State Finals Results 2024

One final time for 2024 and we conclude our 10th season and the 148th edition of the picks. I hope to see everyone back in this space for 2025 for the sesquicentennial.

Week 15: 3-1
Season: 79-25

Division I

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Argyle Liberty Christian (24-45) -- Wrong
--The Warriors offense was too much in the clash of champions. The Panthers will no doubt be back in the mix soon after suffering their first playoff loss since 2018. Liberty continues its perfect mark in TAPPS finals and secures back-to-back crowns. Congratulations to the Liberty Christian Warriors on their 5th State Championship!

Division II

Fort Worth All Saints over Houston Second Baptist (21-3) -- Correct
--The Saints were the best in the Division from the start of the season and their defense cemented their claim on the crown for 2024. Eagles fall just short again, and the battle for District 4 seems tough as ever. The geography of the Division makes it likely we see SBS in the title game again soon, but you wonder about missed opportunities. Congratulations to the All Saints Saints on their 1st (+7 SPC) State Championship!

Division III: Dallas Christian over San Antonio Holy Cross (21-18) -- Correct
--Both defenses delivered on the big stage as the teams produced a classic championship game. Luke Carney's squads never lost a playoff game as the Chargers complete 4 consecutive state titles. Carney even sprung the defensive MVP award for an incredible finale to an amazing high school career at Dallas Christian. Knights just miss out again, but should be back for another run next year. Big congratulations to the Dallas Christian Chargers on their TAPPS leading 12th State Championship!

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist over Bryan Brazos Christian (42-15) -- Correct
--The Saints started as the defending champions and were never seriously challenged for the top spot. It was a great season for the Eagles and a long climb back awaits, but their best season in program history is a great building block. Eastern Dallas County once again reigns supreme in the small school divisions. Congratulations to the First Baptist Saints on their 3rd State Championship!

And with that everyone is undefeated again...

Historic Results:
2015: 94-16
2016: 79-25
2017: 78-32
2018: 88-22
2019: 89-21
2020: 64-23
2021: 85-29
2022: 81-31
2023: 87-21
2024: 79-25

Quick Hits:
2015: 60-15
2016: 103-26
2017: 101-29
2018: 102-28
2019: 103-27
2020: 77-23
2021: 105-25
2022: 96-34
2023: 100-30
2024: 108-22

State Finals Picks 2024

The Finals once again descend upon Waco. A logical choice for 3 of these 4 games. So I'll make my one mention a year of things I think TAPPS should consider. First, 3-round playoffs. If there's only 18 or fewer teams in a division and only 3 or fewer districts, an 8-team playoff would be ok. This could put the games on separate weekends and might keep someone from having to play Friday at noon (or Thursday for 6-man). Second, if Central Texas isn't a logical midpoint consider hosting at a site logical for the 2 teams. I know Waco in recent years has offered incentives to schedule as many championships there as possible. So I have to admit that following the money isn't a bad play either. Next, schedule the games closer together so a neutral fan might hit more than one. No one is staying for a noon and a 7pm game. If you need a place with more locker rooms to do this, find one. Lastly, $18 is stiff. I get it, but whew that's a big number for a high school game. Yes, the UIL can get $20 but that's $2 for AT&T Stadium and 3 games close together.

Enough with all that. We've got 4 great games that include all 4 of last year's champions. Three undefeated teams look to complete the perfect season. Its going to be a fun finish to our 10th season. Everyone stay safe and dry this weekend when you can. Good luck and safe travels on your road to State! Everyone will be undefeated again soon, even the Eagles...

Division III

Dallas Christian vs. San Antonio Holy Cross -- A rematch of last year's Division III title game will settle 2024 on Friday night. The Chargers won the Division II title in 2021 before winning Division III each of the last two seasons. The 3-peat has run the DC title total to 11, the most in TAPPS 11-man. To add to the mystique the Chargers have reached 21 State Finals, but have needed the 3-in-a-row to get back over .500 at 11-10 all time on TAPPS championship weekend. The Knights are the opposite side of the coin. A season ago was Holy Cross first TAPPS Final appearance. The Knights were in the game last, but DC secured the victory 28-13. While the history is always fun, its this year's teams that will decide things. This season the Knights have dominated the opposition. Just 3 opponents have kept the score to a margin 20 or less, Weimar, Dallas First Baptist, and Central Catholic. Their average score is 47-8. The revenge tour from last year's Finals appearance has been destructive. Thanks to bracketing they can be one of the only 14-0 teams in TAPPS this year and were able to avoid playing another district champion until the title game. An unfortunate reality of 3 districts is that the bracket is going to look weird. The Chargers started off on a rocky path in 2024 at just 2-2 and having been dominated by Prestonwood, 49-9. The Division III opponents have been mostly no match for DC. Though Dallas Covenant made it interesting it was another undefeated district title for the Chargers, putting them at 5-in-a-row. The semifinal was a narrow escape of Lubbock Christian, 43-38. Holding up the reputation of a "big 3" in Division III. The DC defense has been a bit suspect against the top opponents this year. Cornerstone rolled off 49, Prestonwood 49, and the previously mentioned Lubbock Christian 38. Even Pittsburg scored 30. At 47 points per game the offense may outscore those problems, but the Knights pose the biggest test of the season since the calendar shifted to October. We know the general leanings of this space so the pick should be no surprise, but this should be a tight one. I'm not sure a walk-off pick 6 like the 2020 game with Regents is in order, but there are going to be some big momentum plays in this one. Chargers win a shootout for their 12th TAPPS crown, 48-44.

Division I

Argyle Liberty Christian vs. Dallas Parish Episcopal -- TAPPS largest schools comprise Division I, but will decided by a couple of the smaller schools, by enrollment, in the division. The Warriors won the 2023 crown in Division II, finishing 14-0. They've been just as good in Division I this year, but just 11-1 on the record sheet. Only UIL Texas High bested Liberty this year. Seemingly every year Division I is decided by the District 1 teams. This year its 1st against 3rd with the Warriors having beaten the Panthers on Oct. 18, 35-27. I say seemingly as it was actually Houston St. Thomas that opposed Parish a season ago in Waco. A 40-29 win completed the Panthers 5th consecutive title, all in Division I. A 2018 semifinal loss to Bishop Dunne was the last playoff defeat for Parish. The gap has appeared to be narrowing each year, and they will need to win this week to reach 10 wins for the 7th consecutive season. Both teams should be able to score on this one, but also neither defense is "suspect." Just expect an all-around great game to close the 2024 TAPPS football season. The Warriors are 4-4 all time in the title game, the Panthers are 7-0 all time in the title game. I'm almost stalling at this point trying to make a pick. We'll say you're the champs until someone dethrones you. Panthers win a 6th consecutive crown in a classic, 34-31.

Division II

Fort Worth All Saints vs. Houston Second Baptist -- The departure of Liberty to Division I means Division II could be the only Division with a new champion. It is certainly the only one guaranteed to have a new boss. The Saints opened the season with 2 stunning wins over Parish and Prestonwood, immediately announcing themselves as the favorite in Division II and at 13-0 they've never let up. Amongst their peers Regents in the semifinal provided the toughest test, a 42-26 win for the Saints. All Saints has only been held under 40 in 3 games this season. The Eagles (one of 2 to reach 11-man's final weekend) are 11-2 and once again continue the tradition of District 4's runner-up reaching the title game. After a destruction of FWC in Week 2, Second Baptist seemed to a the likely contender for the South place in the title game. Regents being moved to the North appeared to remove all obstacles. However, things hit a little skid late in the season as they narrowly escaped The Woodlands Christian and then lost the district title game to Fort Bend Christian. They absolutely turned that around in the playoffs though winning the semifinal of FBCA, 35-16. The Eagles are one of only 2 "South" teams to win TAPPS 2nd largest division since a 4th division was created in 1992. Second Baptist won its lone TAPPS crown in 1999. The Saints won 7 SPC titles before switching associations to TAPPS in 2017. They've been unable to claim a TAPPS crown since then having to navigate the Parish run in Division I and dropping the Division II title game in 2022 to Fort Bend Christian. At 13-0, I think this is the Saints moment. Saints finally get that 1st TAPPS crown, 42-35.

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist vs. Bryan Brazos Christian -- The Saints won the Division IV crown in 2023, defeating Lubbock Christian 55-33. That FBA offense scored over 700 points in just 13 games, averaging over 54 points per game. The 11-1 mark this season isn't as dominant but against Division IV competition its still the best around. They've posted 58 and 54 in their two playoff wins. The Saints lone loss was to Division III finalist Holy Cross. The Eagles are 12-0 and could be one of the three to finish undefeated this season. It is the first 12 win season for Brazos Christian in the MaxPreps era. The Eagles have been very good all season, outscoring the opposition 38-10 on average. The disparity in success between District 1 and District 2 makes us wonder how this might go. The Eagles faced only one team from District 1 this season, defeating Waco Live Oak 31-13 last week in the semifinals. The Eagles lone appearance in the title game was in 2013 when they lost the Division III title to...Dallas First Baptist. I just don't see the Saints as having regressed enough from last year's squad to getting beat here. The Eagles should make this interesting, but back-to-back titles seems on offer. The Saints are 2-1 all-time in the title game the lone loss is a lifetime ago in the 1984 Division I championship game. First Baptist claims its 3rd TAPPS title, 42-25.

Season: 76-24

Quick Hits finishes the season at 108-22.

TAPPS State Finals Game Information 2024

Tickets are available at tapps.biz. Games are also available via pay-per-view on tappstvnetwork.com. I'm not sure anyone in these matchups can be considered a surprise. This should make for a great set of games to close out the season.

Division I

Argyle Liberty Christian School vs. Dallas Parish Episcopal School
--7:00 Saturday Waco ISD Stadium

Division II

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School vs. Houston Second Baptist School
--12:00 Saturday Waco ISD Stadium

Division III

Mesquite Dallas Christian School vs. Holy Cross of San Antonio
--7:00 Friday Waco ISD Stadium

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School
--12:00 Friday Waco ISD Stadium

Semifinal Playoff Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Lubbock Christian (43-38) -- Correct
--The first meeting of the Division III "big 3" was a classic. Chargers survive thanks to their offense. DC likely needs to find more stops on defense to topple Holy Cross and win a 4th straight title.

San Antonio Holy Cross over Colleyville Covenant Christian (41-14) -- Correct
--Knights overwhelm the Cougars and will get a rematch of last year's title game with DC.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Houston St. Thomas (63-0) -- Correct
--Warriors dominate from the opening kick and head back to the title game. Someone will finally lose a playoff game when they meet Parish for the crown.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Frisco Legacy Christian (42-7) -- Correct
--Panthers seem to be a little less dominant each year, but they are back in the State Final with a chance at the 6-peat.

