Week 5 Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Pittsburg (50-30) -- Correct
--Chargers defense survives thanks a great offensive showing. The likes of Lubbock Christian and Holy Cross have to thinking they'll put up some points if the match comes to be.

San Antonio Holy Cross over New Braunfels Christian (49-0) -- Correct
--The Knights dominate the district opener and all signs point to a march back to the title game.

Lubbock Christian over New Deal (46-7) -- Correct
--Eagles with a dominant showing. The DC defensive struggles so far this year suggest a great semifinal could be on the horizon for the District 1 and 2 champions. Lots of golf to play before then though.

Austin Regents over Bullard Brook Hill (42-21) -- Correct
--Knights with a quality district opening win. Guard with work to do to make sure they are in the playoffs and maybe battling for a host spot.

Stratford over Lubbock Trinity Christian (30-12) -- Correct
--The Elks control the Lion attack. Not a bad loss by any means, but it does show the Lions have a ways to go to threaten for the title in Division II. Champions are not decided on October 1 though.

Houston St. John's over Houston Lutheran South (62-35) -- Correct
--Mavericks with a great shot at the SPC 4A crown. Pioneers are going to be a tough out in Division II, but likely one notch down from the title contenders.

Houston Kinkaid over Houston Second Baptist (21-7) -- Correct
--The Falcons defense is the first to slow the Eagles. SBS will have to find their offensive stride to reach the final and a shot at All Saints.

Week 5: 7-0
Season: 27-8

Quick Hits:

Argyle Liberty Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (56-0) -- Correct
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Frisco Legacy Christian (56-27) -- Correct
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian (14-21) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (40-7) -- Correct
Wolfforth Frenship over Midland Christian (35-34) -- Correct
Tyler Grace Community over Austin Brentwood Christian (42-35) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Cottonwood (CA) West Valley (50-0) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Dallas Bishop Dunne (24-0) -- Correct
Tyler T.K. Gorman over Muenster Sacred Heart (35-57) -- Wrong
Arlington Oakridge over Houston Christian (0-35) -- Wrong

Week 5: 7-3
Season: 36-14

Week 5 Picks 2024

District play gets going for a few across the state and the weather is improving. Should be a fun week on the field. Good luck and safe travels!

This Week: (Season: 20-8)

Pittsburg @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers at 2-2 are off to their worst start since 2014. That year they dropped the district opener to Brook Hill in an upset, but rebounded to win their next nine and make the Division II title game. This season the defense has just not been up to the fight against a difficult schedule. DC allowed just 144 points in 14 games in 2023. In 2024, they've allowed 136 points in just 4 games. Finding a 4th straight state championship will require big strides of improvement on that side. Pittsburg visits Wheeler Field for the first time. The Pirates from East Texas won just 2 games a season ago and are off to an 0-4 start to the campaign. They've been blown out twice, but dropped a 1-point decision to Tyler Grace in Week 3. The Pirates are probably a little better than the record suggests, and their is a window to take advantage of the DC defense. If the Pirates score in the 30s this week they have a good chance at the road win. I think the Chargers get things back on track a bit though. Chargers win 35-18.

San Antonio Holy Cross @ New Braunfels Christian -- The Knights have returned to the field with something to prove after losing the state title game last season. The 4-0 start has looked every bit like a state title contender. They've scored points, they've shutout a team, they've beaten a 3rd round UIL playoff team. Holy Cross seems to have put it together this year, and with Lubbock Christian and Dallas Christian likely to be on the other side of the bracket, it might be a nice path to state. The Lions have started 4-0 and have a chance to prove they belong in the contender group. NBCA has a couple of shutouts of their own to begin the season, but hasn't seen the quality opponents like Holy Cross yet this year. The 40 points allowed to T.K. Gorman points to a big chance for the Knights offense this week. The Lions are much improved and have won four games for the first time in 11-man. They had won just three 11-man games before this season. The Lions just aren't quite there yet...I don't think. Knights win 42-14.

