State Finals Picks 2023

The last week of the season arrives as the calendar flips to December. Only a few get December wins in the TAPPS ranks and it usually means you won the title (unless its 2020). Some new comers mix with 3 defending champions to set up a great final weekend. The bracket was kind and kept us from any ridiculousness with teams from the same area traveling to Waco so that's nice. Just 4 games remaining before we head to the gym for some basketball (love the new team fouls by quarter rule by the way). Good luck and safe travels on the road to State!

Division III State Final -- Dallas Christian vs. San Antonio Holy Cross -- We'll go out of order because we always begin with Chargers who are in their 4th straight state final. After losing to Austin Regents on the final play of the odd 2020 season on the latest calendar day that TAPPS has every played, DC returned to win the 2021 and 2022 state titles and bring the total to 10 TAPPS football championships. The Knights are in their 1st TAPPS title game after ending Cypress Christian's run of 3 straight state finals in the semifinals. Holy Cross has always featured a great defense. In 2017 and 2018 they held a powerful Regents offense to just 26 points per game in 2 semifinal meetings. The Knights scored just 6 points in those two games combined. This season they've finally put some offensive punch with that defensive muscle, averaging 41.5 points per game and nearly 48 points per game in their current 10 game win streak. The Chargers defense though is likely to be closer to the squads that limited Holy Cross to just 20 points in their first two games, both losses. DC is allowing just 10 points per game across their 12-1 season and allowed 3 or more scores in just 6 of 13 games. After defeating Lubbock Trinity for a 2nd straight semifinal, 24-14, it seems the DC offense is a little weaker than 2022. This screams for a defensive struggle given the track record of both squads. I'm going to go the other way and say both teams have a little extra mojo offensively in the season finale. The leanings of this space are well known though and will have to take the Chargers. Dallas Christian wins their record 11th TAPPS title, 39-27.

Division I State Final -- Dallas Parish Episcopal vs. Houston St. Thomas -- The Panthers have won 4 straight Division I championships and is certainly the favorite again as they've been all year. 5 consecutive TAPPS titles would be the record for TAPPS 11-man. Shiner St. Paul's bid for 5-in-a-row ended in the state final in 2022. While they haven't been knocked from favorite status, Parish has looked a little more vulnerable this season. The Panthers claimed the district title by just 9 over Prestonwood and the defense has allowed 40 or more in 2 of their last 3 outings. Prestonwood and Antonian are certainly very good, so no shame in that. The Eagles though enter at 12-0 and should be the best of the Panthers playoff opponents. Both teams have to be encouraged by seeing a district mate score as many as they did in the semifinals, but discouraged to see the opposition scored 73. The Eagles are scoring over 48 points per game on their undefeated run but allow nearly 28 points per game, which is the highest of any of the 8 state finalists this year. The Panthers are scoring 44 points per game, particularly impressive considering the tough non-district slate that Parish faced as part of their 1-3 start to the season. They're allowing 26.25 points per game but that includes 99 points yielded to UIL powers Aledo and South Oak Cliff. Its just 21 points per game allowed in their other 10 games. The opposite of the Division III final, this should be an offensive showcase. So I'll go the other way again, but I don't think the Eagles can push the Panthers off the mountain this time. A surprising defensive struggle sees the Panthers capture their 7th TAPPS title, 23-20.

Division II State Final -- Argyle Liberty Christian School vs. Regents School of Austin -- Division II is the only division not to see its champion return to the title game, as the Fort Bend Christian Eagles were eliminated in the Regional. The Warriors were much improved a season ago going from 2-8 in 2021 to 10-2 in 2022. All Saints ousted the district champion in a district rematch last season, but Liberty took out the Saints in both ends of the 2023 series advancing to their 1st title game since 2009 with a 45-17 win. At 13-0 Liberty has hardly been threatened on the campaign so far with 29 being the narrowest margin of victory this season. The Warriors are allowing just over 7 points per game. The Knights have their work cut out finding the endzone this week. Regents reached 5 consecutive state finals from 2016 to 2020, finally winning one on the final play of the game in 2020. After being eliminated in the Regional Round in back-to-back seasons the Knights defense led them back to the final. Regents has allowed just 14 points in their last 6 games, including 4 shutouts. Outside of their lone loss to Division I finalist St. Thomas, the Knights allowed just 94 points in their 12 wins. They also scored by the truckload too, posting 47 points per game. Regents is as good as anyone on the Liberty Christian schedule this season, but it seems to be a train you don't want to be in front of. The Knights should score some points but it won't be enough. Liberty will even its title game record at 4-4 and take their first crown since 2007. Warriors claim their 4th TAPPS title, 42-28.

Division IV State Final -- Lubbock Christian vs. Dallas First Baptist -- The Eagles flock back to Waco for a district rematch trying to capture back-to-back titles. 2022 was the 2nd championship for LCS, taking out 4-time defending champion Shiner St. Paul. The Cardinals 10 titles is tied for the most 11-man championships in TAPPS history. Their opponent this season is from the other end of the historical list. The Saints only title came in 2013 and this is just their 3rd trip to the final game after 2013 and 1984. The 12-0 season for FBA has been a huge turnaround after going just 5-6 in 2021 and 2022. The big difference has been an offense that scored just over 300 points each of those seasons, now scoring over 600 points in 2023. The defense has improved too but not as much as the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles will be the best FBA has seen this year. Lubbock Christian followed up last year's title with some challenging non-district games. The Eagles defeated Wellington (Skyrockets by the way) who reached the 3rd round of the UIL playoffs, and were only eliminated by Sunray who the Eagles also played this season. Both the Eagles and Saints dominated district opposition...except for each other. The Saints claimed a 47-22 victory at the Saints Athletic Complex on October 20. The Eagle offense also scored over 45 points per game and against better opponents, but the Saints stifled them in the 1st meeting. Its hard to beat a good team twice, but I think the Saints are better. It should be a close fun game for the final TAPPS football contest of 2023. FBA captures their 2nd TAPPS title, 36-30.

Season: 83-21

Quick Hits finishes the year 100-30

TAPPS State Finals Game Information 2023

Tickets are available at tapps.biz. Games are also available via pay-per-view on tappstvnetwork.com. We have some surprises and plenty of "usual suspects" as well. Should be a great finish to a great season.

Division I

Dallas Parish Episcopal School vs. Houston St. Thomas High School
--12:00 Friday Waco ISD Stadium

Division II

Argyle Liberty Christian School vs. Regents School of Austin
--7:00 Friday Waco ISD Stadium

Division III

Mesquite Dallas Christian School vs. Holy Cross of San Antonio
--12:00 Saturday Waco ISD Stadium

Division IV

Lubbock Christian School vs. Dallas First Baptist Academy
--7:00 Saturday Waco ISD Stadium

Semifinal Playoff Results 2023

73 wins both Division I semis? That's seems like a lot. Going to be a fun set of games in Waco next week.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (24-14) -- Correct
--Chargers just get by a very good Lions squad. Should be a tight defensive game with Holy Cross next week.