Fort Worth All Saints over Austin Regents (42-26) -- Correct
--Saints led throughout but the Knights were game, just unable to get the big plays to get over the hump.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Houston Second Baptist (16-35) -- Wrong
--Second Baptist was the top team in the South from the jump this year, but had a lull toward the end of the regular season. A shot at All Saints for the title awaits.

Dallas First Baptist over Temple Central Texas Christian (54-21) -- Correct
--The Saints continue to dominate Division IV and this semifinal was no different. The expected final when the playoffs started comes to fruition.

Bryan Brazos Christian over Waco Live Oak Classical (31-13) -- Correct
--Eagles undefeated run continues but will see its toughest test in the State Final.

Week 14: 7-1
Season: 76-24

Quick Hits finishes the season at 108-22.

Semifinal Playoff Picks 2024

Just one week to go before we crown our champions and we have a fun batch of semifinals ahead. A few too many Eagles still in the playoffs at this point of the season. Including at least one in every division, but we'll make do. Good luck and safe travels on the road to State!

This Week: (Season: 69-23)

Lubbock Christian vs. Dallas Christian @ Clyde -- The Chargers and Eagles have felt like a certain collision since the bracket was released in September. DC opened the season with a poor start by the standards of a 3-time defending champion at just 2-2. Losses to San Antonio Cornerstone and Prestonwood are certainly not bad losses though. Then district play started and the Chargers dominated. They opened their title defense with a 55-0 win over Pantego. The Eagles are 10-1 on the season having very impressive wins over top UIL squads from Wink and Wellington. Wink notably has not lost since. The Eagles offense is averaging 44 points per game and the DC defense has struggled when faced with a top offense this year. I really think whoever gets the lead early wins this one. Not sure either team is equipped to produce the defensive stops need for a comeback. Looking at common opponents, both teams rolled up 56 points on Tyler All Saints. The Chargers shutout Pantego last week 55-0 while the Eagles shut them out 40-0. So not much to go on, but in this space we know how the picks go. Chargers keep the 4-peat alive by winning a shootout. DC to the State Final, 46-42.

Colleyville Covenant Christian vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ Jarrell -- The "big 3" of Division III have all reached the semis. The Knights have dominated all comers this year in route to 12-0, outscoring the opposition by an average of 48-8. The playoffs have seen 63-6 and 56-14 drubbings of T.K. Gorman and Lake Country respectively. After losing the State Final last season, Holy Cross has been an unstoppable train in 2024. The Cougars started a pretty dismal 1-3, but righted the ship with close defensive wins over Dallas Covenant and FW Southwest Christian. They lost a surprising shootout to Lubbock Christian 52-45, but that positioned them as the best contender to knock off the "big 3" of Lubbock Christian, Dallas Christian, and Holy Cross. The Knights defense appears to be the best in Division III and scoring just 28 and 13 in two wins over Dallas Covenant does not bode well for the Cougars offense. I do think the Cougars won't get run over like their district mates did last week, but the Knight train won't stop here. Holy Cross creates a State Final rematch, 36-12.

Houston St. Thomas @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Warriors have dominated the world since 2022, losing just 3 games out of 37. This includes last year's 14-0 State Championship and a 10-1 mark this year. UIL power Texas High was able to roll off 52 points against Liberty, accounting for over 1/4 of the Warrior's points allowed for the season. The Warriors have appeared title bound all season, particularly after beating Parish and Prestonwood to claim the district title. The Eagles are a bit of a surprise semifinalist after finishing the regular season at 5-5. They were routed by Antonian in the regular season but managed to avoid them in the playoffs. St. Thomas was just ok through much of the season and a 31-19 playoff opening win over TCA didn't inspire visions of a title upset. However, reversing the score on St. Michael's made them the only District 2 team in the Division I semis. This is just too much to ask for the Eagles offense to keep up with the Warriors. Liberty reaches back-to-back title games. Warriors win, 42-21.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers have won the last 5 Division I titles, last dropping a playoff game in 2018. The progression has seen the Division catching up to them. Losing just 1 game in each of the first 3 title seasons, but then 3 last year and they've already lost 4 this season. It was a challenging schedule though and they already avenged one of the losses with a playoff road win over Prestonwood last week. Parish has scored all of the points this year averaging over 52 points per game. They needed every one of them to get past Prestonwood and keep the search for 6 alive. The Eagles have taken the road less traveled to the semis following a 5th place finish in the district campaign. They are also 8-4 on the season and won their own road playoff game last week as they run rampant over District 2 Champion Antonian, 62.27. Legacy has been improving as the season has gone on. After scoring just 14 in a home win over Brook Hill they later played Prestonwood to a 7 point game before their offense exploded in 2 road wins in the playoffs. Turning around a 56-27 margin from the first meeting is a big ask, particularly with a trip to the blue field. The Panthers offense is just too much for the Eagles to overcome. Parish and Liberty rematch for the crown. Panthers win, 50-28.

Fort Worth All Saints vs. Austin Regents @ McGregor -- The Saints have been unstoppable thus far in 2024 with a 12-0 mark. Their noble crusade began with upset wins over the Division I contenders in Parish and Prestonwood and then in 7 games against Division II opponents they've been held under 40 points just once and won every game by at least 21 points. The Knights had a string of 5 straight Division II championship games that ended with their title in 2020. They've been in the mix since but just got back to the Final last season, losing 52-10 to Argyle Liberty. This year has been different though with a district in the Northern half of the state. They're on a 10 game win streak after taking their lone loss to Kinkaid. They will likely need all of the 44 points per game they've been scoring given the Saints average is basically the same but with a more difficult schedule. They're scores are basically the same against common opponents. This should be a really good game. I have to lean Saints because they've been better on the season so far, but it'll be close. All Saints gets their shot at the first TAPPS title. Saints win, 35-33.

Houston Second Baptist vs. Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ Sheldon ISD -- The classic District 4 Eagles matchup will decide the other spot in the title game. The Fort Bend Christian Eagles finally broke through for the South in 2022 claiming the Division II title over All Saints. That season they had seemingly built to a big season over a couple of seasons and it was a culmination of multiple seasons of success. This year things seemed to pretty ho-him with a 0-3 start that became 1-4. The loss to Tomball Concordia without scoring a point had expectations pretty low. Then district play hit and 7 wins later they won the district and face a team they beat for a spot in the title game. The Second Baptist Eagles have undergone the opposite season to Fort Bend. SBS is 10-2 but seemed to be playing their best early and little more suspect as the season went on. Particularly a season opening 48-16 obliteration of Fort Worth Christian had them appearing a possible favorite to win the "South" of Division II. I hate to say they sputtered down the stretch when they only lost a single game, but the scores just didn't pop the same. Just a 6 point win in the first meeting should make this a close one. I don't see what has changed since November 1 to alter the result, and Fort Bend won that one at Second Baptist. Fort Bend Christian wins to set up a redux of the 2022 title game with All Saints, 28-26.

Dallas First Baptist vs. Temple Central Texas Christian @ Mexia -- The Saints won the Division IV title going away in 2023 and only Division III semifinalist Holy Cross toppled FBA this year en route to a 10-1 record. Seven of their last eight wins, sandwiched around the Holy Cross loss, had a running clock margin. A Live Oak rematch might be interesting and Brazos Christian is undefeated, but the defending champs are clearly the favorites at this point. The Lions are a more surprising 10-1 and have a 10 win season for the first time since 2004. Only undefeated Brazos Christian has bested CTCS this year. The Lions turned a 6 point OT win over Hallettsville Sacred Heart into a 52-6 playoff blowout. They'll not be an easy out for the Saints, but FBA just looks to be too much. Saints get a chance a repeat. FBA wins, 35-28.

Waco Live Oak Classical vs. Bryan Brazos Christian @ Riesel -- Division IV semis are both blockbusters. The Falcons are in their first year of 11-man football and so hit this space for the first time. The one team to keep it under a 40 point margin against FBA was Live Oak. The Falcons just haven't scored enough in the big games, dropping a 20-12 decision to Central Texas Christian and scoring just 21 against FBA. Their other loss was to Magnolia Legacy and they managed just 14 that night. The Eagles are averaging just under 40 points per game so finding the endzone will be very needed for Live Oak. That is a stiff ask against Brazos who allows just 9 points per game. They've allowed double digits just 4 times in 11 games. The Eagles defense should win the day, but no easy task for Brazos Christian to reach the title game. I think they just get over the hump and earn the chance at the undefeated season. Eagles win, 35-21.

Quick Hits finishes the season at 108-22. (A new record for most wins by Quick Hits)

TAPPS Semifinal Playoff Times and Locations 2024

Division I

Houston St. Thomas High School @ Argyle Liberty Christian School
--5:00 Saturday Argyle's Bowles Stadium

Frisco Legacy Christian Academy @ Dallas Parish Episcopal School
--7:00 Saturday Dallas' Gloria Snyder Stadium

Division II 

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School vs. Regents School of Austin
--12:00 Saturday McGregor's Bulldog Stadium

Houston Second Baptist School vs. Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian Academy
--1:00 Saturday Houston's Sheldon ISD Panther Stadium

Division III

Lubbock Christian School vs. Mesquite Dallas Christian School
--6:00 Friday Clyde's Bulldog Stadium

Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy vs. Holy Cross of San Antonio
--6:00 Friday Jarrell's Cougar Field

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Temple Central Texas Christian School
--2:00 Friday Mexia's Blackcat Field

Waco Live Oak Classical School vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School
--5:00 Friday Riesel's Fair Park Field

Regional Playoff Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (55-0) -- Correct
--Chargers were the better team and took advantage of some special teams plays to make the margin much bigger. DC and Lubbock Christian showdown next week for a trip to Waco.

Lubbock Christian over Tyler All Saints (56-0) -- Correct
--Eagles dominate from the jump and cruise to the semifinals. The much anticipated matchup with the Chargers looms next week.

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Dallas Covenant (28-9) -- Correct
--Cougars held the Knights to just 16 points in 2 games. They'll have a tough game against Holy Cross for a trip to Waco.

San Antonio Holy Cross over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (56-14) -- Correct
--Eagles were game in this one but the Knights were too much. Lake Country actually got the lead briefly. Holy Cross will be happy to see the other main contenders on the other side of the bracket.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Dallas Parish Episcopal (55-61) -- Wrong
--The Panthers offense and Sawyer Anderson is just too much for the Lions tonight. These two might go 5-5 if they played 10 times. Incredible game. Can anyone stop the Panthers run?