New Deal @ Lubbock Christian -- There are three main contenders in Division III right now, Dallas Christian, Holy Cross, and these Eagles. Lubbock Christian is off to a 3-1 start after knocking off state ranked Wellington last week. The Eagles fell in the Division IV title game a year ago and are looking like they can get back there. The Lions of New Deal defeated Sundown last week by 7 in a more defensive game. The Eagles beat Sundown in Week 2 by 33 so have to be favored here. The Lubbock Christian offense looks to be way to go in this one. Eagles win 42-21.

Austin Regents @ Bullard Brook Hill -- For the rest of the picks this week we'll look at the Division II contenders (though they may all be 2nd fiddle to All Saints). We start with a district opener between two schools that haven't played since 2011. They met 4 years in a row in the playoffs, but this will be the first ever regular season meeting. The Knights built a reputation as Division II's runner-up before breaking through with a walk-off pick 6 to win the 2020 crown. This season Regents is off to a 3-1 start that includes 3 games of 49+ points. The lone loss came at the hands SPC contender Kinkaid. The Guard may actually be down in the 3rd tier of Division II contenders, but a win over Regents would quickly raise their profile. Brook Hill is 2-1 on the season to date. They lost a 14-9 decision in a defensive struggle at Frisco Legacy. So many times the problem for Brook Hill has been the offense, and a 49 point showing over Price-Carlisle is a nice looking number. The Knights defense though may be better than the Legacy one that held the Guard to just 9 points. Brook Hill is hard to blow out at home, but won't have enough to take this one. Regents wins 32-19.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Stratford -- The Lions won't have to worry about DC eliminating from the playoffs this year, but find themselves with a heap of contenders in Division II. The West Texas opponents always leaves a bit of mystery when district play approaches. However, District 1 still has a couple weeks to go to the district slate. Trinity is 2-1 on the season and after dropping the season they've responded with two wins. Last week was a 8-point decision over Floydada. The Lions have to find ways to score consistently to take on All Saints later in the schedule. The Elks did not lose in 2023 until game 15 when Tolar eliminated from the 4th round of the UIL playoffs. This season has been a little more of a struggle for Stratford, with just a 1-2 start. The offense has been trending down for the Elks thus far though. They've gone from 45 to 33 to just 14 last week. The Elks are good, but appear to be a little off of a season ago. If the Lions are going to take down All Saints later this year, they need to show the offensive strength against a good team like Stratford. I think on the road though its just too big a mountain for Trinity. Elks win 28-8.

Houston Lutheran South @ Houston St. John's -- The southern portion of Division II posts a couple of candidates. First, the Pioneers travel across Houston the 20 miles to St. John's. LSA really turned heads by getting to 4-0 with a shootout win over Anahuac. The Pioneer offense has been building week to week. Going from 31 points in the opener to 54 points over Anahuac. However, they've given up a bunch of points too. The Mavericks undefeated start was spoiled by Second Baptist last week. This is a measuring stick game for LSA. If they can slow the Mavericks, they are likely good enough to battle for a high seed from District 4 and set themselves up well to avoid All Saints until the state final. St. John's can score too though, having put up 54 at Calhoun a couple weeks ago. This one should be "pointsy." However, I think the Mavericks defense is better and with the game at home that is the choice. St. John's wins 44-27.

Houston Second Baptist @ Houston Kinkaid -- The Eagles are just 3 years removed from a state final appearance and are off to their best start since 2019 with a 4-0 mark. This year is a stronger schedule than 2019 as well. Taking out top SPC teams in ESD and St. John's points to a very strong squad for SBS. Similar to Lutheran South, finishing high in District 4 sets them up nicely for a home playoff game on the side of the bracket away from Fort Worth All Saints. The Falcons are always fighting for the top of the SPC and this year should be no different. The Falcons lost just a 9-point decision against Gunter to open the season. They dominated Regents in Week 2 and now sit at 3-1. This appears to be a battle between the Falcons defense and the Eagles offense. With the game at home, I think Kinkaid narrowly wins the battle for bird superiority. Falcons win, 30-25.

