their place in the top 3 of District 2 is still a mystery. Huge turnaround season at 8-1 for the Cougars. Falcons will be in the top 3, and could win the district with a big enough win over Faith next week.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Fort Worth All Saints (31-0) -- Correct
--Warriors defense remains the dominant power and clinches the district crown for Liberty. At 9-1 the regular season is over for the Warriors and they'll host round 1 in 2 weeks. The Saints are in the playoffs, but will open on the road as them and FWC will decide 3rd and 4th on the field next week.

Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (28-21) -- Correct
--Eagles struck first, but as the rain let up the Cardinals turned up the defensive pressure. Southwest held scoreless through the middle 36 minutes, but made it very interesting with 2 TDs in the final 3 minutes. FWC clinches a playoff spot while Southwest is eliminated.

Houston St. John's over Houston Kinkaid (28-38) -- Wrong
--Falcons earn the other spot in the SPC 4A title game and they'll take a 2nd shot at Bellaire Episcopal for the crown.

Week 10: 6-1
Season: 60-16

Quick Hits:

Fort Worth Nolan over Dallas Bishop Lynch (27-21) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (27-14) -- Correct
Grapevine Faith Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (17-10) -- Correct
Austin Hyde Park over San Antonio Christian (28-21) -- Correct
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Lutheran South (24-6) -- Correct
San Antonio Holy Cross over Corpus Christi John Paul II (39-6) -- Correct
Houston Cypress Christian over Austin Brentwood Christian (43-7) -- Correct
League City Bay Area Christian over Magnolia Legacy Preparatory (21-13) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Temple Christian (44-6) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Fort Worth Country Day (23-24) -- Wrong

Week 10: 9-1
Season: 74-26

Week 10 Picks 2022

We move closer to the playoffs and many district races are pretty clear at this point. But just one surprise would make any district quite chaotic. I'm sure a few surprises await us, but we can't help but look forward. The weather may be the story of Week 10 as Friday's forecast looks bleak. Stay safe and dry this week!

This Week: (Season: 54-15)

Dallas Christian @ McKinney Christian -- The Chargers travel north with a chance to secure their 7th district title in the last 11 seasons. Dallas Christian struggled through the first half last week against Brook Hill before dominating the 2nd half in a 62-14 final. Finding a way to the endzone is the challenge against DC, only allowing five touchdowns in one game so far this season. For perspective, the Chargers have scored five TDs in six of their eight games. The Mustangs have struggled in 2022, just 2-6 on the season so far. The district opening win over Shelton likely puts MCA in the playoffs. The back to back of DC and Brook Hill is a tough way to close the campaign. The Mustangs have allowed 301 points on the season already and it just seems they won't have enough to battle the Chargers this week. The 40 point loss to Covenant after DC beat them by 40 isn't a good omen for the Mustangs. Chargers win 48-8.

Dallas The Covenant @ Dallas Shelton -- The Knights were not the team we expected to be hosting Round 1, but a win here will guarantee a top 2 finish for Covenant. Only Dallas Christian has been able to solve the Knights in 2022. A strong rushing attack has seen the Knights to a 7-1 mark so far and averaging over 40 points per game. The Chargers are 4-4 on the season, but have been struggling in district play being outscored 112-38 in 2 district games. Is there a path to victory for the Chargers? I think so, but finding a way to slow the Covenant rushing attack will be difficult. I think the Knights consolidate their opprutunity and will open the playoffs at home. Covenant wins and eliminates Shelton from the playoffs, 50-14.

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian @ Arlington Pantego Christian -- The Eagles started the season 6-0 before Lubbock Trinity came to Fort Worth and walloped them 49-0. A 6-point victory over Colleyville Covenant puts the Eagles back on track, but another hurdle awaits in Pantego. Lake Country also finishes with Grace Prep who figures to be the other host team from District 1. So the path to 2nd place is open for the Eagles, but its a tough road. The Panthers got their 1st district win of the season last week, but see Lubbock Trinity next week. Probably will take 2 wins to reach the top 4 and the playoffs, so Pantego likely needs a win here to make the playoffs since next week looks like a tough hill to climb. Spring an upset here and there might even be a path to 2nd place. Just the Covenant common results put the Eagles as the favorites here, but a trip to Pantego is never a given. The Lake Country offense should be too much here. Eagles slide by 32-20.