Austin Regents over Midland Christian (46-23) -- Correct
--Knights are back to the semis with another impressive win. Regents has scored 40 points in 10 of 12 outings this year.

Houston Second Baptist over Brownsville St. Joseph Academy (29-10) -- Correct
--This space is always sad to see the Bloodhounds eliminated, but the Eagles were tested but pass with flying colors. A district rematch awaits for a trip to Waco.

The Woodlands Christian over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (38-45) -- Wrong
--Eagles found their offensive mojo when district play began and have kept it rolling. Another Second Baptist-Fort Bend Christian showdown for a state title birth.

Week 13: 6-2
Season: 69-23

Quick Hits:

Frisco Legacy Christian over San Antonio Antonian (62-27) -- Correct
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (63-19) -- Correct
Austin St. Michael's over Houston St. Thomas (7-21) -- Wrong
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian (49-20) -- Correct
Dallas First Baptist over Fort Worth Mercy Culture (58-14) -- Correct
Temple Central Texas Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (52-6) -- Correct
Waco Live Oak Classical over Muenster Sacred Heart (30-18) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Shiner St. Paul (52-8) -- Correct

Week 13: 7-1
Season: 108-22

Regional Playoff Picks 2024

Should be a fun week with a mix of home games and neutral site contests. We saw a couple of upsets last week, but none who appeared to be contenders for the title. Will we get the big surprise this week?

This Week: (Season: 63-21)

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers once again dominated district play as they look to win a 4th straight title. This year though that came with a 1st round bye rather than a home game, but the coin toss fairy has granted a home game after all. DC's last home playoff loss was in 2006 to Southwest Christian. This will be the first Regional playoff game at Wheeler Field in the 4 round playoff era. Thanks to Covid it will not be the lastest game played at Dallas Christian missing the record set on November 27, 2020. The Panthers had a great 6-0 start but then struggled down the stretch. Then after not winning a game since October 10 they won their playoff opener at Geneva. The Pantego offense presents a challenge for a Chargers defense that has struggled when facing better opponents this year. However, the Panthers defense has a bigger challenge with the DC offense. Lubbock Christian and Colleyville Covenant both shutout the Panthers and put a 40 point margin on them. DC put 63 on Shelton while Pantego won by just 6. Probably not a total rout, but DC wins handily. Chargers advance to the semis, 42-14.

Lubbock Christian vs. Tyler All Saints @ Breckenridge -- The Eagles fell in the Division IV championship game last season and begin their playoff run this week after a 1st round bye. LCS is averaging 42 points per game and that bodes well for their playoff chances. They should not look to the semifinal with DC just yet though. The Trojans pulled a off a road upset at New Braunfels to open the playoffs. All Saints has reached 6 wins for the 3rd time in school history. They've never reached 7 wins in a season. As best I can tell, last week was their first playoff win. There is no expectation for the Trojans in this one, and that can be what makes a team dangerous. The Eagles defense has allowed a few points along the way, but should have enough to stop the Trojans. I can't shake that this might be All Saints moment, but I just don't see a 2nd upset. Eagles win 40-22.

Colleyville Covenant Christian vs. Dallas Covenant @ Coppell -- The battle of Covenant is a rematch of a Week 6 meeting in Colleyville. The Cougars won that 13-7. Both teams averaged over 35 points per game on the season, so naturally that managed only 20 between each other head-to-head. I have to think the offenses will catch up in Round 2. The Cougars scored 45 against a Lubbock Christian squad we consider to be among the top of the division. The Knights defense has led their charge. Holding DC to just 24 and limiting squads T.K. Gorman and Tyler All Saints to just 6 points total. The Knights slowed the Cougars once, but could get the offense going. Slowing the Colleyville attack again seems unlikely, so the opposite game of last time feels like the pick. Knights get the offense going, but can't get the stops to carry out a victory. Cougars win a shootout, 42-35.

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ Jarrell -- The Eagles travel South to meet the only undefeated squad in Division III. Lake Country routed Shelton to reach Round 2, holding a good Shelton offense to just 14 points. They will need every bit of that defense to slow a Knights squad that is averaging over 47 points per game. Holy Cross dominated T.K. Gorman last week to reach the Regional and have reached the running clock threshold in every game against a Division III opponent this season. They allow less than 8 points per game, so if the Eagles get to 10 they'll be out performing the expectations. I think the Eagles will have a hard time doing even that. Lake Country should slow the Knights attack a little, but not enough to keep this one tight at the end. Holy Cross moves to one step away from a shot at avenging last year's title loss. Knights win, 35-6.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Plano Prestonwood Christian --We leave the friendly confines of Division III for a massive Division I clash. Liberty beat them both to establish themselves as favorites, but one will still have a chance at getting title game revenge after this week. The Lions earned the right to host this one in a 52-49 win on October 25. Prestonwood has lost 2 games on the season by 7 points total. They've averaged 45 points per game so far. The Panthers are averaging 51 points per game this season, but lost 4 games along the way. So expect a pile of points in this one. It seems like the "other" unit always catches up a bit in the rematch. So while a shootout seems on order, I bet the defenses rise up in this one. This is going to be a tight one again. The 5-time defending champions that play on the blue field will not be ousted easily. The last time Prestonwood won over Parish before this year was 2018. The winner in this series has never scored less than 35. So flip a coin and choose a close one. I'll say the Lions end the Panthers reign, 32-30.

Midland Christian vs. Austin Regents @ San Angelo -- The Mustangs offense struggled to start the season, scoring just 17 points in their first 3 games. They caught up later in the year, but now the defense is a little iffy. Tyler Grace is certainly not a pushover, but allowing 29 in a home playoff game is not the type of performance that will upset Regents. The Knights are constantly in the contenders of Division II. This year is different as realignment has them traversing the North half of the bracket. Regents has won 9 in a row after a Week 2 loss to Kinkaid. They've won every one of them by at least 22 points. Averaging over 43 points per game says that the Knights will be too much in this one. The Mustangs always have a game effort and the improving offense gives them a shot, but I don't think they can get over the hump in this one. Knights win a close one, 38-34.

Brownsville St. Joseph Academy vs. Houston Second Baptist @ San Antonio Edgewood -- The Bloodhounds are always a mystery in the Division II bracket. The lack of common non-district opponents leaves many unknowns. This year they have just 3 district games so its even more unknown. They did play Regents in the non-district dropping a 49-14 decision. The 'Hounds are averaging over 43 points per game and will need the offense to keep up with the Eagles. Second Baptist started the season with some big numbers that said they could be the team to topple All Saints for the crown. They still completed an 8-2 season, but did not reach the heights of the 30 point blowout of FWC when district play rolled around. The Eagles lost the district title to Fort Bend Christian and narrowly escaped The Woodlands Christian. SBS had a comfortable win over Victoria St. Joseph in round 1. The crossover of the playoff pairings gives us two clear data points. The Eagles beat Victoria St. Joseph 42-7 and Lutheran South 28-3. The Bloodhounds beat the pair 50-7 and 40-14. So a high scoring game seems on the offer, but I think the Eagles defense is just a tad better. Second Baptist looks for district revenge in the semis. Eagles win 35-30.

The Woodlands Christian @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian -- The Eagles won the 2022 state title and then limped to a 6-6 mark in 2023. This season appeared to be a continuation of last year when they started just 1-4. They've rolled of 6 district and playoff wins since and seems primed to be in the title game again. These two met just 2 weeks ago, also in Sugar Land, and the Eagles notched a 35-17 win. The Warriors 8-3 season snuck up on this author, but they were on the radar when they had Second Baptist on the ropes. TWCA lost that day to SBS, but could get a rematch with a win here. Among the three losses for the Warriors is a 4 point game at UIL state-ranked East Bernard. They went to San Antonio Christian last week and won 47-0, so the Warriors are ready for another road test. Its hard to beat a good team twice the adage would say, and this seems to be the Warriors revenge tour. I'll take the upset. TWCA springs a surprise, 28-21.

Quick Hits: (Season: 101-21)

Frisco Legacy Christian over San Antonio Antonian
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Austin St. Michael's over Houston St. Thomas
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian
Dallas First Baptist over Fort Worth Mercy Culture
Temple Central Texas Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Waco Live Oak Classical over Muenster Sacred Heart
Bryan Brazos Christian over Shiner St. Paul

TAPPS Regional Playoff Times and Locations 2024

Home sites were required for Division I. In other divisions if there is a home game it was the result of a coin toss or agreement

Division I

Dallas Bishop Lynch High School @ Argyle Liberty Christian School
--7:00 Friday Argyle's Bowles Stadium

Houston St. Thomas High School @ Austin St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School
--6:30 Friday Austin's Corby Field at Crusader Stadium

Dallas Parish Episcopal School @ Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy
--7:30 Friday Plano's Lions Stadium

Frisco Legacy Christian Academy @ San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory School
--2:00 Saturday San Antonio's John Ferrara Field

Division II 

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School vs. Fort Worth Christian School
--7:00 Friday North Richland Hills' Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletic Complex

Midland Christian School vs. Regents School of Austin
--2:00 Saturday San Angelo Stadium

Brownsville St. Joseph Academy vs. Houston Second Baptist School
--7:00 Friday San Antonio's Bob Benson '66 Stadium

The Woodlands Christian Academy @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian Academy
--1:00 Saturday Sugar Land's The Nest

Division III

Lubbock Christian School vs. Tyler All Saints Episcopal School
--6:00 Friday Breckenridge's Buckaroo Stadium

Arlington Pantego Christian Academy @ Mesquite Dallas Christian School
--7:00 Friday Mesquite's Wheeler Field

Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy vs. Dallas The Covenant School
--2:00 Saturday Coppell's Buddy Echols Field

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian School vs. Holy Cross of San Antonio
--7:00 Friday Jarrell's Cougar Field

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Fort Worth Mercy Culture Preparatory
--7:00 Friday Waxahachie's Mustang Stadium

Hallettsville Sacred Heart Catholic School vs. Temple Central Texas Christian School
--7:00 Friday Giddings' Buffalo Stadium

Waco Live Oak Classical School vs. Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic School
--6:00 Friday Fort Worth's Doskocil Stadium

Shiner St. Paul High School vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School
--12:00 Saturday Hutto Memorial Stadium

Area Playoff Results 2024

This Week:

New Braunfels Christian over Tyler All Saints (35-44) -- Wrong
--Trojans score 40 for the 3rd time this year to take out the the Wildcats. A big disappointment for NBCA after a 9-1 regular season.