Quick Hits: (Season: 29-11)

Argyle Liberty Christian over Addison Trinity Christian
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Frisco Legacy Christian
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian
Fort Worth Christian over Victoria St. Joseph
Wolfforth Frenship over Midland Christian
Tyler Grace Community over Austin Brentwood Christian
Fort Worth All Saints over Cottonwood (CA) West Valley (They went out of state to find another Eagles)
Arlington Grace Prep over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Tyler T.K. Gorman over Muenster Sacred Heart
Arlington Oakridge over Houston Christian

Week 4 Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Plano Prestonwood Christian (9-49) -- Wrong
--Lions were dominant up front in this one and while it took a while to really run away from the Chargers, PCA was never really threatened.

San Antonio Cornerstone Christian over Midland Christian (42-24) -- Correct
--The Mustangs offense wakes up a bit but the Warriors offense scores against everyone.

Austin Regents over Brownsville St. Joseph (49-14) -- Correct
--Knights dominant over the Bloodhounds. Lots of contenders in the wide open Division II.

Fort Worth Country Day over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (28-42) -- Wrong
--Good win for the Trojans as they looks toward the SPC slate.

Wellington over Lubbock Christian (34-36) -- Wrong
--The Eagles score a big win and are going to be in that mix for the Division III title.

Refugio over Houston Cypress Christian (41-14) -- Correct
--The TXHS football powerhouse was too much for Cypress, who should be well prepared for the district slate.

Fort Worth All Saints over Episcopal School of Dallas (42-39) -- Correct
--Saints with another thrilling win over a top contender. I think All Saints has to be top of the Division II group right now, but there are several who might take big swing at them when the time comes.

Week 4: 4-3
Season: 20-8

Quick Hits:

Addison Trinity Christian over Dallas St. Marks (25-54) -- Wrong
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Rice (43-0) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Bishop Dunne (40-0) -- Correct
Bullard Brook Hill over Price Carlisle (49-20) -- Correct
Tyler T.K. Gorman over Willow Park Trinity Christian (27-42) -- Wrong
San Antonio Holy Cross over Weimar (27-17) -- Correct
Dallas Covenant over Muenster Sacred Heart (41-0) -- Correct
Dallas Shelton over Arlington Pantego Christian (14-20) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (49-7) -- Correct
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Austin LASA (70-0) -- Correct

Week 4: 7-3
Season: 29-11

Week 4 Picks 2024

Another week on the road to state is upon us. Some teams making pushes, some teams are where we expected, some are behind schedule for getting things going. Shelton is making a push and if they get to 4-0 they'll have to make the top section. Prestonwood and Regents are what we expect of perennial contenders. The DC defense and MCS offense are just a little behind schedule right now. What new twists and turns await us this week?

This Week: (Season: 16-5)

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers are 2-1 after defeating the Atlas Rattlers last week. Its has typically been the defense that has carried the charge (get it?) for DC, but this year its been suspect through 3 weeks. They've scored 42+ in every game, but have simply lacked the stops that will be needed against the top contenders in the division. So often though, it comes down to quarterback play and the Chargers have that ace up their sleeve right now. The Lions have been tagged by me as Division I's other semifinalist, maybe a little unfair given Parish dominance. This year though, Parish and Prestonwood both lost to All Saints and Liberty is now introduced to the Division I dance. The Lions annihilation of ESD in Week 1 puts them in the mix and given the suspect DC defense so far this smacks of a spot for lots of points. Its hard to go to Wheeler Field and win and Prestonwood hasn't been since 2011, the last time these two clashed. The Lions look like a good candidate to pull off the smash and grab, but we know the leanings of this space. Chargers ward off the challenge is a point-sy affair. DC wins 46-42.

San Antonio Cornerstone Christian @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs are constantly difficult to evaluate given the far flung nature of their schedule. Geography just makes it hard. UIL contender Bushland controlled the game from the jump last week, but is probably better than Cornerstone. The Warriors are very good though, having already beaten DC and scoring quite a bit against Parish Episcopal a week ago. Cornerstone's defense has not slowed two out three opponents, having allowed 42 and 69. They held Fort Bend Christian to just 3 though. The Warrior defense should be happy to see the Mustang offense, as MCS has averaged just 11 points per game through three outings. MCS has to find a way to score as the season progresses maybe they can get on track this week. The Warriors have already proven good on the road in 2024, and I just don't see the Mustangs scoring enough. Cornerstone wins 28-14.