Dallas Bishop Dunne @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cougars have left last year's disappointing 2-9 season in the dust, running off a 7-1 mark so far. Grapevine Faith really dominated Grace in the district opener, but the Cougars rebounded by scoring 108 points in the next two district games. A win here would secure 2nd place for Grace as it closes their district season. The Falcons took two opening losses to DC and FWC to start the season and have won 6 in a row since. They've also scored 40 or more in all of those wins. This one looks to be "pointsy." Cougars always tough at home and this will be no different. Who gets the big stop or the big turnover? Both teams will have a tough playoff opponent in either Fort Worth Christian, Midland Christian, or Fort Worth All Saints, but you'd rather get that game at home than on the road. Cougars survive a shootout at home, 48-44.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Warriors declared it would be different than last season with a season opening win at Prestonwood. They've only dropped a 3-point decision to ESD since then in route to an 8-1 mark. They'll be one of the first teams finished with the regular season, but haven't clinched the district title yet and haven't even secured a 1st round home game. A win here earns the district title for the Warriors. The Saints are a bit of an odd 3-4 on the season. An out-of-state loss and being a bit snake bit in close games makes the record feel worse than it is. The three in-state losses are by just 21 combined points and include Prestonwood and Midland Christian who figure to be highly placed in their respective districts. The All Saints defense leads the way, allowing just 20 points per game to in-state opponents. So this is the opposite expectation from the Dunne-Grace contest. This should be a defensive struggle. A loss here could mean the Saints are out of the playoffs as a Week 11 meeting with FWC will be huge. A win here and the Saints could win the district title. The Warriors are too good this season though, and win this defensive slugfest in the rain. Liberty wins 12-10.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals finished September 5-0 and having just vanquished long time rival Dallas Christian. They've since dropped both district games to Midland Christian and Argyle Liberty. They were in both games, but allowing 40+ points is a hard way to win. This sudden turn in fortune has the Cardinals staring down the possibility of finishing out of the playoffs completely. A loss would send FWC to All Saints in Week 11 having to win to make the postseason and the wrong results this week could mean they're already eliminated. The Eagles face the same dilemma but with even higher stakes as a loss will eliminate them from the playoffs since they could only tie teams they would have lost to already. Southwest is just 4-4 so far on the season, but has covered all the bases in their season results. The win over Trinity Valley looks pretty good. The loss to Grace Prep looks really bad. The win over UIL playoff contender Hallettsville looks excellent. Being TCA's first win of the season not so much. Limiting Liberty to just 18 points means the path to 40 points may not be as open for the Cardinals as we would have thought entering last week. If the Cardinals offense finds its early season form, they'll win comfortably. If not, this will be a playoff sweat for both teams at the end of this rainy night. Cardinals win at home, 34-20.

Houston Kinkaid vs. Houston St. John's @ Rice Stadium -- SPC 4A featured some incredible twists and turns this year despite only 5 teams in the division. All signs pointed to ESD through September with a 6-0 mark and a win over Bellaire Episcopal. Then Kinkaid and St. John's both beat them in consecutive weeks. This wound up putting ESD out of the title game and Bellaire Episcopal sitting at home this week securely in the title game already after they ran off 3 wins in a row. The Falcons were just 3-3 going into the game with ESD and a 20-17 win in OT pushed them to the brink of the title game. The Mavericks are 7-2 going into the regular season finale including wins over Fort Bend Christian and Second Baptist. By defeating ESD last week it sets up this meeting as the decider for the other spot in the title game. The Mavericks have been better all season and thus have to be the pick here, but the Falcons win over Second Baptist and their own victory of ESD mean they won't be an easy out. The site of Super Bowl VIII makes a great setting for this defacto semifinal game. Mavericks win 35-28.

Quick Hits: (Season: 65-25)

Fort Worth Nolan over Dallas Bishop Lynch
San Antonio Antonian over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
Grapevine Faith Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
Austin Hyde Park over San Antonio Christian
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Lutheran South
San Antonio Holy Cross over Corpus Christi John Paul II
Houston Cypress Christian over Austin Brentwood Christian
League City Bay Area Christian over Magnolia Legacy Preparatory
Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Temple Christian
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Fort Worth Country Day

Week 9 Results 2022

Playoff picture has become much clearer. Many of the home teams are pretty well secured. An upset still lurks in the shadows and will bite someone when they aren't expecting it. Going to be a thrilling November.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Bullard Brook Hill (62-14) -- Correct
--Guard were very game in the 1st half. Scoring first and really having the Chargers on the back foot. 2nd half DC got rolling, but plenty of room to improve. Brook Hill will be a difficult out in Round 1 but will have to go on the road.

Dallas The Covenant over McKinney Christian (48-7) -- Correct
--Knights continue their best season in program history. They've all but locked in for 2nd place in District 2 and opening the playoffs at home on the shoulder of 635.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Arlington Grace Prep (42-33) -- Correct
--Tight battle here sets Trinity up as the probable district champion. We'd like to look way ahead to a semifinal showdown with Dallas Christian, but lots left to do for both teams. Grace Prep and Lake Country should decide the other Round 1 host.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Fort Worth Nolan (42-7) -- Correct
--Panthers continue rolling through Division I...again. Vikings will be happy to see a District 2 team when Round 1 rolls around.