Boerne Geneva over Arlington Pantego Christian (24-47) -- Wrong
--I underestimated the Panthers offense as they impressively roll up 47 to get a road playoff win. Pantego draws a much closer opponent in Dallas Christian in the Regional.

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Schertz St. John Paul II (63-0) -- Correct
--Cougars offense continues to shine in a rout to head to Round 2.

Dallas Covenant over Austin Hill Country Christian (35-12) -- Correct
--Covenant Knights with a decisive victory to reach the Regional. They'll try to avenge a 13-7 regular season loss to Colleyville Covenant in Round 2.

Dallas Shelton over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (21-49) -- Wrong
--The Eagles dominate on offense and head to Round 2 with a tidy victory. Big uphill climb against Holy Cross next week. The Chargers best season in a decade comes to a close.

San Antonio Holy Cross over Tyler T.K. Gorman (63-6) -- Correct
--Knights just too much for the Crusaders. Holy Cross the heavy favorite in their half of the bracket.

Fort Worth Christian over Austin Hyde Park (31-19) -- Correct
--Cardinals get the big road win in a tight one. All Saints will be a tough test for FWC in the Regional.

Midland Christian over Tyler Grace Community (34-29) -- Correct
--A very game effort for the Cougars but they fall just short on the long road trip West. A nice improvement for Grace this season. The Mustangs have overcome their offensive struggles early in the season and Regents will not have an easy road to the semis.

The Woodlands Christian over San Antonio Christian (47-0) -- Correct
--One of the biggest road margins of victory ever in a TAPPS playoff game. Warriors play Fort Bend Christian for the 2nd time in 3 weeks in Round 2.

Week 12: 6-3
Season: 63-21

Quick Hits:

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (35-7) -- Correct
Addison Trinity Christian over Houston St. Thomas (19-31) -- Wrong
Frisco Legacy Christian over San Antonio Central Catholic (42-28) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood over El Paso Cathedral (65-6) -- Correct
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Houston St. Pius X (76-27) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Bullard Brook Hill (49-21) -- Correct
Austin Regents over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (56-7) -- Correct
Brownsville St. Joseph over Houston Lutheran South (40-14) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph (42-7) -- Correct
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over San Antonio St. Anthony (79-7) -- Correct
Conroe Covenant Christian School over Fort Worth Mercy Culture Preparatory (0-43) -- Wrong
Shiner St. Paul over Fort Worth Temple Christian (48-7) -- Correct

Week 12: 10-2
Season: 101-21

Area Playoff Picks 2024

The playoffs are here and we are just 4 weeks away from crowning our champions. We have favorites, Liberty in Division I, All Saints in Division II,  Dallas Christian, Lubbock Christian, and Holy Cross in Division III, and First Baptist and Brazos Christian in Division IV. We also have contenders looking to surprise. Maybe Fort Bend Christian's 2022 title form has made a return? Perhaps Prestonwood will finally have Parish's number in the playoffs. Speaking of Parish, the 5 time defending champs can not be counted out. It will be a fun ride and we'll have a pick on every TAPPS 11-man playoff game. Good luck and safe travels on the road to state!

Division III Playoff Preview

Tyler All Saints @ New Braunfels Christian -- DC's division always features in the lead spots and with only 3 districts in Division III we get some new matchups and a couple of first round byes. The Wildcats are a bit of a surprise in rankings this year, having posted a 9-1 season. The lone loss was a blowout by Holy Cross. So the title chances don't look great but they have a great chance at advancing from the home game they earned. In their 3rd year playing 11-man NBCA is averaging 48.5 points per game even while being shutout by Holy Cross. The 51-48 shootout win over Geneva was the decisive factor in gaining a runner-up finish. The Trojans have always struggled on the football field. A 5-5 mark this season is tied for the 3rd best record in program history. They've won 6 games in a season just twice. The 5 wins this year shows a real sign of progress. However, they've been dominated by the top half of the district. Is there a path to victory? I think there is, but they'll need to score as many as they have all year and on the road that is too much to ask. Wildcats win their first ever 11-man playoff game, 40-20.

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Boerne Geneva -- The Eagles have lurked at the fringes of competing for state titles for many seasons. They had three 13-win seasons in a row in their final years of 6-man and then won their first 10 games as an 11-man squad. Their 6-4 mark this season includes losses to Holy Cross (a problem for everyone) and 2 1st round hosts in San Antonio Christian and New Braunfels Christian. Geneva has lacked that consistency that produces state title contenders. They've been particularly suspect defensively. The Panthers started 2024 at 6-0 before the district slate proved a tall task. A close loss to Lake Country gave way to being shutout by Lubbock Christian and Colleyville Covenant. This is an uphill climb for a team that only averaged 25 points per game on the season. The Geneva defense is probably not as strong as the teams Pantego finished the season against, but I can't see the Panthers scoring enough to steal a road win here. Geneva advances to play Dallas Christian, 37-19.

Schertz St. John Paul II @ Colleyville Covenant Christian -- The Cougars are having an opposite season to Pantego. They limped off the starting line, losing by 60 to FWC and after allowing 56 to FBA in Week 4 they were just 1-3. Close wins over Southwest Christian and Dallas Covenant set them up for a chance at taking down district favorite Lubbock Christian. Its always a little iffy to say your best game was a close loss, but that is the case for the Cougars. The offense that rolled to 45 points and a late chance to tie the game against Lubbock Christian will roll through this one. The Guardians may hail from Schertz or New Braunfels, no one is ever quite sure. A product of wide enrollment spreads in TAPPS 11-man leaves some small classifications and so we dip deep into the district standings to find teams to fill the brackets. So at 1-9, the Guardians will take their shot but they only averaged 8 points per game this season. They won't score enough to threaten Covenant in this one. Cougars set up a possible Covenant vs. Covenant regular season rematch in the Regional Round, 44-7.

Austin Hill Country Christian @ Dallas Covenant -- The Covenant Knights played Dallas Christian closer than any other Division III opponent has since DC moved to Division III. At 7-3 its been a good season on Valley View Lane. Close losses to DC and Colleyville Covenant make us think they might even be a bit better than an already good record. They just need to score more. In those 2 close losses they scored just 20 total points and adding in the First Baptist loss gets them to just 32 points. The Hill Country Knights 4-6 campaign included a tough non-district littered with teams that are hosting playoff games. They have a tough climb in this one on the road, but I can't see Covenant scoring so many that this is a laugher. However, Covenant is better and should win comfortably...but that's why they play the games. Covenant wins 28-14.

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian vs. Dallas Shelton @ Fort Worth's Scarborough-Handley -- Our lone neutral site game in the very spread out Division III appears to have one team on the rise (Shelton) and one team sliding a bit (Lake Counrty). The Chargers win when they score. Having scored just 21 points combined in losses to DC and Pantego means it is a bit fickle to reach the end zone against a quality opponent, but with less resistance on the other side a bunch of points in very possible. The Eagles have not really been close to scoring a notable victory. They were blown out in each of their 5 losses and 3 of their 5 wins were a single touchdown margin. The Chargers appear to be the better squad and should score more than the Eagles can keep up with. Shelton advances to the Regionals for the first time since 2017 with a 42-21 win.

Tyler T.K. Gorman @ San Antonio Holy Cross -- I am obligated to pick all games in Dallas Christian's division and I want to give you some thoughts and good info. However, the Knights are way better than the Crusaders. At 10-0 and coming off a state runner-up finish last year Holy Cross absolutely dominated Division III opponents this season and this week will be no different. The Crusaders are 3-7 on the season and this seems to be a real challenge for them to score this week having scored just 6 total in the 3 games against the top three finishers in District 2. Knights begin their march back to the final, 48-0.

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. I actually did one of these a year before I started the picks, so here is rundown #11:

We always wish good luck and safe passage to everyone and every team in the fray. The bracket always features too many Eagles and this year is no exception with 3 flocks battling for the crown. They only tie for the most though, as we found 3 Knights around the table. The ferocious cats always make up a chunk of the squads but no Lions in the Division III playoffs this year. We settle for Wildcats, Panthers, and Cougars seeking to claim the crown. Many warriors (lowercase) enter the field of battle. So we bring Trojans, Guardians, and Crusaders to the fight. Our other repeat mascot is our favorite. So we wish good luck to the Shelton Chargers, but the best of luck to the Dallas Christian Chargers!

Division II Bonus Picks

Fort Worth Christian @ Austin Hyde Park -- The Panthers finished 2nd in District 2 despite losing to Brook Hill at home early in district play. Averaging 35 points per game they have a good chance to advance here, but the Cardinals will be a tough out. FWC is holding opponents to just 15 points per game and has the better track record in the Division II playoffs. I couldn't find a road winner in Division III so I think this is the one. Cardinals win, 28-21.

Tyler Grace Community @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs struggled to score in the early goings of 2024. They turned things up as the season went on and rolled to a 4-1 district record. They scored 97 points in their last two games after not scoring that many in their first 5. The Cougars managed to finish in front of Brook Hill despite the Guard's road win over Hyde Park. Grace had a strong non-district campaign and after 2 district wins seemed on their way to a home game, but they were completely overrun by Regents and Hyde Park. I think the Mustangs are better than Hyde Park so they have to be the pick. The long trip does the Cougars no favors either. Mustangs win, 35-13.

The Woodlands Christian @ San Antonio Christian -- The Lions are a surprise host to this pundit, but likely benefit from the small size of District 3. They were no match for the district champion Bloodhounds and got a 3-point home win over Victoria St. Joseph to earn 2nd place. Averaging only 24 points per game makes this a tough task for the 6-4 Lions. The Warriors are 7-3 and were impressive in defeat against Second Baptist and Fort Bend Christian. Most notably though, losing by only 4 points on the road to UIL state ranked East Bernard says TWCA is a really good team. However, it is a bit weird for all of your best "wins" to actually be close losses. This would not help them in the beauty contest, but points to a really good chance at scoring a road win this week. The Warriors are averaging 39 points per game and their offense should get them past the Lions defenses. The Woodlands Christian wins a bit of a shootout, 41-31.

This Week is 57-18 for the season.

Quick Hits: (Season: 91-19)

Dallas Bishop Lynch over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
Addison Trinity Christian over Houston St. Thomas
Frisco Legacy Christian over San Antonio Central Catholic
Plano Prestonwood over El Paso Cathedral
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Houston St. Pius X
Fort Worth All Saints over Bullard Brook Hill
Austin Regents over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Brownsville St. Joseph over Houston Lutheran South
Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over San Antonio St. Anthony
Conroe Covenant Christian School over Fort Worth Mercy Culture Preparatory
Shiner St. Paul over Fort Worth Temple Christian

TAPPS Area Playoff Times and Locations 2024

If you see anything inaccurate please let us know.