Brownsville St. Joseph @ Austin Regents -- If you want in the picks be good and have interesting mascots. The Knights long run at the top of Division II isn't too far in the rear view mirror. They might have a team to get back to the title game. A 2-1 start with only a loss to Kinkaid points to Regents being on the right track, particularly with 59 and 51 points in the two wins. The long drive from the Valley poses some challenges, but they are challenges the Bloodhounds are used to facing. The 3-0 start puts the 'Hounds in a position to announce their contender status with this road win. While this space loves to see some new blood (get it?) kick around, I don't think they have quite enough this year. The return game next year in Brownsville should be good though. Knights win, 35-21.

Fort Worth Country Day @ Fort Worth Trinity Valley -- The Battle of Bryant Irvin heads to TVS. The Trojans enter at just 1-2 on the season. Trinity Valley was completely outmatched by ESD and FWC in back-to-back weeks, a combined 82-3. The Falcons are 3-0 with a mixed bag of opponents. The Trojans should be better than McKinney Christian and Colleyville Covenant, but probably not as good as St. Marks. The last 20 in this series are 12 to 8 in Country Day's favor, but when you consider the Trojans won the first 5 of those meetings that is 12 of the last 15 to the Falcons. TVS did win a 23-19 decision last year. This is a really close long time rivalry, so it should be close. I think the Falcons get to 4-0, but not by much. Country Day wins 32-27.

Lubbock Christian @ Wellington -- The Eagles manage to poke through to the top section this week, but only by visiting the Skyrockets. Lubbock Christian proves a difficult challenge in the picks during district play due to the geography of their non-district schedule. Wellington reached Round 3 of the UIL playoffs in 2023 and is 2-0 on the young season. The Eagles are 2-1, but were dominated by Stamford last week. Finding the offense again will be a requirement this week as I can't see holding Wellington in the 20s being an option. However, Lubbock Christian did just that in a 17-16 win over the Skyrockets last season. So we lean home teams and anti-Eagles in this space, so Skyrockets win a high scoring affair, 40-30.

Refugio @ Houston Cypress Christian -- The Warriors have started 2-1 and seem to be a bit off from the team that was in the Division III state final in 2022. Trying to find your stride against Refugio is not ideal. The Bobcats feature the 7th highest win percentage in the state all-time. Very few have taken down the Bobcats in a given season and they have to be smarting a bit after dropping a 7 point game to Edna last week. If the Warriors are ready for the fight, then it will tell us not to leave them out of the wide open Division II picture. I just see the UIL power as being too much here and having lost 2 regular season games only once in the last nine season says this won't be back-to-back losses. Warriors go right to the top of the heap with an upset win though, but not this time. Refugio wins, 42-14.

Episcopal School of Dallas vs. Fort Worth All Saints @ Frisco's The Star -- The Saints 3-0 start includes the best of TAPPS. Having taken down Parish Episcopal and Prestonwood in the first two weeks. Not much to be drawn from an out-of-state win in Week 3, but its right back to private school contenders in Week 4. The Eagles are off to a rare slow start at just 1-3, and really need to find their form before they hit the Houston SPC murderer's row. Trying to get healthy on your game against All Saints is not the ideal need for sure. ESD found the offense against Second Baptist last week, but the defense let them down. While there is a lot to be decided this season, I think All Saints is just better right now. Saints win 40-16.

Quick Hits: (Season: 22-8)

Addison Trinity Christian over Dallas St. Marks
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Rice
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Bullard Brook Hill over Price Carlisle
Tyler T.K. Gorman over Willow Park Trinity Christian
San Antonio Holy Cross over Weimar
Dallas Covenant over Muenster Sacred Heart
Dallas Shelton over Arlington Pantego Christian
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian over Austin LASA (the Raptors! get it?)

Week 3 Results 2024

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Fort Worth Atlas Homeschool (47-25) -- Correct
--Chargers win again and put up 40+ points again. They're going to need every bit of that against Prestonwood next week.

San Antonio Holy Cross over San Antonio Central Catholic (35-17) -- Correct
--Another Holy Bowl in the books as the Knights are definitely a contender in Division III. Holy Cross may at last have an offense to match their defense.