Fort Worth Christian over Midland Christian (22-41) -- Wrong
--Cardinals fall victim to the long road trip to the Permian Basin. Mustangs are finding their stride and it will be great playoff in the northern half of Division II.

Lubbock Christian over Dallas First Baptist (57-13) -- Correct
--Eagles dominate at home and Weatherford Christian losing again puts Lubbock Christian in the drivers seat for the 1st round bye. Saints will be hard to push out in the Division IV playoffs, but have a lot of work to do compete for the title.

Episcopal School of Dallas over Houston St. John's (21-35) -- Wrong
--Eagles got the big win over Bellaire Episcopal and failed to back it up. The two losses to Kinkaid and St. John's will keep ESD out of the title game. Mavericks will play Kinkaid for the other spot in the title game.

Bellaire Episcopal over Houston Kinkaid (21-15) -- Correct
--Knights keep their season going with a 6 point win and clinch a spot in the title game of SPC 4A. Falcons will have a de-facto semifinal against St. John's next week at Rice Stadium.

Week 9: 6-2
Season: 54-15

Quick Hits:

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (57-17) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Houston St. Pius X (41-15) -- Correct
Argyle Liberty Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (18-6) -- Correct
Tyler Grace Community over Frisco Legacy Christian (54-10) -- Correct
Austin Regents over San Antonio St. Anthony (63-7) -- Correct
Austin St. Michael's over San Antonio Christian (34-24) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South (26-7) -- Correct
Fort Bend Christian over The Woodlands Christian (27-7) -- Correct
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Colleyville Covenant (33-27) -- Correct
Shiner St. Paul over Temple Central Texas Christian (37-10) -- Correct
The Woodlands John Cooper over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (50-34) -- Correct

Week 9: 11-0
Season: 65-25

Week 9 Picks 2022

The road is coming to a end as the playoffs are just a few days away. Lots will be decided this week, especially in the SPC where the regular season ends next week. Many big games out west this week. Good luck and safe travels!

This Week: (Season: 48-13)

Bullard Brook Hill @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers return from the bye week for the final three district contests. At 6-1, its been a good season but the loss to Fort Worth Christian will sting a bit. They did respond by pushing Dallas Covenant out of the ranks of unbeaten in the district opener. Covenant went on to beat Brook Hill last week, 28-14. The Guard have alternated losses and wins for the entire season so far, putting them at 3-4 on the season. The only way back into the top 2 and a first round home game will require scoring a road upset this week. Brook Hill allowed too many points in the non-district slate, holding only 1 team under 29. In two district games they've let in just 28 total points, but the Charger offense figures to be a big test. The Chargers have scored 24 or more in all seven games so far this year. Only the FWC loss saw fewer than four touchdowns scored. The Chargers are too much at home here. DC wins 42-16.

McKinney Christian @ Dallas The Covenant -- The Knights started the season 5-0 before a bye week and big home game against district favorite Dallas Christian. After limiting DC to just 14 in the first half, the margin grew in the later stages to a 40-point gap. They returned to the field with a road trip to other district favorite, Brook Hill. After winning 28-14 on the road, it's the Knights that figure to be hosting in Round 1. The Mustangs have struggled in 2022, holding just a 2-5 mark on the season. However, for the time being they are tied for the district lead with DC at 1-0. MCA won a shootout 58-31 over Shelton to begin the district slate last week. The Mustangs should score a bit here. Having posted 58 last week to go with 4 touchdowns against other likely playoff teams, Lake Country and Dallas First Baptist. The Knights have the best wins though among these two and should be a clear victor. Covenant wins 42-16.

Arlington Grace Prep @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- With District 2 seeming to be headed toward Dallas Christian and Covenant as the top 2, District 1 will look to see who will be visiting its top 2. The season so far suggests this one may decide the district crown. The Lubbock Trinity Lions are still in their first decade of varsity football and after reaching the state final a year ago picked up where they left off. The 5-2 season so far has seen dominant performances against TAPPS squads. A 97-0 combined score through 2 district games puts TCS at the top. While we want to look at a Trinity-DC semifinal, there are several hurdles for both to clear before Thanksgiving. The other Lions from Grace Prep are the next hurdle, holding a 4-3 record after Willow Park Trinity forfeited a week ago. Its been an up and down season that has seen 3 close wins for Grace Prep. Just 5, 7, and 5 for the margins of victory in the three wins. GPA has scored quite a few points on the season. 42 against a good SPC team in Cistercian being notable. Southwest Christian was a semifinalist in Division II last year and lost to this Grace Prep squad at home. Trinity will not have an easy one here, but particularly with the long trip to the South Plains the western Lions should have the edge. Lubbock Trinity wins 35-20.