San Antonio Holy Cross over Houston Cypress Christian (32-22) -- Correct
--Knights reach their 1st TAPPS final at last as they get the offense to match their usually strong defense.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over San Antonio Antonian (73-41) -- Correct
--Panthers offense was dominant even if the defense allowed a little bit more than you'd like to see. St. Thomas might be good enough to walk through that door if Parish leaves it open again.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Houston St. Thomas (62-73) -- Wrong
--I undervalued the Eagles offense and it bit me. St. Thomas will be the best opponent that Parish has seen in their run of 5 straight Division I title games.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Fort Worth All Saints (45-17) -- Correct
--Warriors with a test for half the game but answered the bell in the 2nd half to put it away. Certainly favored against Regents next week, but at least a little different flavor to see if someone can push them off the podium.

Austin Regents over Houston Second Baptist (34-7) -- Correct
--Knights with a decisive victory to return to the title game for the 1st time since 2020. Regents defense will need to as good next week in the title game.

Dallas First Baptist over Houston Northland Christian (49-28) -- Correct
--The Saints offense continues to spur it to victory. FBA one of just 3 undefeated teams in TAPPS 11-man.

Lubbock Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (39-11) -- Correct
--Eagles return to the title game with another great defensive outing.

Week 14: 7-1
Season: 83-21

Quick Hits finishes the year 100-30

Semifinal Playoff Picks 2023

Just one week left after this one as the combatants try to secure their spot at Waco ISD Stadium to start December. We begin with Division III as always and get the added bonus of it being the one division with no Eagles in the semifinals. Good luck and safe travels on the road to State...

This Week: (Season: 76-20)

Division III

Lubbock Trinity Christian vs. Dallas Christian @ Graham -- The Final 4 of Division III repeats last season exactly. The four district champions have comfortably reached the semis winning their Regional games by an average 41.75 points. The Chargers are the defending champions of the Division and looking to win 3-in-a-row after winning the Division II title in 2021. At 11-1, its been a dominant season for DC allowing less than 10 points per game. Even in defeating the Chargers, Ouachita Christian scored just 17 points. The Lions are 9-2, dropping the opener by a single point to UIL 2A undefeated Albany and being dominated (like everyone else) by Argyle Liberty. Trinity is finishing its 1st decade of varsity football after a long run a basketball only power and has quickly ascended to the top of its division. The Chargers scored early and often in their 2nd round win over Dallas Covenant while it took the Lions a half to get away from Grace Prep. A season ago, in the only meeting between the two schools, the Chargers won 35-0. Trinity slowed DC more than most Division III opposition, but could not produce any offense in a semifinal in Clyde. There's no reason to see the Chargers being pushed off the top step but that's why they play the games. I think DC may struggle a little offensively this week with a little more resistance from the Lions defense. However, the Lions have the same difficulty ahead. Can Trinity get in the endzone this year? Chargers win a defensive struggle, 26-6.

San Antonio Holy Cross vs. Houston Cypress Christian @ La Grange -- The Warriors are back in the Final 4 after falling to DC in the title game a season ago. Cypress is 8-3 on the season with losses to two teams still in the UIL playoffs. Against Division III opponents the Warriors have dominated 200-13 in across their last 4 outings. The Knights have had the more consistent season, entering this week on a 9 game win streak. Season opening losses to Antonian and a Louisiana opponent gave way to dominating their last 7. Holy Cross has won every game since September 22 by at least 33 points and scored at least 40 every trip out. They exceeded 200 points in their last 3 games. Only the two losses saw teams reach more than 20 against the Knight defense. Either the defenses of these two will be the best the other has seen or they'll be over matched by the high powered offenses. A year ago, both squads entered with a strong defense and it was a tight 36-32 Cypress win. The margin should be close again, but the Holy Cross offense appears improved over 2022 and the Warriors may be the slightest bit more vulnerable. I think the Knights turn the tables in an offensive shootout. Holy Cross reaches their first ever TAPPS football championship game, 44-41.

Division I

San Antonio Antonian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- Division I's decision to go with all home games creates some interesting playoff drama. The Panthers have won 4 Division I titles in a row, and remain the favorites. Parish hasn't been as dominant thus far in 2023. 2022 was a 12-1 season that finished with a +322 point differential. After starting 1-3, seven straight wins has the Panthers up to a +182 on the year. Its been the theme that 4 score wins became 1 score wins. Nonetheless, still wins for the Panthers. The Apaches actually enter with the better record at 9-2 but a slightly worse point differential at +157. They played almost identical games with TCA both allowing 28 while Parish scored 1 more point. I think Parish is as vulnerable as anytime in the last 4 seasons, but still should best Antonian at home. Panthers back to the title game, 42-27.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Houston St. Thomas -- The Eagles have positioned themselves as the challenger to the Panthers throne all year, and have the 11-0 record to prove it. Division II contender Austin Regents and SPC finalist Kinkaid, are among the list of trophies on the St. Thomas wall this season. The Eagles are averaging over 46 points per game, but should not look past this Prestonwood squad. The Lions are 7-3 on the season thanks to weather and a playoff bye. They're averaging 45.3 points per game themselves. They lost a road district championship game to Parish by just 9 points. Its another road challenge for Prestonwood after dominating St. Pius 56-27 in the Regional. The Eagles took out St. Pius 42-21. St. Thomas playoff victory was 35-17 over a Bishop Lynch squad that the Lions defeated 69-21. Putting all of that together, this looks like a "pointsy" affair. I think the Lions are better, but finding the stops to win this one will be a challenge. Prestonwood gets the road upset to set up the district rematch. Lions win 48-41.

Division II

Argyle Liberty Christian vs. Fort Worth All Saints @ The Star -- The Warriors are 12-0 having allowed just 69 points on the season. Only Prestonwood in the season opener scored 3 times. The Saints are a very good 9-2 squad, but lost at home to Liberty 42-13 in Week 10. The 2nd time around can always be a little tougher and that played out last year. The Saints upset the district champion Warriors in the Regional 37-20 after being shutout in the regular season. Given the stiff Liberty defense, I don't think All Saints can count on scoring more than 21, but should be good enough to keep that in range. The game will hinge on if the Saints defense can slow the Warriors offense that scores over 51 points per game. I just don't see it being enough. Warriors continue to be the favorites and reach their 8th TAPPS championship game. Liberty wins 40-22.

Austin Regents vs. Houston Second Baptist @ Flatonia -- The Knights and Eagles start most seasons as the favorites in the Districts 3 and 4 and thus the projected semifinal. They met in 4 straight semis between 2018 and 2021 with Regents winning the first 3 before Second Baptist took the title game spot in 2021. This year, Fort Bend Christian started as the defending champions pushing the Eagles off the favorite position, but we wound up with the "usual suspects." The Knights are 11-1 having only lost to Division I semifinalist St. Thomas. They've allowed just 11.5 points per game including just 7 total points in their last 5 games. That includes a 27-0 shutout of the defending champs last week in the Regional. The Eagles had a difficult non-district schedule, losing to all of the Houston SPC contenders as part of a 4 game losing streak. Now they've won 7 in a row and allowed just 40 total points in those wins. SBS shutout Fort Bend 20-0 on October 13. The Eagles reliably get to about 25 points, but not much more. This sets up the battle as the Knights offense against the Eagles defense. Four Regents touchdowns should win the game, but its not a certainty at all. I think the Knights win a tight one, 28-24.