Dallas First Baptist over Dallas Covenant (62-12) -- Correct
--The Saints are the best in Division IV until someone can even get close.

San Antonio Cornerstone Christian over Dallas Parish Episcopal (33-69) -- Wrong
--Sometimes we swing and miss. I had the right idea about the Warriors offense, but their defense did not hold up its end of the deal. Panthers are still going to be tough to take the crown away from. We continue to circle the Parish vs. Liberty district clash.

Bushland over Midland Christian (35-14) -- Correct
--The Mustangs offense will have to be better to compete for the title.

Shiner St. Paul over Corpus Christi St. John Paull II (47-0) -- Correct
--Well I got the Centurions in the picks once, and that will probably be it. Cardinals maybe back on track to find a way to theo

Tyler Grace Community over Pittsburg (16-15) -- Correct
--The Cougars defense appears to be very formidable. Will be interesting to see if the offense can come along and make things interesting in District play

Week 3: 6-1
Season: 16-5

Quick Hits:

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Venus (49-0) -- Correct
Stamford over Lubbock Christian (33-6) -- Correct
Austin Regents over San Antonio Antonian (61-21) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Episcopal School of Dallas (42-33) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (41-3) -- Correct
Corpus Christi Carroll over Brownsville St. Joseph (28-29) Wrong
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Bastrop (31-14) -- Correct
Little Rock Catholic over Fort Worth Nolan (41-7) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Lynch over OKC Bishop McGuinness (28-34) -- Wrong
Muenster Sacred Heart over Plano John Paul II (12-19) -- Wrong

Week 3: 7-3
Season: 22-8

Week 3 Picks 2024

Another week approaches as we continue through the non-district slate. Some fun games this week, but we allow now Eagles in the main picks this time. So ESD and Second Baptist is relegated to Quick Hits.  What surprises await us this week? Good luck and safe travels on the road to state!

This Week: (Season 10-4)

Dallas Christian @ Fort Worth Atlas Homeschool -- The Chargers travel west for a first time meeting with the Rattlers. Atlas has posted two wins on the season so far with 55 points posted against Malakoff Cross Roads and 50 points against Newman International. Certainly not a murderers row, but 50 points is 50 points. DC enters having posted a ton of points in a win over FW Southwest Christian and a loss to San Antonio Cornerstone. If the porous defense from Week 1 is back, it could be a tricky game for the Chargers. For expectations though, the Rattlers were beaten 53-0 by Cornerstone last year. Its probably closer than that in this one, but DC is clearly favored. Chargers win 44-14.

San Antonio Central Catholic @ San Antonio Holy Cross -- The Knights have started the 2024 campaign looking to avenge the unfinished business of a title game defeat. They've already turned around a loss to Antonian as part of a 2-0 start. While 50 points is always notable, its very notable when you're Division III Holy Cross talking on Division I Antonian. The tour of Division I continues for Holy Cross as they welcome in the Buttons (see how easy it is not to be the Eagles). Central has 110 points in 2 weeks for their own 2-0 start, but you have to wonder if its a little suspicious given the opponents. The Buttons are likely better than the 3-8 mark of 2023, but it appears the Knights are a better than they were last year as well. Another 50 points for Holy Cross would put them right at the top of teams who could knock of DC for the crow. Holy Cross wins at home, 34-20.

Dallas Covenant @ Dallas First Baptist -- The Saints hold the longest winning streak in TAPPS, but were slowed a bit last week by Tyler Grace. In the 15 wins it was the first time FBA was held under 40. The march to a back-to-back titles in Division IV may be well underway though, as no school FBA's size is going to match the numbers on the sideline for Tyler Grace. The Knights have their own 2-0 start this year complete with 0 points allowed. However, the Saints should be by leaps and bounds the best opponent Covenant has seen so far. Covenant was 7-5 a season ago including a 43-17 loss to First Baptist. I don't see a 30 point swing to the new season, but I don't think FBA will be as dominant. Saints win, 39-21.