Division I

Argyle Liberty Christian School (1 - 1st) BYE

Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School (2 - 5th) @ Dallas Bishop Lynch High School (1 - 4th)
--7:00 Friday Dallas' Rofino Stadium

Addison Trinity Christian Academy (1 - 6th) @ Houston St. Thomas High School (2 - 3rd)
--6:00 Friday Houston's Granger Stadium

Austin St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School (2 - 2nd) BYE


El Paso Cathedral Catholic High School (Ind) @ Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy (1 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Plano's Lions Stadium

Houston St. Pius X Catholic School (2 - 6th) @ Dallas Parish Episcopal School (1 - 3rd)
--7:30 Friday Dallas' Gloria Snyder Stadium

Frisco Legacy Christian Academy (1 - 5th) @ San Antonio Central Catholic High School (2 - 4th)
--6:00 Friday Bob Benson '66 Stadium

San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory School (2 - 1st) BYE

Division II 

Bullard The Brook Hill School (2 - 4th) @ Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School (1 - 1st)
--7:00 Friday Fort Worth's Young Field at McNair Stadium

Fort Worth Christian School (1 - 3rd) @ Austin Hyde Park High School (2 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Austin's Texas Field at The Quarries

Tyler Grace Community School (2 - 3rd) @ Midland Christian School (1 - 2nd)
--2:00 Saturday Midland's Gordon Awtry Field

Fort Worth Southwest Christian School (1 - 4th) @ Regents School of Austin (2 - 1st)
--2:00 Saturday Austin's Knights Field


Houston Lutheran South Academy (4 - 4th) @ Brownsville St. Joseph Academy (3 - 1st)
--5:00 Friday Brownsville's Canales Field

Victoria St. Joseph High School (3 - 3rd) @ Houston Second Baptist School (4 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Houston's Eagle Stadium

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

San Antonio St. Anthony Catholic High School (3 - 4th WC) @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian Academy (4 - 1st)
--7:00 Thursday Sugar Land's The Nest

Division III

Lubbock Christian School (1 - 1st) BYE

Tyler All Saints Episcopal School (2 - 4th) @ New Braunfels Christian Academy (3 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday New Braunfels' Wildcat Field

Arlington Pantego Christian Academy (1 - 4th) @ Geneva School of Boerne (3 - 3rd)
--6:00 Friday Boerne's GSB Field

Mesquite Dallas Christian School (2 - 1st) BYE


Schertz St. John Paul II Catholic High School (3 - 5th) @ Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy (1 - 2nd)
--5:30 Friday Colleyville's Cougar Field

Austin Hill Country Christian School (3 - 4th) @ Dallas The Covenant School (2 - 2nd)
--7:00 Friday Dallas' Frank Miller Field

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian School (1 - 3rd) vs. Dallas Shelton School (2 - 3rd)
--7:00 Friday Fort Worth's Scarborough-Handley Field

Tyler Bishop T.K. Gorman Catholic School (2 - 5th) @ Holy Cross of San Antonio (3 - 1st)
--7:00 Friday San Antonio's Holy Cross Stadium


Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy (1 - 1st) BYE

Conroe Covenant Christian School (2 - 5th) vs. Fort Worth Mercy Culture Preparatory (1 - 4th)
--7:00 Friday Mexia's Blackcat Field

Hallettsville Sacred Heart Catholic School (2 - 3rd) BYE

Temple Central Texas Christian School (2 - 2nd) BYE

Waco Live Oak Classical School (1 - 2nd) BYE

Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic School (1 - 3rd) BYE

Fort Worth Temple Christian School (1 - 5th) @ Shiner St. Paul High School (2 - 4th)
--6:00 Friday Shiner's Comanche Stadium

Bryan Brazos Christian School (2 - 1st) BYE

Week 11 Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Tyler All Saints (56-7) -- Correct
--Chargers dominate again and continue the district win streak and will have a bye in Round 1. Trojans with a much improved season and get an interesting New Braunfels Christian team to open the playoffs next week.

Dallas Covenant over Dallas Shelton (34-27) -- Correct
--A really good game on Valley View Lane in Dallas as the Knights secure a home playoff game in Round 1. Chargers draw an interesting neutral site game for their playoff opener.

Austin Regents over Austin Hyde Park (35-13) -- Correct
--Knights are the undefeated district champions again. It will be interesting to see them in the playoffs in the North setting up a possible semifinal with All Saints.

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (42-0) -- Correct
--Cougars dominate and secure 2nd place in District 1. They get a home game a favorable matchup with District 3-5th. Panthers have to open the playoffs on the road.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over The Woodlands Christian (35-17) -- Correct
--Eagles had slid down the board with a struggle in the non-district, but run off 5 district wins and are the undisputed champs of District 4. The Warriors will have to open the playoffs on the road.

SPC 4A Championship: Bellaire Episcopal over Houston Kinkaid (10-49) -- Wrong
--Falcons dominate to claim the title turning a 2 point regular season margin into a laugher. Kinkaid the undisputed champions of the SPC.

SPC 3A Championship: Houston Christian over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (21-12) -- Correct
--Mustangs take the title and complete an undefeated run in SPC 3A.

Week 11: 6-1
Season: 57-18

Quick Hits:

Tyler T.K. Gorman over McKinney Christian (32-16) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (49-14) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (49-7) -- Correct
San Antonio Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (17-14) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over Houston Cypress Christian (49-13) -- Correct
Argyle Liberty Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (51-3) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over San Antonio Central Catholic (42-41) -- Correct
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Austin St. Michael's (45-14) -- Correct
New Braunfels Christian over Schertz John Paul II (65-12) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Tomball Rosehill Christian (42-8) -- Correct

Week 11: 10-0
Season: 91-19

Week 11 Picks 2024

The final week of the regular season is upon us. There are a few spots in the playoffs up for grabs, and few high seeds to be decided. Favorites have emerged, but we'll see plenty of competitive matchups when we enter the 2nd season. Good luck and safe travels on your road to the playoffs.

This Week: (Season: 51-17)

Dallas Christian @ Tyler All Saints -- The Chargers continue to dominate district play. DC last dropped a district contest in 2019 and last lost to someone other than the departed Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill in 2014. This season the margin is 220-20 a 50 point average margin of victory. The Trojans went 2-2 against the same 4 district opponents, taking a 43 point defeat last week against Shelton. At 5-4 this has been a step forward season for All Saints, equaling their win total from the previous 4 seasons combined. All Saints has scored a few on the season averaging nearly 24 points per game and the DC defense has been a little suspect at times this year. Trojans get on the board, but drop this one by a decent margin. Chargers win 48-12.

Dallas Shelton @ Dallas Covenant -- The Chargers travel across Dallas County to settle who finishes 2nd in District 2. Critically, the 2nd place finisher hosts District 3-4th while the 3rd place finisher has a neutral site game with District 1-3rd. Significant reward for winning this one. The Shelton offense has the potential to carry the day, averaging over 42 points per game. The Knights strong performance at home against Dallas Christian points to their ability to limit that attack. Covenant is allowing just 13.1 points per game and that's despite allowing 62 to First Baptist. If Shelton gets to 30 I think its a clear win for the Chargers. However, only one team has done that against Covenant in 2024. So the Knights win a defensive one, 25-20.

Austin Regents @ Austin Hyde Park -- The District title in Division II District 2 comes down to this. The Knights we certainly expected to be in this position, having last lost a district game in 2015. The Panthers are more of a surprise. The 1-point loss to Brook Hill appears to have been the outlier with Hyde Park piling up 20 points wins since then. Notably the Panthers defense hasn't provided the stiffest resistance this season, allowing over 20 points per game. Now they've out scored their problems so far. The Knights enter this one having had their idle week just last week and should be fresh for the challenge posed by a visit to the Quarries. Regents looks to be too strong in this one, but road games against familiar opponents are always a tricky task. Knights win 44-28.

Colleyville Covenant Christian @ Arlington Pantego Christian -- The Panthers can force a chaotic 3-way tie with a win this week. It would be a tie for 2nd where the winner of the tie would get a home game while last in the tiebreak would get 4th and have to play a 1st round game on the road. Pantego started 6-0 before dropping a close one to Lake Country Christian and then being shutout by Lubbock Christian. The Cougars pose a big problem though having played Lubbock Christian to a 7-point game just 2 weeks ago. Styles make fights though and the Pantego defense should be competitive. So at home, hard to see the Panthers getting blown out. The Cougars have also improved each week, recovering from a 60-point blowout to FWC in Week 1. Covenant should be the better squad here, but no easy road games. Cougars secures the 2nd seed, 33-27.

The Woodlands Christian @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian -- The Eagles surprised this pundit with their road win over Second Baptist. After a 1-4 non-district slate FBCA has rolled off 4 district wins and needs just one more to claim the district title. The 3-way tie possibilities are interesting if the Warriors can pull a similar surprise to the one the Eagles pulled last week. The Warriors are averaging over 42 points per game and we'll not be easily ousted in the postseason. The Eagles defense has clamped down as the season went on. This is a tough call for me. I would have favored the Warriors going into last week, but the Second Baptist win changes things a ton. So when in doubt pick the home team. Eagles win with defense, 22-16.

SPC 4A Championship: Bellaire Episcopal vs. Houston Kinkaid @ Houston's TDECU Stadium -- The Knights and Falcons split the last two SPC 4A titles. With Episcopal claiming the 2023 crown and having won 3 of the last 4 over Kinkaid this pointed toward their year again. The Falcons lost their season opener to UIL power Gunter by just 9 before winning 9 in a row. Notably winning the head-to-head showdown with the Knights by 2 and securing the title rematch by eliminating St. John's last week. They have yet to allow more than 26 points on the season. The Knights have been more suspect defensively but also held Kinkaid to just 16 points in their first meeting. It all adds up to a great rubber match to decide the crown. Falcons offense just not productive enough to get another one off the Knights. Episcopal wins a thriller, 33-28.

SPC 3A Championship: Fort Worth Trinity Valley vs. Houston Christian @ Bedford's Pennington Field -- The Trojans took a bit of a scenic path to the title game at just 5-4 on the season. The loss to Greenhill just 3 weeks ago nearly cost them their spot, but ultimately the conference opener, way back on September 20th gave TVS the tie-breaker over Country Day and a spot in the championship game. The Mustangs swept the conference slate around 3 non-conference losses. Houston Christian won the first meeting but just 20-10. The Mustang defense never allowed 20 points in a conference game while Trinity Valley did so in 4 of the 6 conference counters. The margins are small but the Mustangs appear to be the better squad. Will the be on the day? That's a tougher question. Houston Christian wins with just enough offense. Mustangs 28 Trojans 21.