Fort Worth Nolan @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers have won 3 straight titles in the largest TAPPS division and seem poised to get a 4th consecutive crown. The 6-1 start for Parish includes wins over notable programs Aledo, Austin LBJ, and China Spring. The lone loss to defending UIL champion South Oak Cliff is nothing to lose sleep over. The Vikings were the projected foil in District 1 to the favored Panthers, but its been an ugly season so far. The 1-6 mark is the Vikings worst start since 2015. However, other than the loss to Bishop Lynch its been a murderers row of opposition to accumulate those losses. Division III favorite DC, UIL power College Station, Division I contenders Prestonwood and St. Thomas. The trip to the blue field on Midway Rd. adds another challenge this week for the Vikings. The loss to Prestonwood being of such a large margin, 42-7, points to this being quite the struggle for Nolan. Panthers continue their march to 4 straight. Parish wins 42-6.

Fort Worth Christian @ Midland Christian -- The Cardinals jumped up the Division II rankings with wins over Dallas Christian and Grapevine Faith in back-to-back weeks. They had a chance to move up to the top spot while hosting Argyle Liberty and a 1st half deficit proved too much to overcome, falling 44-34. The Mustangs have started to emerge from a tumultuous off-season, winning back-to-back home games over Del Rio and All Saints and holding Argyle Liberty to just 24 points in Argyle. At only 3-4, but with a 1-1 district record, hosting Round 1 is still on the table for MCS. The winner has a clear inside track to the runner-up finish with both teams having already played Liberty. A low scoring slugfest feels likely here. The Mustangs haven't allowed 30 points at home since Parish did it in 2020. The Cardinals held everyone under 30 until Liberty last week. 4 TDs will win this one. Cardinals survive the long trip. FWC wins 28-21.

Dallas First Baptist @ Lubbock Christian -- The Saints travel the road west with many teams in TAPPS this week. Our 3rd game west of Eastland takes us to Division IV. The large District 1 has been playing district games for 4 weeks already and that seemed to set a clear favorite in Lubbock Christian. Then the Eagles lost to Weatherford Christian and Weathford Christian turned around and lost to First Baptist the next week. These 3 and Muenster Sacred Heart will battle to be the top 3 and avoid 1st round road games. At 6-1 and already defeating Sacred Heart plus having this one at home, the Eagles have the inside track to a high finish. The Saints are 4-3 having taken blowout losses to Division III contenders Dallas Christian and Covenant and allowing 60 points to Muenster Sacred Heart. It looked like they might take another big loss to Weatherford Christian, falling down 28 in the 1st half. The Saints came roaring back though to get a 50-49 win. There should be lots of offense in this one, but the Eagles look to be the better squad. Lubbock Christian wins 56-35.

Houston St. John's @ Episcopal School of Dallas -- The top of SPC 4A is quite crowded. Its just a 5 team division but only 2 places in the title game are up for grabs. Everyone but St. Marks seems to be fighting for those spots. The Eagles OT loss to Kinkaid last week forces them into a must win game at home. The Mavericks were dominated by Bellaire Episcopal, 41-7. ESD defeated Bellaire Episcopal 39-35. The winner here just needs to win their final game to make the title game. The Eagle defense has proven tough to score against including a stretch where they allowed just 14 points across three games. The Mavericks defense hasn't been as good, but its still gotten them to 6-2 on the season. ESD has just enough at home. Eagles win 28-22.

Houston Kinkaid @ Bellaire Episcopal -- The Falcons secured a 20-17 OT win over ESD last week, and would almost certainly be in the title game with a road win here. The Knights are a very good squad with a 6-2 mark so far and since they are playing their final scheduled contest here have a lot on the line. A loss for Episcopal probably ends the season. Kinkaid would finish ahead of them and ESD likely would too as they hold a head-to-head victory over the Knights. The Falcons could defeat St. John's next week and probably get in the title game even with a loss here. Kinkaid needs to find their offense here, as I don't think last week's 20 would be enough to overcome the Knights. Knights win at home 38-23.

Quick Hits: (Season: 54-25)

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
San Antonio Antonian over Houston St. Pius X
Argyle Liberty Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Tyler Grace Community over Frisco Legacy Christian
Austin Regents over San Antonio St. Anthony
Austin St. Michael's over San Antonio Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South
Fort Bend Christian over The Woodlands Christian
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Colleyville Covenant
Shiner St. Paul over Temple Central Texas Christian
The Woodlands John Cooper over Fort Worth Trinity Valley

Week 8 Results 2022

Some good games and some surprises. The intensity is definitely building toward the playoffs.

This Week:

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Fort Worth Nolan (42-7) -- Correct
--Lions continue their march since the opening loss to Liberty. Vikings are not in good form right now, but have 3 weeks to right the ship.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Midland Christian (24-14) -- Correct
--Warriors defense keeps them at the top of the Division II heap right now. Mustangs will be tough out for whichever District 2 team draws them in Round 1.