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist vs. Houston Northland Christian @ Robinson -- Division IV has just 3 districts so we get a little more variety in the playoff pairings. With perennial power Shiner St. Paul ousted in the first round the bracket has opened up to some new contenders. The always changing landscape in private schools gives us a Division IV semi that would have pitted Division II schools against each other as recently as 2010. This season, the Saints are 11-0 with 600 points scored on the season. FBA has reached just 2 TAPPS state finals, and this would be their first since a winning the 2013 Division III championship. The closest margins on the season are 26 and 32 for the Saints who have crushed all the similarly sized schools this year. A huge step forward from a 5-6 campaign in 2022. The Cougars have adjusted to their smaller enrollment claiming a district title last year, but performing better in the playoffs this season. This would be the Cougars 4th appearance in a title game and first in Division IV. At 7-4, Northland has the most losses of any semifinalist this season. However, the Cougars are allowing just 15 points per game. This should be the best defense the Saints have seen all year and should make for a tight game most of the way. I think the FBA offense will be too much though. Saints win 40-20.

Hallettsville Sacred Heart vs. Lubbock Christian @ Dublin -- The defending champions of Division IV are the Eagles. Lubbock Christian played in the 1st official TAPPS championship game losing to Fort Worth Christian 34-2 in 1978. 45 years later they'll try to go back-to-back and win their 3rd title. At 10-2, the Eagles have valiantly defended their crown losing only to Sunray (still in the UIL playoffs) and possible final opponent First Baptist. The Eagles average game is a 30 point win and scoring over 40 points per game. The Indians have been in 13 state finals since their first in 1990. Sacred Heart is 11-0 for the first time since 2018. That season Shiner St. Paul ousted them in the semis. This year Northland gave the Indians the closest contest, a 23-0 win for Hallettsville. That win looks better and better as Northland advances to the semis as well. I think we have the best teams in Division IV in the semis this year. Last week the Indians shut out Muenster Sacred Heart 30-0. The Eagles defeated that squad 48-0 back in September. I think the champs will get their shot at defending the crown, but it will be a low scoring battle. Eagles survive, 23-20.

Quick Hits finishes the year 100-30

TAPPS Semifinal Playoff Times and Locations 2023

TAPPS bracket shows home games in Division I so we'll go with that assumption for now. Neutral sites across the state for the other divisions. If you have something we're missing or different than shown here, let me know here or @Cav_0 on Twitter (we're not calling it X).

Division I

 San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory High School @ Dallas Parish Episcopal School
--6:00 Friday Dallas' Gloria H. Snyder Stadium

Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy @ Houston St. Thomas High School
--5:00 Friday Houston's Granger Stadium

Division II

Argyle Liberty Christian School vs. Fort Worth All Saints' Episcopal School
--7:00 Saturday Frisco's Ford Center at The Star

Regents School of Austin vs. Houston Second Baptist School
--1:00 Friday Flatonia's Bulldog Stadium

Division III

Lubbock Trinity Christian School vs. Mesquite Dallas Christian School
--6:00 Saturday Graham's Newton Field

Holy Cross of San Antonio vs. Houston Cypress Christian School
--7:00 Friday La Grange's Leopard Stadium

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Houston Northland Christian School
--2:00 Saturday Robinson's Rocket Field

Hallettsville Sacred Heart Catholic School vs. Lubbock Christian School
--2:00 Friday Dublin's Bob and Norma Cervetto Stadium

Regional Playoff Results 2023

So many blowouts. It will set up the expected semifinals for and plenty of "known commodities" to square off spots in the title game.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Covenant (58-19) -- Correct
--Chargers dominate the Knights again as they advance to the semifinals. Knights played tough all game, but just not enough. Lubbock Trinity should offer a little more resistance next week.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Arlington Grace Prep (41-22) -- Correct
--Grace Prep with a very game effort as they led 22-17 late in the 1st half, but Trinity proved too much and sets up the semifinal rematch from 2022 with DC.

San Antonio Holy Cross over League City Bay Area Christian (66-6) -- Correct
--Knights continue to play their best against Division III opponents. Sets up the big showdown with Cypress for a spot in the title game.

Houston Cypress Christian over Boerne Geneva (55-6) -- Correct
--Warriors dominate to open the 2nd round of the playoffs. They'll be a tough matchup for any perspective opponents. So its the same Final 4 in Division III as we had in 2022.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Tyler Grace Community (56-7) -- Correct
--Warriors continue to obliterate the opposition this year. All Saints surprised them last year and so semifinal rematch seems fitting.

Fort Worth All Saints over Frisco Legacy Christian (43-14) -- Correct
--Saints needed most of the game to completely put away the Eagles, but ultimately wasn't close to changing the outcome. An uphill climb to take out Liberty next week, but the Saints will have their chance.

Austin Regents over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (27-0) -- Correct
--Knights defense leads the way as the Eagles reign as champions comes to an end. We get a return to the Regents-2nd Baptist semifinal.

Houston Second Baptist over San Antonio Christian (49-13) -- Correct
--Eagles win comfortably to get back to the semis. This will be the 5th playoff meeting in 6 seasons for the Knights and Eagles.

Week 13: 8-0
Season: 76-20

Quick Hits: (Season: 92-30)

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (48-6) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Addison Trinity Christian (55-28) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Houston St. Pius X (56-27) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over Dallas Bishop Lynch High School (35-17) -- Correct
Dallas First Baptist over Fort Worth Temple Christian (62-14) -- Correct
Houston Northland Christian over Temple Central Texas Christian (28-10) -- Correct
Hallettsville Sacred Heart over Muenster Sacred Heart (30-0) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian School over Bryan Brazos Christian School (58-7) -- Correct

Week: 8-0
Season: 100-30

Regional Playoff Picks 2023

Round 2 includes 8 different Eagles, but just one Eagle clash. Meaning we could get almost half of the semi-finalists to be the Eagles. That seems unlikely, but what a terrible fear we have to avoid. Many district champs enter the fray after a Round 1 bye, and this should be a great week of games. Interesting that everyone avoided Saturday this year setting up a 15 game Friday night with the best teams on the field together. Good luck and safe travels!

This Week: (Season: 68-20)

Division III

Dallas Covenant vs. Dallas Christian @ Dallas ISD Loos Complex -- The Chargers continue to be favored for a 3rd straight title and the 1st week of the playoffs changed nothing about that status. A 63-7 drubbing of Lake Country was actually the most points allowed by DC since the calendar turned to October. The Chargers are allowing just under 9 points per game on the season and this week should continue that trend. Only Louisiana State Champion Ouachita Christian has bested the Chargers on the season en route to a 10-1 mark. The Knights won a road playoff game in a trip to Colleyville Covenant for their playoff opener. Its been a mixed bag for Covenant in Division III. Last year they won 8 games but were quickly dismissed by Grace Prep in a home playoff game. This year it was just a 6 win regular season, but they won the road playoff game to reach the Regional round. The 31-28 win at the Cougars was not a stunner given the Knights win there in September, but given the Cougars play of late it seemed to be a tough road to clear. The losses have been big this year for the Knights. Shutout by Brook Hill and First Baptist posted 43 in a rout. Notably for this one, they were shutout at DC in the district opener, 55-0. The second time around it should be a bit more manageable for the Knights and their play last week points to improvement, but this is a tough hill to climb. Just 25 points per game for the Knights will not be enough to upset the favored Chargers. Chargers win comfortably but not as dominantly, 41-12.