Quick Hits: (Season: 81-19)

Tyler T.K. Gorman over McKinney Christian
Fort Worth Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Midland Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
San Antonio Christian over Victoria St. Joseph
Houston Lutheran South over Houston Cypress Christian
Argyle Liberty Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
San Antonio Antonian over San Antonio Central Catholic
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Austin St. Michael's
New Braunfels Christian over Schertz John Paul II
Bryan Brazos Christian over Tomball Rosehill Christian

Week 10 Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over McKinney Christian (70-0) -- Correct
--Chargers just too much for the Mustangs as they clinch the top seed from District 2 and a 1st round bye.

Dallas Covenant over Tyler T.K. Gorman (48-6)  -- Correct
--Knights were too much in this one as they secure 2nd place in District 2

Lubbock Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (40-0) -- Correct
--Eagles dominate after last week's scare and clinch the District 1 title and a 1st round bye.

Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian (37-14) -- Correct
--Saints continue to lead the way in Division II and have to be the favorites for the title at this point.

The Woodlands Christian over Houston Lutheran South (51-34) -- Correct
--Warriors get the crucial victory over the Pioneers. Thanks to Fort Bend Christian's win they can get back in the district title picture when they play the Eagles next week.

Houston Second Baptist over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (28-34) -- Wrong
--Fort Bend Christian gets just their 4th win since 2004 over Second Baptist and can win the District 4 crown next week against The Woodland Christian.

Week 10: 5-1
Season: 51-17

Quick Hits:

Dallas Shelton over Tyler All Saints (50-7) -- Correct
Tyler Grace Community over Arlington Grace Prep (24-0) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (49-28) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (49-8) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (38-28) -- Correct
Brownsville St. Joseph over San Antonio Christian (43-13) -- Correct
Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (0-7) -- Wrong
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (56-20) -- Correct
Dallas St. Mark's over Episcopal School of Dallas (28-27) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. John's (21-19) -- Correct

Week 10: 9-1
Season: 81-19

Week 10 Picks 2024

Find a game this week to decide a district title. We'll have much of the playoff brackets in decent shape after this week. Stay tuned to this space for match-ups and times.

This Week: (Season: 46-16)

McKinney Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers withstood a tough road test at Dallas Covenant last week. DC's defense had its first game saving moments of the year, holding a good Knights offense to just 13 points and only 6 points after the 1st series. They welcome McKinney Christian in this week for homecoming at Wheeler Field. The Mustangs are struggling again this year at just 1-6 on the season. They are coming off a 40 point loss to Tyler All Saints. They're seeing the scoreboard rolled over on them constantly with an average of 50 points allowed per game. MCA has not had a winning season since 2017, a team that reached the state final. The Chargers are rarely the team you want to see when you need a win, but particularly aren't the team to see when you can't buy a stop. Chargers win 56-0.

Dallas Covenant @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- With the focus of state just not on DC's district I've let the focus go elsewhere in a change from previous years in this column. However, the Knights strong play a week ago that pushed DC to the late stages, earns them a spot in the picks this week. Covenant's 5-3 mark includes losses to Dallas First Baptist (among the favorites in Division IV), DC (among the favorites in Division III), and Colleyville Covenant. While the other Covenant is not a favorite they tested Lubbock Christian all the way to the final horn last week. The fact that the Knights held an offense that scored 45 against Lubbock Christian to just 13 points means the Knights are going to be game for the fight come November. The Crusaders are looking for a 3rd win in a season for the first time since 2018. Two non-district wins and a bushel of points scored in the losses pointed to better things ahead for TKG. However, the district slate has not been kind at 0-3. They've been shutout by two different Chargers and lost in 3OT to Tyler All Saints. Covenant seems to play better at home so the trip to Tyler must be overcome, but I can't see the Crusaders scoring enough to make this one interesting at the end. Knights win 33-12.

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Lubbock Christian -- The Eagles are still a member of the "Big 3" in Division III. DC, Lubbock Christian, and Holy Cross, appear to be the main choices for district titles and 3 of the 4 semifinalists. Though Colleyville Covenant nearly pushed them out of that trio last week. The Eagles defense was shockingly porous in allowing 45 points. Lubbock Christian is still 7-1 on the season and having found a way to win figures to be there at the end. They're averaging over 40 points per game on the year so keeping up on the scoreboard is the Panthers best chance. Pantego's 6-0 start to the season did have them tabbed for the next tier of contenders. The loss last time out to Lake Country certainly hurt those chances of breaking into the top 3. The Panthers have not scored with the same regularity as the Eagles, but can maybe find a way to slow the Eagle attack like they did Shelton in what was a small upset at the time. With the long road to Lubbock in front of them, I can't expect the Panthers to punch back with the same gusto that Colleyville Covenant did. Eagles win 42-28.

Fort Worth Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- Division II appeared to be wide open at the start of the year as Liberty departed for Division I. The Saints filled that void immediately with a win over Parish Episcopal and then backed it up by defeating Prestonwood too. At 8-0 and averaging 40 points per game against a difficult schedule, its hard to see anyone else as the current favorite in Division II. The long road trip to Midland last week was probably the biggest hurdle between them and an undefeated season. The Cardinals though will certainly take their shot. A 6-2 campaign has relied on the FWC defense that has held all but two opponents under 20 points. The two are the two losses. They held Midland Christian to just 21, but were blown out by Second Baptist. If the Cardinals can find the endzone, they can help that defense to bridge the gap to the favored Saints. I just don't see the Cardinals scoring enough. Notably Lubbock Trinity is an obvious common opponent to look at and All Saints scored 43 while FWC managed just 17. It was a win for the Cardinals, but they need a lot more than 17 to win this one. Saints win, 35-12.

Houston Lutheran South @ The Woodlands Christian -- Division II's best intrigue is in District 4. The Warriors escaped attention for much of the year. They piled up non-district wins over good UIL squads but the lack of common opponents made those results a bit of a mystery. We (the committee of one) should have taken more notice of TWCA earlier on. Particularly, losing a very tight 4 point game to top UIL team East Bernard. That was the Warriors lone loss on the season before taking on Second Baptist in Week 8. SBS has been the clear favorite in District 4, but the Warriors tested them all the way to the end falling by just 7 to the heavily favored Eagles. Next week's game with Fort Bend seems likely to decide 2nd place and who hosts a Round 1 playoff game, but they have to get past LSA first. The Pioneers appeared to be the best threat to Second Baptist after defeating UIL regular Anahuac in non-district. On the field though LSA managed just 3 points in a 28-3 loss to Second Baptist. The defense though showed promise. They failed to get into the 2nd place mix by dropping a 7-point decision to Fort Bend Christian last week. They're an up and down squad. Allow 62 to St. John's, but keep Second Baptist to just 14 in the first half. Score 54 against Anahuac, but just 24 at Fort Bend. I'm not sure what to think, but TWCA has the better overall results this year and is at home. Warriors win, 38-20.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ Houston Second Baptist -- The battle of Eagles has decided the Houston area district multiple times in the last decade. Trading district and playoff wins happened in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022. Second Baptist used their 2021 district loss as a launch point to the State Final, Fort Bend Christian used their 2022 district title loss as a springboard to the State Title. Each avenging the district title in the playoffs. In the MaxPreps era, the 2021 district title and the 2022 semifinal are 2 of the 3 wins FBCA has managed over SBS. Second Baptist leads the series 18 to 3. A season ago, it was a Second Baptist shutout that won the district for the Eagles. This year the offense has led the charge to a 7-1 season. The win over St. John's and the domination of FWC are better than any of Fort Bend's 4 wins. I do not see Fort Bend Christian limiting Second Baptist enough to win this one, and definitely not on the road. Second Baptist claims the district crown, 35-21.

Quick Hits: (Season: 72-18)

Dallas Shelton over Tyler All Saints
Tyler Grace Community over Arlington Grace Prep
Midland Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Addison Trinity Christian
San Antonio Antonian over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
Brownsville St. Joseph over San Antonio Christian
Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Dallas St. Mark's over Episcopal School of Dallas
Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. John's

Week 9 Results 2024

The games in the top section mostly delivered this week. That set up a tough week for the picks. Glad to see some tight games across TAPPS this week. Some favorites have emerged, but also some challengers have shown they won't be an easy out come November.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Covenant (24-13) -- Correct
--The Knights were in the fight tonight, but couldn't quite maintain the offensive consistency to best the Chargers. Dc should clearly

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano Prestonwood Christian (49-52) -- Wrong
--Incredible back and forth line score in this one. The Lions offense clearly matches the other contenders now. This probably keeps Prestonwood on the other side of the bracket from Liberty. Panthers likely lose out on a 1st round bye and would have to play Liberty in the semis.

Fort Worth All Saints over Midland Christian (49-28) -- Correct
--The Mustangs seem to have gotten their offense going a bit as the season progresses. The trouble tonight was playing the Saints. All Saints will be hard to push out of the Division II playoffs.

Tyler Grace Community over Austin Hyde Park (28-46) -- Wrong
--The Cougars had back-to-back home games with teams visiting from Austin, but got 0 wins out of them. A Saturday afternoon visit to Grace Prep is no picnic, but a 4-2 finish should be within reach. That could set up a curious set of tiebreakers for 2nd place and a home playoff game.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (28-35) -- Wrong
--Faith scores its 2nd win of the season, finally winning a 7 point game. Trinity will likely have to win in Midland to make the playoffs.

Houston Lutheran South over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (24-31) -- Wrong
--A big win for the Eagles as they get to 3-0 in district play. The battle of Eagles next week with Second Baptist likely decides the district crown.

Brownsville St. Joseph over Victoria St. Joseph (50-7) -- Correct
--Bloodhounds dominate this one to move to 1-0 in district play. They stand to have a home game in Round 1 (big if you're located in Brownsville) and avoid Second Baptist until the semifinals.

Week 9: 3-4
Season: 46-16

Quick Hits:

Tyler All Saints over McKinney Christian (47-7) -- Correct
Dallas Shelton over Tyler T.K. Gorman (42-0) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian (52-45) -- Correct
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian (20-14) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (27-13) -- Correct
San Antonio Christian over San Antonio St. Anthony (42-0) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Houston St. Pius X (70-42) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Addison Trinity Christian (66-33) -- Correct
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day (8-26) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Irving Cistercian (40-7) -- Correct

Week 9: 9-1
Season: 72-18

Week 9 Picks 2024

The district results are becoming clearer and we should be able to project the playoff fields pretty closely once we're at 2 weeks to go. Maybe the weather will cool down when the playoffs get here. Good luck and safe travels to your team on its road to State!