Austin Regents over Austin Hyde Park (42-0) -- Correct
--Knights yet to be pushed from the top step of District 3. A Regents-Fort Bend Regional round game looks spicy.

Houston Second Baptist over Fort Bend Christian (28-7) -- Correct
--Second Baptist looks like they'll be back on top of District 4. The Fort Bend offensive struggles continue, but a rematch between these two would still have plenty of intrigue.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (49-0) -- Correct
--Lions with a dominant victory to put themselves at the top of District 1 and what would seem to be a semifinal against Dallas Christian.

Bullard Brook Hill over Dallas The Covenant (14-28) -- Wrong
--While the Knights could not stop Dallas Christian, they controlled the Guard offense in Bullard and get to 6-1 on the season. With both DC and Brook Hill behind them on the schedule, Covenant should get 2nd place in District 2.

Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (38-24) -- Correct
--Cardinals remain on top in this pairing. The quest for 5 in a row may not be out of reach after all.

Week 8: 6-1
Season: 48-13

Quick Hits:

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Addison Trinity Christian (30-41) -- Wrong
San Antonio Central Catholic over San Antonio Antonian (14-42) -- Wrong
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (37-21) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Dunne over Frisco Legacy Christian (58-28) -- Correct
Brownsville St. Joseph over Austin St. Michael's (29-28) -- Correct
Victoria St. Joseph over San Antonio St. Anthony (38-31) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over Beaumont Kelly (41-7) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Willow Park Trinity Christian -- Zonk (our first of the year)
Dallas Shelton over McKinney Christian (31-58) -- Wrong
Weatherford Christian over Dallas First Baptist (49-50) -- Wrong

Week 8: 5-4
Season: 54-25

Week 8 Picks 2022

District play is in full swing and the road to the state title is becoming clearer. Favorites and underdogs try to line themselves up for a successful November. With Dallas Christian off this week, we need a different flavor for the picks. So we'll take a look at 7 district games from across all 4 11-man divisions and in 7 different districts. Some old and new rivalries that will decide who hosts those 1st round playoff games. Good luck and safe travels to all this week!

This Week: (Season: 42-12)

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Fort Worth Nolan -- Our first stop is in Division I, District 1. The Lions took a season opening loss at home as the Argyle Liberty defense controlled the Prestonwood offense. Since then its been good living for the Lions, now at a 5-1 mark on the season. After winning 3 in a row by just 8 combined points, the Prestonwood offense has come to life in blowouts of San Antonio Cornerstone and TCA. The Vikings have seen the opposite season from their opponents so far. They started with a 16 point over Fort Worth All Saints (who Prestonwood beat by just 3) and then its been dire since then. Now at 1-5 on the season, the Vikings will try to find the form that saw a minimum of 8 wins on the field in each of the last 4 seasons. Notably in 2020 they took down Parish Episcopal in the regular season meeting before having the tables turned in the state final. How do the Vikings find that defensive form again? They just haven't shown it this year, but the opposition has been as strong as any 1-5 team to this point in the season. The bad news is the district opponents are as good as the non-district ones. Vikings did win last year's meeting, 35-31, but I think have too much to overcome in this one. Lions win 31-24.

Midland Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- Next we move to Division II and District 1 for another renewal Midland-Liberty. Both schools drop down from Division I a season ago and both have moved in opposite directions this season. The Warriors finished a disastrous 2-8 last season, out of the playoffs. The Mustangs finished 10-3, losing in the state final. This season its the Warriors at 6-1 and the Mustangs just 3-3. Liberty opened the season holding Prestonwood to just 7 and then just allowing 20 in their only loss to ESD. ESD remains unbeaten and the Warriors defense really hadn't been punctured until last week in the 4th quarter against Fort Worth Christian. FWC closed the margin to just 10 late, but its been the best season since 2018 for Liberty. They've also lost at least 5 games every season since 2013, and so guarantee their best record since then with a win this week. The Mustangs started 1-3 and were sputtering a bit offensively. Traveling all over the state from El Paso to Texarkana probably didn't help. They've been regaining that form in two home wins and now face a tough test. The Warrior defense is too much I think, particularly in Argyle. Maybe we'll get something to put in the history books of this storied rivalry like The Game of Inches or Showergate. I'm sure the Mustangs would be thrilled with just repeating last year's 48-20 victory. Warriors turn the tables in 2022, winning 28-13.