Lubbock Trinity Christian vs. Arlington Grace Prep @ Seymour -- The Lions...um....the Trinity Lions have been the primary contender for who could challenge DC for the title this season. The path to a semifinal rematch of 2022 is clear now. However, the other Lions of Grace Prep will challenge and nearly toppled Trinity on the afternoon of October 21. Trinity took that one by the slimmest of margins, 13-12. For season, its an 8-2 mark for the South Plains squad having only lost to Albany and Argyle Liberty who are both 11-0. The closest of the 8 wins was Grace Prep, but the next closest was a 26 point margin. After a 1st round bye, they'll be chomping to get in the action this week. The football history for Lubbock Trinity is limited, just the 10th season on the gridiron for the longtime TAPPS basketball power. This would mark a 3rd straight semifinal appearance with a win. The history for Grace Prep is much more illustrious having won 5 titles between 1998 and 2005, but its been a bit lean after that. They did reach the 2016 title game, but have not really been a contender since then. Really outside of the near miss against this Trinity squad there isn't much to point to for why Grace Prep would be battling for the title. Early losses to Fort Worth Christian, Southwest Christian, and Oakridge pointed to a long season for the Arlington squad but they turned around a Brook Hill defeat with a road playoff win and now have as good as chance anyone. I think Lubbock Trinity is better but hard to shake that 1 point game from just 3 weeks ago. Trinity wins a close one, 24-20.

San Antonio Holy Cross vs. League City Bay Area Christian @ Rice Consolidated -- The most forgotten member of last year's Final 4 in Division III are the Holy Cross Knights. The Knights opened with 2 defeats against Division I Antonian and New Orleans Holy Cross. Since then its been 380 to 94 on the scoreboard in 8 dominant wins. Holy Cross claimed the district crown and a 1st round bye. With Division III opponents 26 points in 3 games, the defense should give the Knights a good chance this week. The Broncos saw the benefits of winning a 3-way tie in District 4 hosting Round 1 of the playoffs and advance to the Regional. At 6-5 the evidence is clear. Bay Area Christian needs to improve on offense to win this week. They got that offense in spades against Schertz John Paul last week, winning 64-46. Last year saw these two square off in this round and the Knights take a 28-7 win. The offense that the Broncos found last week would give them a chance. However, it just doesn't feel likely given the Knights strong defense. Looks a lot like 2022. Knights win 27-9.

Boerne Geneva vs. Houston Cypress Christian @ Giddings -- I joke that Giddings is the spiritual home of TAPPS playoff football, but this marks at least 10 straight years a playoff game has been at Buffalo Stadium as there has been one every year I've done the picks. A little different spin this week as a Thursday night contests will open the 11-man Regionals. The Warriors are the Division III runner-up from 2022, having been the closest opposition to DC in that season. This season has shown much the same form as a 7-3 campaign includes a 6-0 record against private school opponents. Just 15.8 points per game allowed by the Cypress defense should set them up for a continued playoff run. Given the Thursday opener seems like a nice advantage for the Warriors coming off the 1st round bye. The Eagles (we could not avoid them all) defeated Brentwood Christian for the 2nd time this season in Round 1 and set up a rematch of last year's Regional. Geneva was dominated 44-14 to conclude their playoff run. The trouble is that Eagle squad looked more formidable, particularly defensively. Geneva allowed over 100 points less in 2022 in one more game. The Warriors will score more than enough to take this one and set up a redo of last year's Final 4 in Division III. Cypress Christian wins 48-21.

Division II

Argyle Liberty Christian vs. Tyler Grace Community @ Prosper -- The 800-pound gorilla in Division II this season is Liberty. The Warriors are the only 11-0 squad among 11-man private schools in the state (with help from some 1st round byes keeping a couple at 10-0). Liberty allows just 5.6 points per game and only saw teams cross the goal line 8 times for the season. The closest margins of the season were 29 points in wins over Prestonwood and All Saints. While All Saints seems to be the competition for that spot in the title game it would be unwise to look past this one. The Cougars have finally pushed past the chaos brought on by COVID and significant turmoil in the coaching staff. Tyler Grace is 9-1 having only dropped a tight 2-point game to Frisco Legacy. Despite that success, the Cougars are allowing over 3 times as many points as Liberty with 21.6 points per game. They've scored over 48 points per game and they need that offensive form to stand a chance in this one. I think the Cougars will get to the endzone a couple of times and 3 TDs would be as good as anyone has done against the Warriors this year. Tyler Grace has to be riding high after defeating Midland Christian in the playoff opener, but Liberty beat that MCS squad 46-0 in Midland while the Cougars won at home by just 5. Liberty is out to avenge last year's Regional loss to All Saints and should score plenty to get their chance at that goal. Warriors win 49-20.

Fort Worth All Saints vs. Frisco Legacy Christian @ Coppell -- The Eagles of Frisco are the Division II surprise of the season with a district title and 10-1 record. Legacy won 6 games total over the past 3 seasons and when seemingly everyone tied for the district crown in 2022 they were no where to be found. MaxPreps had them as 18th best out of 24 in the Division a season ago. The Eagles last won 10 games in 2013. Enough about the past, this year Legacy allows under 14 points per game and just 9 points per game to teams that aren't Argyle Liberty Christian. The last two weeks saw just 3 points allowed combined, and the shutout of Southwest Christian points to a very good defense for the Eagles. The Saints are 8-2 with losses to Liberty (like everyone) and UIL contender Anna. The 14-7 win at Midland Christian showed the defensive ability while a 34-27 win at Prestonwood showed the depth and all-around strength of the Saints squad. I think the Eagles are up to the task, and won't get ambushed here but ultimately haven't had the quality of victories All Saints does. The Saints are better, but also looking ahead to the Liberty rematch would be foolish. Saints survive a tight one, 26-25.

Austin Regents vs. Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ Wharton -- The Eagles are the defending champions of Division II, and no one seems to like their chances of a repeat. A 5-5 regular season tends to sour the pundits on your chances. However, they've found a bit of a groove lately going 4-1 in district play and shutting out a a pretty good Hyde Park squad in the 1st round. They've allowed just 40 points in 6 games against Division II opponents. The offense has been unlocked in the last 4 games as well averaging over 40 points per game after Second Baptist shut them out. The Knights have been pushed aside by District 4 teams in the last two years after reaching 5 straight title games. Regents won just 1 of those finals, but seems to be poised to get back to the final this year. This is 7 straight seasons of at least 10 wins and a win this week would give them 6 out of 7 seasons with 11 wins. The one season they only won 10? Well that was the state title and they finished 10-0 (that COVID season was strange). Only Division I contender Houston St. Thomas un-horsed the Knights this year, in a 51-41 shootout. In the other 10 games, the Knights allowed just 8.6 points per game and in the last 4 weeks they seen just 7 points on the other side of the scoreboard. So a defensive struggle seems on order this week, and I can't go away from that. The Knights have been better throughout the season so they should have the leg up, but it does feel like Fort Bend has closed the gap in the last month. Knights hold on in a slugfest, 22-19.