San Antonio Cornerstone Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Warriors 2-0 start includes wins over Dallas Christian and Fort Bend Christian. Their offense won them the DC game with 49 points. The defense won them game 2 with just 3 points allowed. Cornerstone may be one of the more well rounded groups in the non-UIL ranks, but also do not have that one player, group, or unit that jumps off the page. Not having a Division to compare them to doesn't help that either. The Panthers are the 5-time defending champions, but All Saints defeat of Parish in Week 1 seems to have the door open for others to unseat the kings. The Panthers did respond with a dominant 28 point victory over SPC power Bellaire Episcopal. I think the Panthers are the better squad here and at home on the blue field it seems the logical choice. I just can't shake that something is up in this one. Maybe its the nature of the game being "bigger" for the Warriors than it is for the Panthers, who are really waiting for November given TAPPS forgiving playoff qualifying. Warriors with an upset, 37-30.

Midland Christian @ Bushland -- The Mustangs held Bishop Lynch to just 3 points last week to even their record at 1-1. Scoring has been the problem for MCS in the most recent seasons and at just 10 points per game through 2 weeks it may be again. The Falcons jumped up the UIL ranking  boards with their win last week over Canadian. Bushland with 103 points combined in 2 weeks. If the Falcons are putting it in the endzone like they have been, its hard to see the Mustangs keeping pace. I do think MCS slows Bushland a bit, but not enough to score a road win. The Mustang offense will need to find its stride before district play. I don't think its this week though. Falcons win 30-7.

Corpus Christi St. John Paull II @ Shiner St. Paul -- This space is partial to schools playing 11-man with smaller enrollments than all of 6-man Division I. So the Cardinals make the list here. At 0-2, its the worst start since 2018 for St. Paul. A season they won a state championship though, after finishing the regular season at 2-8. So that helps, but scheduling an opponent named Centurions will also get you in this space. Unfortunately, its hard to see where the success will start for John Paul II. So even with the Cardinals looking a little down over recent years they should still top the Centurions comfortably. Shiner St. Paul wins, 35-7.

Tyler Grace Community @ Pittsburg -- The Cougars have opened 1-1 and enter off a loss to Dallas First Baptist. Grace's problem over the years has been finding two good units. They seem to either have a competitive defense or a top flight offense, but never both. This seems like it may be a defensive year for the Cougars after limiting FBA to just 28. The Pirates enter on a bad 0-2 start to the season and having gone just 2-8 a year ago. They Cougars were better last year, and its seems they probably are again. Tyler Grace wins, 28-7.

Quick Hits: (Season: 15-5)

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Venus
Stamford over Lubbock Christian
Austin Regents over San Antonio Antonian
Houston Second Baptist over Episcopal School of Dallas
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Trinity Valley
Corpus Christi Carroll over Brownsville St. Joseph
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Bastrop
From The Star:
Little Rock Catholic over Fort Worth Nolan
Dallas Bishop Lynch over OKC Bishop McGuinness
Muenster Sacred Heart over Plano John Paul II

Week 2 Results 2024

The picks we got wrong, we got very wrong. A strong week over all though. Maybe the earliest group of clear contenders I can remember.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (42-13) -- Correct
--Chargers did not dominate this one until the 2nd half, but the offense is going to them a tough team to beat tough

Frisco Legacy Christian over Bullard Brook Hill (14-9) -- Correct
--The promised slugfest was delivered. The Eagles will have to find more offense to threaten the top of Division I, but its still a nice win to move to 2-0.

Fort Worth Christian over Houston Second Baptist (16-48) --Wrong
--Oh dear! The only proper reaction to the quality of this pick. The Eagles are seeing All Saints prowess and getting the offense in gear. Cardinals with a lot of ground to make up before November in Division II.

Midland Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (20-3) -- Correct
--Another low scoring affair comes through as expected. The Mustangs non-district only gets tougher with Bushland and San Antonio Cornerstone ahead. Friars with a daunting set of district games ahead in Parish, Liberty, and Prestonwood.

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Jim Ned (12-42) --Wrong
--Another crash and burn pick, as the Indians just out did the Lions at every turn. Trinity can't love how things look after an 0-1 start and All Saints posting wins over Parish and Prestonwood.

Dallas First Baptist over Tyler Grace Community (28-15) -- Correct
--The Saints continue the win streak as the defense leads the way for a rare time. Saints appear to have two strong units that should be hard to push off the top step.