Austin Hyde Park @ Austin Regents -- The Knights have dominated Division II District 3, winning the last 6 district titles. They've started this season at their customary 6-0 pace. The Panthers have also started 6-0 this season, reaching 6 wins for the first time since 2018. A 3-0 district record is the most district wins for the Panthers since 2017. Hyde Park took 3 out of 4 in the series with Regents around those years, but 2015 was the last time the Panthers topped the Knights. Recent years has seen the Panthers fall with the rest of District 3 to the Knights' lance. Hyde Park hasn't scored in this matchup since 2018. Both squads saw dominant outings in the first 2 district outings before squeaking by the next tier of opponents last week. The Panthers defeated St. Michael's in OT and the Knights survived the long road to Brownsville by 10. Regents does not appear to be quite as far ahead of District 3 as recent years, but I don't think its enough for Hyde Park to overturn their most recent 42-0 defeat by the Knights. Regents win 42-21.

Fort Bend Christian @ Houston Second Baptist -- Division II District 4 was decided a season ago with this battle. The Eagles won both meetings, but Fort Bend won the regular season matchup before Second Baptist turned the tables in the state semifinals. Fort Bend is just 3-3 on the season, but losses to SPC contender St. Johns, UIL power Cibolo Steele, and at Division III favorite Dallas Christian is pretty good murderers row for three losses. Second Baptist is just 2-4 so far in 2022, but has seen the SPC gauntlet of Epsicopal, Kinkaid, and St. Johns. With just 5 wins between them in 14 weeks it might seem someone will push these two off the top step, but no one has shown that form in District 4 so far. Maybe The Woodlands Christian can get in the mix, but I think this game decides the top spot. Fort Bend has been better this year, but both teams seem to have the struggle with stringing together the big plays at the right moments. I think they'll both score plenty and I'll lean home team. Second Baptist wins 36-34, but think rematch in November.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Fort Worth Lake Country Christian -- In Division III, Dallas Christian seems to be the favorite after winning Division II last year. In District 1, the champion will likely avoid DC until the semifinals. So far the Lions and Eagles are the top of the district. The Eagles 6-0 start has put them on the map after going just 4-7 a season ago. Lake Country has been a frequent contender in Division III or IV, but seems to on the seesaw from year to year. In 2020, the Eagles won 10 games despite the shortened season. The Lions arrow has been pointing up since starting their football program in 2014. The steady progress saw Trinity reach the state final in 2021. This season a 4-2 campaign has only seen losses to Albany and Division II contender Argyle Liberty. The Lions have almost certainly played the better schedule and last season's 42-13 win for Trinity in Fort Worth looms over this year's rematch. Lions cement their place at the top of District 1 and win 35-26.

Dallas The Covenant @ Bullard Brook Hill -- In District 2 of Division II, Dallas Christian is the elephant in the room. Last week's 47-7 loss for Covenant to DC just further declared that status. The Knights are 5-1 so far on the season, only dropping last week's district opener. Brook Hill has been battling DC for those district honors since 2012, but only bested them once in 2014. The struggles of the other two district members so far point to this game deciding 2nd place and the other host in round 1 of the playoffs. The Guard are just 3-3, really lacking that signature win having lost both non-district games against TAPPS opponents. The Brook Hill offense should be more on track after last week's 54 point outburst against Shelton. At home with the Knights making their first trip into the Piney Woods, it should be the Guard's day but this won't be an easy won. Brook Hill survives a high scoring affair, 44-40.

Shiner St. Paul @ Hallettsville Sacred Heart -- In Division IV we go to District 2, where a solo district opener will take place before the others get into the act in Week 9. These two Catholic schools make up the northern portion of the Victoria Diocese and the campuses are just 14 miles apart. The Cardinals are the 4-time defending champions of Division IV and have won 6 of the last 7. They even won a Division III title this decade when TAPPS went to just 3 divisions. Its been a rocky start so far for St. Paul, just 3-4 through 7 weeks. Notably a loss to Muenster Sacred Heart might remove favorite status from the Cardinals. Finding offense against the top teams has been the struggle thus far for St. Paul. The Indians are also 3-4 and have been with St. Paul at the top in recent years, losing the 2019 state final by just 4 points. This will be the 8th meeting since 2018, and the 23rd meeting since 2005 for the longtime rivals. St. Paul has the 15-7 edge in that time. The pick has to come down to Magnolia Legacy as a common opponents. The Cardinals beat them 49-6 and he Indians lost 41-38 a week ago. Indians won't be an easy out, but Cardinals take the this one and set up a likely district title and 1st round bye in the Division IV playoffs. St. Paul wins 48-28.