San Antonio Christian vs. Houston Second Baptist @ Hallettsville -- While I pointed to Legacy as the surprise in Division II, that is probably underselling the Lions. San Antonio Christian was 3-3 having just lost to Victoria St. Joseph and it seemed to be the usual season. You have to go back to 2012 to find the last time they reached round 2 and won 8 games, but that is what the Lions have done since. Last week was a shootout and SACS survived 42-42 against Lutheran South. The Eagles (another one?) are among the usual combatants for the South's spot in the Division II title game. They've earned it a couple of times, but have also run into Regents and Fort Bend keeping them away. The last 2 seasons, Fort Bend and Second Baptist have decided the district title on the field and then seen a rematch in the playoffs. In both years, the district runner-up won the playoff game and a spot in the title game. The Eagles won the district this year so you wonder about a rematch if Fort Bend can pull the upset. With just a 7-4 record, its a little surprising to see that Second Baptist allowed just 12.6 points per game. The offense was just too underwhelming in the 4-game non-district losing streak. The Eagles have posted just under 40 points per game in the current 6-game win streak. The Eagles offense should be too much for the upstart Lions, but San Antonio Christian has to feel good about their direction. Maybe they can keep it interesting, but Second Baptist pulls away late. Eagles win 36-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 92-30)

Division I

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
San Antonio Antonian over Addison Trinity Christian
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Houston St. Pius X
Houston St. Thomas over Dallas Bishop Lynch High School

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist over Fort Worth Temple Christian
Houston Northland Christian over Temple Central Texas Christian
Hallettsville Sacred Heart over Muenster Sacred Heart
Lubbock Christian School over Bryan Brazos Christian School

TAPPS Regional Playoff Times and Locations 2023

If you have something different than shown here, let me know here or @Cav_0 on Twitter (we're not calling it X).

Division I

Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School @ Dallas Parish Episcopal School
--6:00 Friday Dallas' Gloria H. Snyder Stadium

Addison Trinity Christian Academy @ San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory High School
--6:00 Friday San Antonio's Ferrera Field

Houston St. Pius X High School @ Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy
--7:00 Friday Plano's Lions Stadium

Dallas Bishop Lynch High School @ Houston St. Thomas High School
--7:00 Friday Houston's Granger Stadium

Division II

Argyle Liberty Christian School vs. Tyler Grace Community School
--7:00 Friday Prosper's Children's Health Stadium

Fort Worth All Saints' Episcopal School vs. Frisco Legacy Christian Academy
--7:00 Friday Coppell's Buddy Echols Field

Regents School of Austin vs. Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian Academy
--7:00 Friday Wharton's Eddie Joseph Memorial Stadium

San Antonio Christian School vs. Houston Second Baptist School
--7:00 Friday Hallettsville's Brahmas Memorial Stadium

Division III

Lubbock Trinity Christian School vs. Arlington Grace Prep Academy
--7:00 Friday Seymour's Fair Park Stadium

Dallas The Covenant School vs. Mesquite Dallas Christian School
--7:00 Friday Addison's Couch Field at Loos Athletic Complex

Holy Cross of San Antonio vs. League City Bay Area Christian School
--7:00 Friday Altair's Rice Veterans' Memorial Stadium

Geneva School of Boerne vs. Houston Cypress Christian School
--7:00 Thursday Giddings' Buffalo Stadium

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Fort Worth Temple Christian School
--7:00 Friday Bedford's Pennington Field

Temple Central Texas Christian School vs. Houston Northland Christian School
--7:30 Friday Caldwell's Hornet Field

Hallettsville Sacred Heart Catholic School vs. Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic School
--6:00 Friday Robinson's Rocket Field

Lubbock Christian School vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School
--6:00 Friday Brownwood's Gordon Wood Stadium

Area Playoff Results 2023

Always fun to get the playoffs underway. A few good ones and a couple of road winners to surprise us as always. Particularly notable to see Shiner St. Paul out in Round 1. See you next week for the Elite 8.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (63-7) -- Correct
--Chargers dominate this one from an opening kickoff returned for a touchdown. A Dallas Covenant rematch will be a bit tougher next week, but still heavily favored. Right now it seems to be a march to the same Final 4 in Division III as we saw last season.

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Dallas The Covenant (28-31) -- Wrong
--Knights get the Cougars for the 2nd time this year. A 2nd shot at DC next week awaits as the prize.

Arlington Grace Prep over Bullard Brook Hill (37-13) -- Correct
--Another disappointing showing for the Guard at home. Road playoff games have been better for Brook Hill as of late. Lions get a chance to turn around a 1 point loss to Lubbock Trinity from the regular season.

League City Bay Area Christian over Schertz John Paul II (64-46) -- Correct
--All of the points in this one. Broncos will try to topple a very good Holy Cross squad in the Regional.

Austin Brentwood Christian over Boerne Geneva (14-31) -- Wrong
--I found one road upset, but wiffed on this one. Eagles have the tall task of Cypress Christian in Round 2.

Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Fort Worth Nolan (57-33) -- Correct
--Vikings offense showed potential all year and did run out a few points this week. Tough one for the Crusaders in Round 2 at Parish Episcopal.

Dallas Bishop Lynch over San Antonio Central Catholic (17-13) -- Correct
--Friars have a tough task at St. Thomas this week, but always great to get a playoff win.

Tyler Grace Community over Midland Christian (33-28) -- Correct
--Cougars score in the final minute to reach the regional round for the first time since 2016.

Frisco Legacy Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (31-0) -- Correct
--Legacy's defense has big test with All Saints, should be a fun Round 2 clash.

Week 12: 7-2
Season: 68-20

Quick Hits:

Fort Worth All Saints over Grapevine Faith Christian (56-21) -- Correct
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Dunne (49-0) -- Correct
Austin Regents over The Woodlands Christian (45-7) -- Correct
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Austin Hyde Park (41-0) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over San Antonio Christian (42-45) -- Wrong
Houston Second Baptist over Brownsville St. Joseph (38-8) -- Correct
Shiner St. Paul over Fort Worth Temple Christian (20-41) -- Wrong
Temple Central Texas Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman (62-13) -- Correct
Houston Northland Christian over New Braunfels Christian (61-6) -- Correct
Muenster Sacred Heart over Tomball Rosehill Christian (34-7) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Mercy Culture (55-14) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Waco Reicher (59-0) -- Correct

Week 12: 10-2
Season: 92-30

Area Playoff Picks 2023

The playoffs are here, and the tension increases. The first round home games always include a few mismatches and this week will likely be no different. However, there's always a upset brewing for one of those favorites. I'll have a pick on every 11-man playoff game this year. The road to State will always a few bumps, let's see if we can figure out who bounces off one and out of the playoffs.

This Week: (Season: 61-18)

Division III

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The quest for a three-peat starts at home, as the Chargers host the first round for the 14th straight year after winning District 2. DC allowed just 3 points in October after allowing a higher number of points than expected in September. The offense though has produced all year, averaging 49.6 points per game on the season. The Eagles were off to a 2-1 start after upsetting Fort Worth Christian in Week 3, then it turned out FWC had a bad year. LCCS went on to 4-2 but the meat of district play was a disaster. Losing the last 3 district games by scoring no more than 14 in any game and allowing 40+ in all 3. Throw in a non-district loss to Brazos Christian and 4-2 became 4-6. The Eagles struggle to score, with just 232 points on the season after scoring 101 in their first 3 games. The Chargers are not who you want to see to get that offense healthy and humming as DC has allowed just 9.1 points per game. Simply no way to see the Eagles scoring enough to win. However, strange things happen in the playoffs. In this round at DC, I've seen a 10-7 game at the 6 minute mark of the 1st stand up as the final score after 48 minutes. The Eagles make their first ever trip to Wheeler Field and won't carry the baggage that so many district opponents seem to bring to Mesquite. Ok, I tried to talk it up but we know what the pick is in this space. Chargers win 46-6.