This Week: (Season: 43-12)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Covenant -- The Chargers travel to Valley View Lane for a another clash that seems likely to decide the district title. The Knights have faced DC just 3 times, all in the last 2 years. The margin is 160-27. The Chargers are 5-2 on the season having dominated the two district games thus far. It has been a little tougher for DC this season, particularly on defense. The Knights 35 points per game on the season suggests they may can score a little bit more than in previous clashes. Covenant has a matching 5-2 record, having been blown out by Dallas First Baptist and dropping a close road game to Colleyville Covenant. Finding the scoreboard and matching the Chargers blow for blow will be a requirement in this one. While the DC defense looks a bit more receptive than the past, scoring just 7 against Colleyville Covenant seems to indicate they won't find the endzone enough. However, the Knights defense has tossed 4 shutouts on the season so this shouldn't be a complete laugher. Chargers win handily but not easily, 40-15.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The final of the 3 district showdowns has become the fight for 2nd place as Liberty took down both sides of this one in back-to-back weeks. Both teams took out Frisco Legacy on the district slate so far. Both teams struggled getting going early in those meetings. Parish ran away in the 2nd half, putting up 56 points. Prestonwood though only notched a 7 point margin of victory. The Lions offense hasn't posted quite as many points as the past but is still a formidable unit. The Panthers share matching losses to All Saints and Liberty with Prestonwood and its a testament to their past success that 50 points per game means their offense is slowing down. Interestingly, these are 2 of the few teams in the state yet to have a bye week so both have played 8 games already. This has to be a close game and at Prestonwood makes me think that way, but also the Panthers are 12-4 all time against the Lions. 8-in-a-row is too much for me to go against. Panthers win a thriller on the road, 35-31.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Midland Christian -- The Saints non-district upset of Parish and then consolidating that with a win over Prestonwood put them at the top of the Division II list, knowing Liberty is in Division I now. Now up to 7-0 it seems this could the best shot at an undefeated campaign in TAPPS 11-man this season (though Holy Cross will have a word there too). The All Saints defense has allowed just 13 points in the last 3 weeks. This poses a real problem for the Mustangs that have struggled to score all season. They've scored in the 30s just twice in 7 games. They did manage to win two game with just 20 and 21 points each. So it can be done. The long trip to Midland will be an obstacle for the Saints, but the firepower looks to be too much for the Mustangs. MCS should keep this interesting, but I just don't see enough points out there. Saints win, 28-12.

Austin Hyde Park @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cougars are having a 3rd straight district contending season, but once again seem to be a step behind the top teams in the district and division. With a chance to jump on top of the district last week, Regents came to Tyler and shutout the Cougars, 42-0. The path to 2nd place and a home playoff game is still very much open though. Grace should be favored in their final 2, so a win here would seem to secure that spot. The Panthers are 4-3 on the season notably with a district loss to Brook Hill and with Regents still to play in Week 11. The Hyde Park offense does not look to matchup well here. The Cougars having held New Boston and Pittsburg in check while the Panthers held under 40 against Bishop Dunne last week. This shouldn't be a boatrace, but the Cougars should win comfortably. Tyler Grace inches closer to that 2-seed with a 33-15 win.

Grapevine Faith Christian @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- Our quest to find the 2nd place finishers in each district continues as the Trinity Lions having reached back-to-back semifinals in Division III are struggling to get things on track in district play in Division II. They played FWC to a standstill but never found the endzone losing 17-0. The were dominated by All Saints. So they need a win here to stay alive for 2nd palce. TCS has not been as strong on offense this season averaging less than 20 points.per game. The Faith Lions though have had it worse, starting just 1-6 this season. Faith Christian has only taken 6 losses in a season twice in the last decade. They've lost more than 6 just once in the MaxPreps era. They're a bit snake bit this season with 5 of the 6 losses coming by 7 points or less. Trinity appears to be the stronger squad but neither offense has been confidence inducing this season. The war of Lions seems to be bit defensive. Trinity puts another tight loss on the Faith, winning 21-18.

Houston Lutheran South @ Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian -- The Eagles may have finally recovered from their success of 2022. They could only manage a 6-6 mark in 2023 after winning the Division II title the year before. This season they've notched a 2-0 district mark over Beaumont Kelly and Cypress Christian. That leaves the likely top 3 of LSA, Second Baptist, and the upstart Woodland Christian between them and a 1st place finish or maybe a 4th place finish. The Fort Bend offense just hasn't produced like it did on the way to the state title. The Pioneers seemingly never recovered from a 2014 playoff loss to DC in a weather delayed Monday finish. (Sorry for making this about DC) Last weeks 44-6 drubbing of Kelly says that the Pioneer offense is well head of the Eagles defense. This will be a tough road test though, and LSA can not look past the Eagles to a likely 2nd place decider with The Woodlands Christian next week. The Pioneers offense is too much though. Lutheran South wins, 39-21.

Brownsville St. Joseph @ Victoria St. Joseph -- The Flyers welcome another district foe on a long road trip, but this is the rare visitor from South of Victoria. The path to 7 wins for the Flyers is wide open which would be the best mark for them since 2009. At 5-2 the Flyers have shown a bit of spark, but a blowout loss to Fort Worth Christian suggests there is a bit of work to do to reach the upper group in Division II. The Bloodhounds are a favorite of this space, because being the Bloodhounds is a lot cooler than being the Eagles. At 6-1 the visitors from the Valley are off to a great start, but with this being the district opener its hard to know what to expect. They are averaging over 40 points per game but the lack of common opponents makes it hard to project onto the district slate. A season ago the Hounds took out the Flyers 43-21 in Brownsville. This should be more of the same, but the Flyers are no pushover. Bloodhounds score a big road win, 29-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 63-17)

Tyler All Saints over McKinney Christian
Dallas Shelton over Tyler T.K. Gorman
Lubbock Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
San Antonio Christian over San Antonio St. Anthony
San Antonio Antonian over Houston St. Pius X
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Addison Trinity Christian
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Irving Cistercian

Week 8 Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Shelton (63-7) -- Correct
--DC dominates from the opening kickoff and seems a lock for the district title and 1st round bye. Covenant next week will certainly take a shot at it though.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Parish Episcopal (35-27) -- Correct
--Liberty holds off the charging Panthers. Warriors are now the clear favorites in Division I, but it won't be an easy playoff run with both Parish and Prestonwood in the way.

San Antonio Holy Cross over Dallas First Baptist (34-14) -- Correct
--Knights continue their impressive march back to the Division III title game. Saints still the likely favorite in Division IV.

Fort Worth All Saints over Lubbock Trinity Christian (43-6) -- Correct
--Saints dominate in their first of 3 district tests. With wins over Parish and Prestonwood they have to be the favorite in Division II. Though a trip to Midland is no guarantee.

Fort Worth Christian over Midland Christian (19-21) -- Wrong
--Mustangs with a big road win that may position them for the Round 1 home game. Still with a shot at the district title too as All Saints visits the Permian Basin next week.

Houston Kinkaid over Bellaire Episcopal (16-14) -- Correct
--Really thought these two would score more than this. Huge win for the Falcons who are likely safe in the SPC 4A title game.

Hallettsville Sacred Heart over Shiner St. Paul (28-6) -- Correct
--Cardinals having a tough time on offense in 2024. Indians will be a difficult out in the Division IV playoffs.

Week 8: 6-1
Season: 43-12

Quick Hits:

Dallas Covenant over McKinney Christian (54-13) -- Correct
Tyler T.K. Gorman over Tyler All Saints (14-16 5OT) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (21-14) -- Correct
Bullard Brook Hill over Arlington Grace Prep (36-10) -- Correct
Austin Regents over Austin Brentwood (42-14) -- Correct
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Houston Cypress Christian (34-7) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (35-28) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth Nolan (42-17) -- Correct
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hill Country Christian (35-21) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Addison Greenhill (26-38) -- Wrong

Week 8: 8-2
Season: 63-17

Week 8 Picks 2024

Another week is upon us as district play ramps up across the state. The high percentage of playoff qualifiers in TAPPS can make some of the games less dramatic than they might seem, but anytime you take the field on game night in Texas its a special occasion. We even mix in one intriguing non-district clash across Divisions III and IV. Remember only half win each week, so treasure it when you're on the winning half. Good luck and safe travels as we finally get a little cooler night for everyone.

This Week: (Season: 37-11)

Dallas Shelton @ Dallas Christian -- A battle of Chargers heads to Mesquite to renew a match-up that hasn't happened on the field since 2015. DC has won all six meetings by at least 38 points. This year is interesting as Shelton actually enters with the better record. The Chargers from Preston Road are scoring over 45 points per game and find a DC defense that has struggled this season. The Mesquite based Chargers have definitely played the more challenging schedule thus far, but haven't done as well as recent DC teams against the challenging non-district. District play started for both last week with blowout wins. DC shutout TKG, 63-0. Shelton rolled up 61 on McKinney Christian in a 40 point win. Historically, DC is better. They're the 3-time defending state champions. However, Shelton is playing the best it has since the 2017 team that won 9 games. Shelton should score in this one, but not probably not enough to get close to knocking off the champions of Division III. DC wins 46-21.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The much awaited showdown of champions. The Panthers have won the last 5 titles in Division I while the Warriors dominated Division II in 2023. Could this just be Round 1 of 2 with the 2nd one to decide the title? Prestonwood certainly has something to say about that as Liberty survived the trip to Plano with just a 3-point win. The Panthers have struggled by their high standards at 5-2. Notably, Parish is allowing more points than recent years. Though a 56-0 drubbing of TCA last week will certainly help those numbers. Liberty across the line will not help those numbers. The Warriors have scored 7 TDs in 4 of their 6 games so far. This feels like it might be the changing of the guard in Division I and with the game in Argyle, I have to pick Liberty. The Panthers will not be an easy out though and a rematch in December might loom on the horizon. Warriors win 42-30.