Quick Hits: (Season: 49-21)

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Addison Trinity Christian
San Antonio Central Catholic over San Antonio Antonian
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Dallas Bishop Dunne over Frisco Legacy Christian
Brownsville St. Joseph over Austin St. Michael's
Victoria St. Joseph over San Antonio St. Anthony
Houston Lutheran South over Beaumont Kelly
Arlington Grace Prep over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Dallas Shelton over McKinney Christian
Weatherford Christian over Dallas First Baptist

Week 7 Results 2022

One notable upset in Division IV this week. Liberty moves to the top of the Division II heap, but it still looks like the deepest, most competitive division. Going to be a fun playoff in the top half of that bracket. I'm sure a few more upsets will find us in the coming weeks.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Covenant (47-7) -- Correct
--Chargers pull away in the 2nd half. Just a 14 point margin at the half, but Knights struggled offensive

Bullard Brook Hill over Dallas Shelton (54-0) -- Correct
--Guard with a big victory as everything points toward matches with DC and Covenant in the coming weeks.

Fort Worth Christian over Argyle Liberty Christian (34-44) -- Wrong
--Warriors built a decent size lead, and it didn't get too close but wasn't an ideal 4th quarter. Throw a blanket over all

Midland Christian over Fort Worth All Saints (28-26) -- Correct
--Mustangs survive the potential OT as the 2-point conversion falls incomplete with 1:12 to play. Division I District 1 looks very competitive top to bottom.

Grapevine Faith Christian over Tyler Grace Community (50-6) -- Correct
--The Lions dominate the district opener and should be well on their way to the District 2 crown. Not looking nearly as tight as District 1.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (39-14) -- Correct
--Lions have regained form after a season opening loss to Liberty. Trojans trying to find last season's magic.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch (44-0) -- Correct
--Panthers are the dominant force in Division I. Maybe someone can push them off the throne, but it doesn't seem likely right now.

Austin Regents over Brownsville St. Joseph (38-28) -- Correct
--Tough road trip, but the Knights survive. Regents in a group with Second Baptist and Fort Bend Christian to get that South spot in the title game of Division II.

Week 7: 7-1
Season: 42-12

Quick Hits:

Arlington Grace Prep over Arlington Pantego Christian (39-34) -- Correct
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian (42-7) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Dunne over Flower Mound Coram Deo (49-21) -- Correct
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Houston Lutheran South (49-0) -- Correct
Victoria St. Joseph over San Antonio Christian (30-42) -- Wrong
Muenster Sacred Heart over Dallas First Baptist (60-28) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Weatherford Christian (28-47) -- Wrong (Welcome to the party Lions)
San Antonio Holy Cross over Shiner St. Paul (41-7) -- Correct
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. John's (41-7) -- Correct
Irving Cistercian over Arlington Oakridge (38-9) -- Correct

Week 7: 8-2
Season: 49-21

Week 7 Picks 2022

District play is here for almost everyone. A few 4-team districts continue to wait for the games that count. No Eagles in the main section this week, but somehow we still repeated 3 mascots. We'll see pretty quickly how the wide open Division II starts to sort itself out. Can anyone surprise the favorites in Division I and Division III?

This Week: (Season: 35-11)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Covenant -- The Chargers were defeated at Fort Worth Christian last week in the 62nd meeting between the two schools. This week, they go from one extreme to the other. The Chargers travel around 635 for a 1st ever meeting in the long history of DC football. The Knights are in their 7th season of 11-man competition making a steady progression up the ranks. A 5-0 start for Covenant has them in position for their best finish since leaving 6-man. They need just 2 more wins to match their best record on the large field. Its an interesting match with one team having dominated lesser opponents, but shows plenty of ability to score. The DC defense that FWC ran through last week should be concerned about stopping the Knights on offense. The Chargers squad that First Baptist couldn't hardly manage a first down against should control this one. Doing just enough offensively has been the Chargers performance outside of last week's defeat. So this probably isn't a runaway. A game effort for the Knights, but it doesn't seem like enough here. Chargers win 35-14.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Dallas Shelton -- The other game to open Division III District 2 play sends the Guard west to take on the other Chargers. Brook Hill's non-district slate can only be called up and down. A 2-3 mark saw 50+ point outbursts, 40 point losses, and tight 7 point games. Figuring out the balance and returning to a strong defense is key for the Guard heading into district play. The Chargers are 3-2, but just 2-2 on the field thanks to Reicher's cancellation. The Shelton defense has also shown ability and I could see this as a low scoring game. Historically, Brook Hill has been the better squad but I don't think the margin is very big this year. Guard clears their district opener to point to the showdown with DC in 2 weeks. Brook Hill wins 28-8.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals secured a big home win over longtime rival Dallas Christian last week, 35-24. This was the 1st regular season win for the Cardinals over DC since 2007. They did win two playoff games along the way, but its a big hurdle for FWC to clear. The win pushed FWC to 5-0 and sets them up for some bigger dreams for this season, and is a complete turnaround from 2021's 0-5 start. The Warriors are another example of a turnaround, having gone just 2-8 last season. The 5-1 start has Liberty playing excellent defense, holding all six opponents under 25 and just one got past 20. Notably, the Warriors dominated a season opening road game at Prestonwood 28-7. Only a 3 point loss to ESD put Liberty at the top of the contender list in Division II as well. We'll know a lot about how Division II looks after this one. Cardinals at home feels like the choice, but also the Warriors have the best results over the course of the whole season so far. Really good game here, I guess I'll lean home team and defensive struggle. Cardinals win 21-18.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Midland Christian -- The Saints will travel west for their 6th all time meeting with the Mustangs. All Saints broke a 3 game losing streak against MCS with a 34-22 win a season ago. Its a season of change in the Permian Basin as they return from their off week at 2-3. A gauntlet of travel has the Mustangs in both El Paso and Texarkana this year already, it will mark a month straight at home this week so perhaps things are turning around after losing 3 in a row. The Mustangs offense has not been consistent enough so far and they'll need to find the endzone more often starting this week. The Saints are also 2-3 suffering from the same questions on offense as MCS. They've been strong defensively outside of last week's trip to Pennsylvania. Another low scoring contest in this district, and home team is the lean of this author. Mustangs win 19-17.