Dallas The Covenant @ Colleyville Covenant Christian -- The battle of Covenant and the battle of DFW airport lands in the playoffs. The Cougars are the District 1 upstarts having finished 4th a season ago and suffering a 60-6 defeat in a trip to DC in round 1. This year they displaced both Grace Prep and Lake Country from what appeared to be sure claims to that 2nd seed and 1st round host. At 8-2 this is the most wins for Covenant since their 2020 state title when they played just 2 games before October 30 and finished 8-0, its all so odd to look back on. Before that it was their 2017 state championship team that won 11 games. So 8 wins twice in six seasons and those were the title teams. Maybe high hopes are in order for the playoffs in Colleyville. The Knights played a strong 2022 season, finishing 2nd in District 2 and winning 8 games. In their first season in Division III it was a disappointing home playoff loss. A 3-0 start was promising this year, but the regular season finished just 6-4 for the Knights. Too many points allowed to the top opposition makes this look like a tough trip across DFW airport. The Cougars score 33 points a game and the Knights allow 25 points per game. These two met in Week 2 and it was a 23-20 Cougars win. So expect a tight one right around 28 points. The Cougars appear to have improved since that non-district clash while the Knights may have slid back a bit. Always lean home teams in this space. Colleyville Covenant wins 28-21.

Arlington Grace Prep @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard were very disappointed to fall to 3rd place last season after a loss to Covenant. They responded by winning a road playoff game but that district seed meant playing DC in round 2 instead of the semis. That district rematch went badly for the Guard, losing 61-7. Finishing 2nd this year in District 2 means a home game and not having to play DC in Round 2. A 7-3 mark is already an improvement of a 6-6 mark in 2022. Brook Hill has allowed just 205 points on the season, and considering 55 points allowed to DC that means just 150 in 9 games. The Lions are 4-6 but haven't been disappointing. They played district champion Lubbock Trinity to a 1 point game. They were just 3 points short of Colleyville Covenant and turning that game would have had them at home in Round 1. They finished on a high note dominating Lake Country 40-14 to avoid DC in the 1st round. The winner needs to figure out its offense to compete with Lubbock Trinity, but Grace Prep did hold them to just 13. This is a rematch of a 23-20 Brook Hill win on October 6. It should be the same type of game, tight to the end. The last home playoff game for the Guard was a similar set up and Grapevine Faith took a road win from Herrington Stadium. I feel like when the teams are close they usually split the games, and I need to find a road winning somewhere. Lions win 32-29.

Schertz John Paul II @ League City Bay Area Christian -- The Broncos had a roller coaster campaign at 5-5, but the upset of Brentwood managed to get them 2nd place in District 4. Wins over Brentwood and Brazos Christian suggest they could be a factor in these playoffs. Losses to Pantego and only a 7 point win over 0-10 Katy SJ23 points to a quick exit. Only Cypress really dominated the Broncos though and with a home game it should be a good chance at a win. The Guardians have never won more than 6 games in a season and this year's 3-7 mark will be no different unless they win the state title. The John Paul defense has struggled all year, allowing 45 points per game. Notably seeing 122 put up by district foes Holy Cross and Geneva. They responded by scoring 63 of their own in a de-facto playoff game at Corpus Christi John Paul. That raised their scoring average by 4 points on the season. There are no common opponents between the two, so not much to go on here. The Broncos appear to have the better wins over Brentwood and Brazos, and they are at home. So that has to be the pick. Bay Area Christian wins 30-20.

Austin Brentwood Christian @ Boerne Geneva -- The Bears travel across the Hill Country to Geneva for a 2nd time this season. On October 5, the Eagles secured a 49-43 win in overtime over the visitors. Both teams have 6-4 records so this should be another tight one. Geneva lost 3 of its first 5 while Brentwood lost 3 of its last 5. The defense has been porous for the Eagles at 34.5 points per game, but they've outscored some of their problems with 41.5 points per game. The Bears are right in the middle of the pack scoring 33 a game and allowing 26. So expect a touchdown margin here, and much like Brook Hill and Grace Prep expect close teams to split a pair of games. Bears go on the road and turn it around. Brentwood Christian wins 44-40.

The Rundown

The readers of this space know that I talk about team mascots and love to trumpet the most unique and interesting monikers across the state. So we always open the playoffs with our own unique preview of the 4 week path to the state title. So here is rundown #10:

We certainly wish good luck and safe passage to all the teams in the fray. The year's bracket sees 2 Knights, along side the usual flock of 2 Eagles. The ferocious beasts of 2 Lions, Cougars, and Bears (oh my) seek to claim the crown. The Warriors seek revenge for a title game defeat. So we bring along the Guard and Guardians to protect us on the trail. We could ride into battle with the Broncos, but we hope the best of luck lands on the Chargers!

Bonus Picks:

Division I

Fort Worth Nolan @ Tomball Concordia Lutheran -- The lower half of Division I struggled in the regular season, but when 10 of 11 teams are in the playoffs you get some interesting pairings. In this case though, the Crusaders started 6-0 before district play struck. In the 5 on field wins Concordia allowed 110 points while in their 3 losses they allowed 96 points. The good news for the home team is that the Vikings are 0-10 and allow 52 points per game. They did score pretty much every game but only 14 points per. So the Crusaders have to find some points and they score 26 points per game on the season. So if the Crusaders get to 30 they win easily if the Vikings slow them down they should score a couple times in this game and might find that first win. It looks like a nice playoff opener for the home squad though. Crusaders win this one handily, 34-8.

San Antonio Central Catholic @ Dallas Bishop Lynch -- The 2-8 Friars host the 3-7 Buttons in a match-up that makes up for its lack of wins with great mascot names. No Eagles and Lions to be found here. Bishop Lynch missed out a first round bye thanks to a 10-6 loss to TCA. They played a good Midland Christian team to a 5 point game. The Buttons really weren't close in their losses and have been outscored an average of 33-17 per game. Hard to see either team having much chance against St. Thomas in the Regional. So home team seems the pick here. Friars win 35-21.