San Antonio Holy Cross vs. Dallas First Baptist @ Robinson -- Among the district clashes is a curious non-district neutral site game. The Saints have not lost since the 2022 playoffs, running off 20 wins in a row. The FBA defense has limited opponents to just 89 points through 7 games. Only Tyler Grace held them under 48 points. The Holy Cross defense has been a strong force for more than a decade, but they've lacked the offense to match the title contenders. This year though the Knights are averaging 47 points per game in a 7-0 start. Interestingly both teams have not had their bye week yet, so this is 8 games in 8 weeks for both. The winner is clearly the favorite in their division, and if its a close one they may both be. I think both teams are the best offenses each other have faced and this one should see a bunch of points. I'll pick the home team...wait there isn't one. Knights win a shootout with just a bit more depth, 44-40.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Saints opened the season with notable wins over Prestonwood and Parish and have not slowed down since. Its 101-7 in their last two outings. This may be the year for that 1st TAPPS football title for All Saints. With no clear 2nd contender, its hard to see who will knock them off. The Lions start a run of 3 interesting opponents for All Saints, and if they win them all and claim the district crown it will feel like no one can push them off the top step. The Lions have struggled a bit this year at 3-3, in their first year in Division II. The defense though could keep this one interesting. They held FWC to just 17 last week but could not dent the scoreboard themselves. This strikes me as similar, the Lions just do not have the firepower to run down the Saints particularly in Fort Worth. Saints win 28-6.

Midland Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals host the Mustangs in a game that feels like it is for 2nd place in District 1 and the other host spot behind All Saints. They won't be home free as Lubbock Trinity will have something to say about it later on. The Cardinals were racking up 40 points a week until Trinity held them to just 17, but only Second Baptist has reached double figures against the FWC defense. That is not great news for the Mustangs who have only cracked 25 points once in six games this season. Its not that MCS can't score, but its going to be tough sledding. Their game against Lubbock Trinity in Week 11 could be quite the rock fight. The Mustangs know how to do these long trips, but I can't see them scoring enough to get the road upset. Cardinals win, 28-14.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Houston Kinkaid -- The winner of this is almost certain to make the SPC 4A title game. The Falcons have only been bested by UIL power Gunter and have won 6 straight since that opening loss. They dominated ESD last week after being tested a bit by St. Marks. A season ago, Kinkaid lost twice in 3 weeks to Episcopal to finish runner-up. The Knights avenged last season's lone loss with a win over St. John's last week. This should be a tight battle. Both teams know each other well and could likely meet again for the title. Both offenses should be able to score. Close games mean home team picks, and the rematch may go the other way. Falcons win a classic this week though, 42-40. 

Shiner St. Paul @ Hallettsville Sacred Heart -- Every season this is a big one in Division IV. Two of the smallest 11-man TAPPS schools are just 14 miles apart. They've met 64 times since 1971. This year though, both teams enter with matching 3-3 records and are scuffling just a bit. We never count out the Cardinals though who once went 2-8 in the regular season and won the state title anyway. The Indians have had trouble on offense this year, scoring just 7 in the district opener last week. St. Paul found 42 points for the 2nd time this season in their district opening win. A season ago Sacred Heart took a 31-14 win away from Shiner and they appear to be the favored team here. So with the game game at Sacred Heart will lean that way. Indians win a low scoring affair, 25-13.

Quick Hits: (Season: 55-15)

Dallas Covenant over McKinney Christian
Tyler T.K. Gorman over Tyler All Saints
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Bullard Brook Hill over Arlington Grace Prep
Austin Regents over Austin Brentwood
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Houston Cypress Christian
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth Nolan
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hill Country Christian
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Addison Greenhill

Week 7 Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman (63-0) -- Correct
--Crusaders were no match for the Chargers. DC will be hard to push out of the 1st round bye and the district title.

Dallas Shelton over McKinney Christian (61-21) -- Correct
--The Chargers offense keeps churning out the points. Can they produce again next week at Dallas Christian?

Argyle Liberty Christian over Plano Prestonwood Christian (30-27) -- Correct
--Warriors stay at the top with a thriller in Plano-Carrollton. Should be a really fun playoff in Division I.

Austin Regents over Tyler Grace Community (42-0) -- Correct
--I thought the Cougars would be closer in this one, but it looks like Regents might be All Saints biggest threat in the North districts.

Austin Hyde Park over Bullard Brook Hill (34-35) -- Wrong
--Guard with a big road win to keep in the district race.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Christian (0-17) -- Wrong
--Lions defense had most of the answers, but the Cardinals defense had all the answers in a defensive struggle.

Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. Johns (48-45) -- Correct
--Perhaps a preview of the SPC 4A title game and it delivered with an OT thriller.

Week 7: 5-2
Season: 37-11

Quick Hits:

Dallas Covenant over Tyler All Saints (43-0) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (56-20) -- Correct
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Addison Trinity Christian (56-0) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (24-28) -- Wrong
Fort Worth All Saints over Grapevine Faith Christian (51-7) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (35-8) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South (42-10) -- Correct
Dallas St. Marks over The Woodlands John Cooper (25-14) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Episcopal School of Dallas (42-7) -- Correct
Shiner St. Paul over Conroe Covenant Christian (42-7) -- Correct

Week 7: 9-1
Season: 55-15

Week 7 Picks 2024

Find some wins out there if you're looking. We should know who the contenders are after this week with several showdowns coming early in the district slates. With a few Fall Break holidays on the books we get more Thursday games than I can remember.  Should be a fun week, but make sure you're ready to go early. Good Luck!

This Week: (Season: 32-9)

Dallas Christian @ Tyler T.K. Gorman -- The Chargers travel east to rekindle a long time rivalry. DC and TKG have met on the football field dating back to before TAPPS formed. The Crusaders have hit hard times since the two last met on the field in 2018. TKG has not won more than 2 games in the 4 seasons since. The Crusaders already have 2 wins on the season and have been scoring a bit more than recent seasons. These two have played some great games. A 7-0 game in 2006 started the MaxPreps era and a 12-0 run since then. In the streak, the Chargers needed OT to beat the Crusaders in 2014 before a playoff rematch that year was a 7-point margin. The playoff game included a 98-yard punt. The DC defense has not been the dominant force of the past this season, holding just 1 team under 20 points in the first 5 games. The offense should score plenty here though. The grass of the valley on Loop 323 should be quite high for a DC team that doesn't play many on grass. Should be a fun game, and while the Crusaders have improved it should be a tidy win for the Chargers. DC wins 40-14.

McKinney Christian @ Dallas Shelton -- The search for a team to beat DC in district play finds another Chargers. The nature of Shelton's school mission can make athletics competitiveness a difficult task. However, some years they get the right mix returning and new and can be a tough out. The Chargers won 9 games in 2017 and are off to their best start since at 4-1. Shelton has scored 40 points or more in their 4 wins and 55+ in 3 of them. Only Pantego held the Chargers to less than 6 touchdowns. The Mustangs have struggled mightily since playing in the 2017 state final. This season is another slow start for MCA at just 1-3. The Mustangs defense has allowed over 45 points per game so far in 2024, and the Shelton offense seems primed to take advantage of that. Chargers win this one, 49-19.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The first of the showdown games in Division I lands at the Plano-Carrollton border. The Lions 5-1 mark to start the season saw only FW All Saints blemish the loss column. The 5 wins include notable blowouts of DC and ESD in the non-district. The 2-0 district mark left a couple of questions last week as Bishop Lynch scored 33 but the PCA offense was up to the road test. The Warriors have only lost in the last 2 season to UIL stalwart Texas High. The 4-1 start to the season has Liberty averaging over 50 points per game. Whoever can find those stops wins this game. I'm just not sure either squad will find very many. The Warriors are just 3-14 all time against the Lions, but won last year's match, 48-19. The Lions offense should be improved, but I don't think enough to take down the Division II champs. I'll say Liberty gets the leg up in the district race with a strong offensive performance. Warriors win, 44-35.

Austin Regents @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Cougars have been building the last couple of seasons with 8 and 9 wins. With Liberty moving to Division I, its the perfect time for Tyler Grace to try to fill the void. They will vault up any Division II power rankings with a home win over Regents. After reaching 4 straight state finals, a run ending in 2020, the Knights are still a prime contender in Division II. This season, Regents is 5-1 and scoring their own bushel of points. Only SPC contender Kinkaid toppled Regents thus far. The Knights have held teams in check on defense as well with just one team eclipsing 21 points so far in 2024. The disparate opponents makes this a tough call. The Cougars offense seems to be up against it here with the Knights, but particularly at home I wouldn't think Grace would get run over. If the game was in Austin, I'd say no chance for the Cougars. However, in Tyler I think the Knights just barely survive. Regents wins a thriller, 22-20.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Austin Hyde Park -- The Guard are off to a disappointing start to the district slate. Regents and Grace are certainly two of the contenders, but an 0-2 hole never feels good. A loss here would put the Guard in real danger of missing the playoffs. Brook Hill just isn't scoring enough this season, averaging just 26 points per game. However, with 49 coming in 1 game its really a little more dire than that. A first ever visit to The Quarries is not a great place to look for district win #1. The Panthers 3-2 start to the season saw a district opening win at Grace Prep last week. An always tricky trip on a Saturday afternoon. I think the Guard have played the better schedule, but its close. If Brook Hill can score in the 20s they should win this one. However, I just can't have confidence in the Guard offense. Panthers win a slug fest at home, 16-14.

Fort Worth Christian @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- The Cardinals make the trip west to start district play. Usually its been a trip to Midland for FWC, but this time its the Lions of Trinity to oppose them on the South Plains. With All Saints likely occupying the top spot in District 1, this seems to be an elimination game for that 2nd place finish and a 1st round host. The Cardinals 4-1 start was only interrupted by Second Baptist in a long road trip. They did win their last game on a long trip to Victoria. So many miles racked up by the FWC busses between Houston, Victoria, and now Lubbock. The Lions coming off back-to-back semifinal appearances in Division III face new challenges in this Division II district. These games are so hard to pick given the geography of Trinity's opponents. How does Denver City and Floydada stack up against Lake Country and Second Baptist? I'm not totally sure. I think the Cardinals are the better squad, but also they're wins aren't over a murderers row by any means. So when in doubt, pick the home team. Lions win 35-28.

Houston St. Johns @ Bellaire Episcopal -- The SPC Houston showdown seems to likely determine one slot in the SPC 4A title game. A 2-0 start puts you close to the finish line given you just need a top 2 finish and not the top spot. The Knights have been up and down at 3-2 so far. The schedule they've played has been quite tough though. The Mavericks are the more impressive 5-1 and with a similar schedule. With a 40 point per game average, St. John's stands to find the endzone in this one. This seems like a high-scoring shootout, and I think that favors the Mavericks. Only Second Baptist could slow the Mavericks attack and even then it was 4 TDs. The Knights have to keep pace, and I think they can but I also think they won't. Knights win with offense, 42-28.

Quick Hits: (Season: 46-14)

Dallas Covenant over Tyler All Saints
Lubbock Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Addison Trinity Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Fort Worth All Saints over Grapevine Faith Christian
Midland Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South
Dallas St. Marks over The Woodlands John Cooper
Houston Kinkaid over Episcopal School of Dallas
Shiner St. Paul over Conroe Covenant Christian