Tyler Grace Community @ Grapevine Faith Christian -- The Lions enter the district slate of mysterious Division II at 2-3, but with a quality set of losses. ESD, FWC, and Liberty are the losses and they'll need to find a way past those teams in the playoffs down the line. Preseason, Faith was definitely the favorite in District 2. As its played out, both Tyler Grace and Bishop Dunne have better records right now. The Cougars come from their idle date at 5-0, and having already more than doubled last season's win total. Brook Hill is a notable win for the Cougars, but the other wins are unknowns. Maybe its a good list of teams maybe not. Ultimately the district slate will tell us. This should be the best opponent they've seen so far and with the game in Grapevine I will lean that way. After a 40 point win over Brook Hill for the Lions, the Cougars only defeated the Guard by 11. All these good district openers in Division II probably can't go to the home team, but that's where I'll go. Lions win 42-30.

Addison Trinity Christian @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Trojans finally got into the win column last week over Southwest Christian. At just 1-5 its been a slog through a difficult slate so far. In those five losses are margins of 3, 8, and 9. Another loss was while scoring 43 against SPC power ESD. TCA appears to be better than that 1-5 record. The Lions were pushed around by Argyle Liberty in a season opening loss, but have found their stride since. At 4-1 and having just blown out San Antonio Cornerstone in their last time out, signs point toward a big year for the Lions. Prestonwood had a great offense for many years going back to the school's opening, but in the last couple seasons its been defense for the calling card. Ultimately, the Trojans seem to be an underdog here. The Lions have been better for quite a while and are finding their path to victory lately. Its been 10 in a row for Prestonwood in this series. TCA last won in 2012. At Prestonwood, its too much for the Trojans to overcome. Lions win 33-14.

Dallas Bishop Lynch @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Friars had been written off as an also ran in Division I after starting 0-4. It wasn't a pretty set of 4 losses either, 20 points being the closest margin. It was a good slate of opponents including Celina and Dallas Christian. Last week, an unusual non-district meeting between district foes saw the Friars defeat a favored Fort Worth Nolan squad 41-38. Its a tough act to follow this week though as they travel to the blue turf to take on the Panthers. The 3-time defending state champions have looked the part of the favorite again, with their only loss to fellow 2021 state champion South Oak Cliff. Last year's pair of meetings went a combined 104-26 in the Panthers favor. While beating Nolan makes me consider moving the Friars out of 5th place in the district its not enough to reverse the trend against Parish. Panthers wins 42-14.

Austin Regents @ Brownsville St. Joseph -- The Knights travel south and then some for the 3rd week of district play in Division II District 3. Regents is 5-0 again having started at least 5-0 in 5 of the last 6 seasons. They've won at least 8 games in 8 of the last 9 seasons. They've were in 5 straight title games before the streak broke last year. The Bloodhounds are trying to get into the mix in District 3, and a 4-1 start with a 2-0 district mark points to St. Joseph as a playoff participant this season. The improvement from the Bloodhounds will need to be great, as they are 0-3 all time against the Knights. A combined score of 169-12 is not an encouraging trend for the home team in this one. The 'Hounds are improved and pointing toward the playoffs, but probably haven't turned the tables this far yet. At home with an early 6:00 start, and temps in the high 80s make it a bit more interesting. Knights win comfortably, 48-12.

Quick Hits: (Season: 41-19)

Arlington Grace Prep over Arlington Pantego Christian
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Dallas Bishop Dunne over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Houston Lutheran South
Victoria St. Joseph over San Antonio Christian
Muenster Sacred Heart over Dallas First Baptist
Lubbock Christian over Weatherford Christian
San Antonio Holy Cross over Shiner St. Paul
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. John's
Irving Cistercian over Arlington Oakridge