Division II

Midland Christian @ Tyler Grace Community -- The best games of Division II always seem to be District 1 at District 2. Last year, the tri-champions of District 2 were completely wiped out by District 1. This season the eastern squads look a little better. The Cougars started 7-0 before falling in what was the district championship game to Frisco Legacy. At over 45 points per game the Mustang defense has a challenge ahead of it. MCS scored just 146 points in 8 games before posting 110 in the final two games against FWC and Southwest Christian. The Cougars allowed just 190 points total in 9 outings this season. The Mustangs had an undefeated Pleasant Grove squad chasing the game late before it got away from them late. The Cougars haven't performed well in the postseason, but maybe a home game here can turn the tide. Last year it was a 37-7 loss for the Cougars in Midland. Their last playoff win was in 2016 over FWC. I think the Mustangs have a good chance at the seeding upset here, but it is a long trip from the Tall City. Cougars outscore their problems this week, 44-38.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Frisco Legacy Christian -- Legacy deserves this spot in the picks even if it forces me into a battle of Eagles. Only Division II favorite Argyle Liberty bested Legacy in a 9-1 campaign. The Northern Eagles allowed just 98 points in their 9 wins making this a tough course for Southwest Christian. SCS finished the season 6-4 notably scoring a win over FWC for the 4th time in 5 years after losing 11 in a row to the Cardinals before that. Scoring just 18 points per game suggests this is not the Western Eagles day to fly. Can Southwest get it in gear this week? They probably need 35 to have a chance and only Liberty and Tyler Grace even scored 20 against Legacy. The home standing Eagles will keep District 2 from getting shut out this year. Legacy Christian wins 42-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 82-28)

Division II
Fort Worth All Saints over Grapevine Faith Christian
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Austin Regents over The Woodlands Christian
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Austin Hyde Park
Houston Lutheran South over San Antonio Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Brownsville St. Joseph

Division IV
Shiner St. Paul over Fort Worth Temple Christian
Temple Central Texas Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman
Houston Northland Christian over New Braunfels Christian
Muenster Sacred Heart over Tomball Rosehill Christian
Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Mercy Culture
Bryan Brazos Christian over Waco Reicher

Just 2100 words this year. A bit tidier than 2022. I appreciate everyone for joining this journey, rather you're here every week or just once. Good luck on your road to State!

TAPPS Area Playoff Times and Locations 2023

I think all of these are confirmed for Friday now. If your team wins, maybe talk your coaches and administrators into posting the next game details on social media...

Division I

Dallas Parish Episcopal School (1 - 1st) BYE

Fort Worth Nolan Catholic High School (1 - 5th) @ Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School (2 - 4th)
--6:00 Friday Tomball's Crusader Stadium

Addison Trinity Christian Academy (1 - 3rd) BYE

San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory High School (2 - 2nd) BYE


Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy (1 - 2nd) BYE

Houston St. Pius X High School (2 - 3rd) BYE

San Antonio Central Catholic High School (2 - 5th) @ Dallas Bishop Lynch High School (1 - 4th)
--7:00 Friday Dallas' Roffino Stadium

Houston St. Thomas High School (2 - 1st) BYE

Division II 

Dallas Bishop Dunne Catholic School (2 - 4th) @ Argyle Liberty Christian School (1 - 1st)
--7:00 Friday Argyle's Bowles Stadium

Midland Christian School (1 - 3rd) @ Tyler Grace Community School (2 - 2nd)
--6:00 Friday Tyler's Clyde-Perkins Stadium

Grapevine Faith Christian School (2 - 3rd) @ Fort Worth All Saints' Episcopal School (1 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Fort Worth's Young Field at McNair Stadium

Fort Worth Southwest Christian School (1 - 4th) @ Frisco Legacy Christian Academy (2 - 1st)
--7:00 Friday Frisco's Comstock Field


The Woodlands Christian Academy (4 - 4th) @ Regents School of Austin (3 - 1st)
--7:00 Friday Austin's Knights Field

Austin Hyde Park High School (3 - 3rd) @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian Academy (4 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Sugar Land's The Nest

Houston Lutheran South Academy (4 - 3rd) @ San Antonio Christian School (3 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday San Antonio's Hotchkiss Memorial Field

Brownsville St. Joseph Academy (3 - 4th) @ Houston Second Baptist School (4 - 1st)
--5:00 Friday Houston's Eagle Stadium

Division III

Lubbock Trinity Christian School (1 - 1st) BYE

Arlington Grace Prep Academy (1 - 3rd) @ Bullard Brook Hill School (2 - 2nd)
--7:30 Friday Bullard's Herrington Stadium

Dallas The Covenant School (2 - 3rd) @ Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy (1 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Colleyville's Cougar Stadium

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian School (1 - 4th) @ Mesquite Dallas Christian School (2 - 1st)
--7:30 Friday Mesquite's Wheeler Field


Holy Cross of San Antonio (3 - 1st) BYE

Schertz St. John Paul II Catholic High School (3 - 3rd) @ League City Bay Area Christian School (4 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday League City's Bronco Field

Austin Brentwood Christian School (4 - 3rd) @ Geneva School of Boerne (3 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Boerne's GSB Field

Houston Cypress Christian School (4 - 1st) BYE


Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy (1 - 1st) BYE

Fort Worth Temple Christian School (1 - 4th) @ Shiner St. Paul Catholic High School (2 - 3rd)
--7:00 Friday Shiner's Comanche Stadium

Tyler Bishop T.K. Gorman Catholic School (1 - 6th) @ Temple Central Texas Christian School (2 - 2nd)
--7:30 Friday Temple's Frazee Field

New Braunfels Christian Academy (2 - 4th) @ Houston Northland Christian School (3 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Houston's Cougar Stadium

Hallettsville Sacred Heart Catholic School (2 - 1st) BYE

Tomball Rosehill Christian School (3 - 3rd) vs. Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic School (1 - 3rd)
--6:30 Friday Robinson's Rocket Field

Fort Worth Mercy Culture Preparatory School (1 - 5th) @ Lubbock Christian School (1 - 2nd)
--6:00 Friday Lubbock's Lena Stephens Field

Waco Bishop Reicher Catholic School (1-7th) @ Bryan Brazos Christian School (3 - 1st)
--7:00 Friday Bryan's Brazos Christian Field

Week 11 Results 2023

Maybe I need to find tougher games, but there were a lot of blowouts this week across the private schools. Should be a great postseason to get started next week.

This Week:

Bellaire Episcopal over Houston Kinkaid (35-25) -- Correct
--Once they beat Parish the Knights had to be the favorite in SPC 4A. It wasn't a linear path to the title, but they got there.

Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Houston Christian (30-27 2OT) -- Correct
--Trojans win SPC 3A in dramatic fashion, capping off an exciting season in the division.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano Prestonwood Christian (49-40) -- Correct
--The Panthers survive and keep their spot at the top of the pile in Division I. Both teams will have a Round 1 bye and maybe marching to a rematch in the title game.

Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Antonian (42-24) -- Correct
--The Apaches could not pull the upset a 2nd year in a row. Eagles will be the top candidate to crash the District 1 party in the playoffs.

Tyler Grace Community over Dallas The Covenant (52-21) -- Correct
--Cougars win the non-district finale. Grace finishes 2nd in District 2 and will face a difficult challenge from Midland Christian in round 1, but it will be at home. Knights will see a battle of Covenants with a trip to Colleyville in round 1.

Bullard Brook Hill over McKinney Christian (35-28) -- Correct
--A very game effort by the Mustangs, but they'll be on the outside of the playoffs. Guard get the 2nd spot and will host Lake Country in round 1.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (49-7) -- Correct
--Warriors continue to be the dominant squad in TAPPS this year. Hard to see who keeps them from the Division II crown. Lions have a 1st round bye after winning the district title.

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Arlington Grace Prep (14-40) -- Wrong
--Lions playing their best late in the season and should have a good chance at a road win against Brook Hill. Eagles get the tough task of going to Dallas Christian to open the playoffs.

Week 11: 7-1
Season: 61-18

Quick Hits:

Addison Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Nolan (45-15) -- Correct
Houston St. Pius X over San Antonio Central Catholic (41-7) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian (43-7) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (58-3) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (49-3) -- Correct
Austin Regents over Austin St. Michael's (31-0) -- Correct
San Antonio Holy Cross over Boerne Geneva (74-7) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over The Woodlands Christian (49-6) -- Correct
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Beaumont Kelly (46-3) -- Correct
Houston Cypress Christian over League City Bay Area Christian (50-7) -- Correct

Week 11: 10-0
Season: 82-28

Week 11 Picks 2023

The end of the regular season is upon us and several decisive games on the docket this week, including two SPC title games. The chill is in the air and the playoffs start in a week. We'll try to get the matchups posted as we get them on this page. Good luck and safe travels on the road to state.

This Week: (Season: 54-17)

SPC 4A Championship: Bellaire Episcopal vs. Houston Kinkaid @ Houston's TDECU Stadium -- The Falcons are looking for a 3rd straight crown in this division. This will be the 4th meeting in the last two seasons for Kinkaid and Episcopal. Kinkaid only won the title game of the three previous matches. This year the Knights raced to a 21 point lead before the Falcons tied the game, but Episcopal won out in the end. The Knights are 8-1 on the season having won their last time out over Kinkaid. The only loss was to St. John's and thanks to a 3-way tie it wound up not mattering at all. The Falcons are 7-3 thanks to a strong defense, allowing just 19 points per game. Even the losses have limited the opposition. If not for the 42-35 loss to the Knights already this season, I'd say 30 points wins it for the Falcons. With the weather looking good this weekend I think the Knights don't fall in last year's trap. Episcopal scored just 6 in last year's title game. Knights claim the title from the defending champs, 39-28.

SPC 3A Championship: Fort Worth Trinity Valley vs. Houston Christian @ Bedford's Pennington Field -- The John Cooper Dragons have been pushed off the top step after winning the 2021 and 2022 SPC 3A titles. The Trojans avenged last year's title game defeat two weeks ago with a 37-28 win over the Dragons. Trinity Valley is 8-1 on the season with the lone loss coming to...Houston Christian. The Mustangs are 8-2 with losses to St. John's and Cypress Christian having lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 35 points per game while allowing just 16 on defense. This fits perfectly with the result from September, Mustangs 34 Trojans 22. The Trinity Valley output is about the same, scoring 43 points per game and allowing just 18. So expect a close one here. We'll go with the cliche, "hard to beat a team twice." Trojans turn the tables and claim the title, 35-28.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The champions of TAPPS Division I for the last 4 seasons gets ready for another playoff run. The Panthers are 6-3 on the season and haven't lost to a TAPPS opponent since falling in the regular season finale to Nolan in 2020. This game actually feels similar to that one. Parish was the favorite, but hadn't looked as dominant as some years. The Lions take their shot at the district title having scored 70 and 69 in back-to-back weeks. A season ago Prestonwood scored just 14 points in each of two meetings with Parish last season. The offense must lead the Lions if they're going to spring the upset. The Panthers will score, so Prestonwood must answer. I don't think Prestonwood will get blown out this time, but at home on the blue turf Parish is still the champs. Panthers win 34-30.

Houston St. Thomas @ San Antonio Antonian -- The championship of District 2 in Division I comes to this match. The winner avoids Parish (or Prestonwood if they beat them) until the state final. St. Thomas is a strong 9-0 having only been held on 40 points twice on the season. The former Tommies, now Eagles, have also allowed a few points on the season averaging almost 25 points against per game. The Apaches are 8-1 entering this one for a 2nd straight year with a lone loss to UIL Boerne. Antonian lost by just 7 to a highly ranked squad. The Eagles played a more difficult schedule this year, including wins over Regents and Kinkaid and hope to not repeat last year's season ending loss to the Apaches. Last year it was 38-35 at St. Thomas. This year, the Eagle offense looks better but the defense still vulnerable. I think the Eagles have improved enough to secure a road win. St. Thomas takes the district title in a shootout, 48-40.

Dallas The Covenant @ Tyler Grace Community -- An interesting non-district closer features the Cougars who I think are locked into 2nd place in District 2 of Division II. I don't know for sure since no one bothered to send out anything about their game with Bishop Dunne last week. I think it was cancelled entirely, but who knows.  At 7-1, Grace is having its best season since 2016. It will be a difficult playoff opener with someone from District 1 coming to Tyler. The Knights got the key win over McKinney Christian to make the playoffs, but were totally dominated by DC and Brook Hill. Particularly the Brook Hill loss casts a lot of doubt on the Knights chances in the playoffs and in this finale. The Cougars beat Brook Hill 23-19 back in Week 3 while the Knights were shut out by Brook Hill. So I just don't see how Covenant scores enough to threaten the Cougars this week. Grace wins 35-7.

Bullard Brook Hill @ McKinney Christian -- The Guard need a win to safely make the postseason, with only a 3-way tie scenario possibly keeping them out. The huge shutout of Covenant makes that unlikely as the Mustangs will need to overcome that big point differential in a win. It was a ugly wait all night Friday to lose 70-0 at DC on Saturday for the Mustangs. How do they bounce back from that one? How does Brook Hill bounce back from the 55-3 drubbing they took against DC? The Guard look like the better squad, but have seemed to underwhelm in the big games in recent years. Really the 2014 win at Dallas Christian was the last big win for Brook Hill. This won't rise to that level, but would start the process of getting up to that level for Brook Hill. The Guard need it for the move to Division II next year. The Mustangs have gotten better this year but still struggle to score the needed points against the top half of the division. Guard wins comfortably, 40-14.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Warriors have assumed the role of favorites in Division II at 9-0 and having dominated everyone to the tune of allowing just 7 points per game. The Lions have to view this as their chance to show they'll be ready for DC in the semi-finals. These two played in Week 3 last year, a 35-25 win for the Warriors. Trinity is 8-1 on the season having lost the opener to Albany and dominating district play, until a close call with Grace Prep. If the Lion offense can find a way to score against the Warriors it will be a surprise. I don't think its impossible, but 13 against Grace Prep doesn't bode well. A closer game than most for Liberty, but still a tidy victory. Warriors win 33-10.

Arlington Grace Prep @ Fort Worth Lake Country Christian -- Last year these two met with a host spot on the line. This year it is a battle for 3rd place with Colleyville Covenant having displaced both of these two out of the top 2 in the standings. The loser has to go to DC to open the playoffs. The Eagles win over FWC has not turned out to be as quality a feather as we thought at the time. Lake Country is just 4-5 having dropped their last 3. The Lions lost to FWC at home, but produced the best effort of anyone against Lubbock Trinity. A 13-12 defeat to the district champions puts Grace Prep as someone who can spring an upset in the playoffs. The Eagles were beaten 48-7 by Trinity and weren't in the game at all. So the Lions team that nearly upset favored Trinity wins easily, but we've seen a lot of the Grace Prep squad that can't score. Just 14 against Oakridge, 7 against Southwest Christian, 7 against Lubbock Trinity. Those would all be losing outings this week for the Lions. Eagles win at home in a slog, 22-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 72-28)

Addison Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Nolan
Houston St. Pius X over San Antonio Central Catholic
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian
Midland Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Austin Regents over Austin St. Michael's
San Antonio Holy Cross over Boerne Geneva
Houston Second Baptist over The Woodlands Christian
Fort Bend Christian over Beaumont Kelly
Houston Cypress Christian over League City Bay Area Christian