Fort Worth All Saints over Plano Prestonwood Christian (31-27) -- Correct
--Saints score another win over a top Division I contender, and again by 4 points. The Lions might be on that path to really good semifinalist again.

Week 2: 5-2
Season: 10-4

Quick Hits:

Argyle Liberty Christian over Texarkana Texas High (35-52) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Country Day over McKinney Christian (66-7) -- Correct
Dallas Covenant over Plano John Paul II (43-0) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Colleyville Covenant Christian (10-31) -- Wrong
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Bellaire Episcopal (45-21) -- Correct
Dallas St. Marks over Irving Cistercian (35-3) -- Correct
Fort Worth Nolan over Dallas Bishop Dunne (42-13) -- Correct
Episcopal School of Dallas over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (41-0) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over Austin Hyde Park (41-22) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Sundown (47-14) -- Correct

Week 2: 8-2
Season: 15-5

Week 2 Picks 2024

Too many Eagles again this week (and every week) as we head toward the promised land of November. Its a bit a cooler this week which we'll be nice in the stands and on the field. What surprises are nearby? We'll find out ahead. So good luck, safe travels, show kindness, and give grace as you venture out.

This Week: (Week 1: 5-2)

Fort Worth Southwest Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers took their first loss at home since 2018 when then Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill took home a 37-16 win on their way to a state title. The defense has led DC to so many victories in the last decade of this blog but was unable to slow the Cornerstone Warriors attack for much of the night. A couple of turnovers rallied the cause and ultimately the offense got the game tied at 42, before another big play secured a 7 point win for the visitors from the Alamo City. It was the first season opening loss for the Chargers since Bishop Dunne scored victories over DC in 2014 and 2015. The Eagles are an up-and-down program, having made consecutive state semi-finals in 2020 and 2021 and winning 10 games in 2021. The most recent 2 seasons though saw just 10 wins combined. Those semi-final losses were to the Chargers. In 9 previous meetings Southwest has scored just 2 wins. The first ever meeting was a home win for the Eagles and then a stunning playoff upset at DC in 2006. The Eagles dropped their opener to Trinity Valley and the Chargers offense figures to be a step up from TVS. If the DC defense doesn't close ranks outscoring their problems may be required. The leanings of this space are well known, so we'll assume the defense is ready to go after a Week 1 wake up call. Chargers win 35-12.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Frisco Legacy Christian -- The Eagles always seem to be lurking around the edges of contention and a move to Division I seems likely to doom them to battling for the final playoff spot at best. A shutout of Cistercian and a 1-0 beginning is a nice place to start the climb though. The Guard are the fray in Division II. A batch of teams we aren't sure how they stack up and given the departure of Liberty for Division I the aspirations of a title have to exist among the next tier. Brook Hill slid past Redwater last week, 31-28. These two seems to be ready to get some stops. We always like home teams in this space, and that's the angle we'll play in this one. Legacy wins a defensive trench war, 16-14.

Fort Worth Christian @ Houston Second Baptist -- Two long time TAPPS members who've both been in Division II (or 4A as it was called before) have somehow not played in the MaxPreps era. The Eagles (another one?) were in the Division II title game as recently as 2021 when DC beat them. They made two more semi-finals since then, despite losing 4 games in the regular season both years. Maybe they're just a late season team? They did win the opener this year, but over a team from Illinois so not much to go on there. The Cardinals struggled in 2023. They finished 4-6 and out of the playoffs by finishing 5th in a 5-team district. 2024 is off to a good start though as they scored at will against Colleyville Covenant, 63-3. FWC appears to be rising this year, but a long trip is always a test. If they can't find a way past SBS, its hard to see their chances against All Saints or Regents being very good. With the Eagles district success in the past 5 seasons, I'm not sure the non-district slate draws the very best performances out of the Eagles. So FWC's offense should do good things here. One of the last grass fields around should see a fun game, but we'll take the team with more to prove. Cardinals win a shootout, 39-29.

Dallas Bishop Lynch @ Midland Christian -- Finally, I ran out of Eagles. The Friars absolutely dominated Bishop Dunne, 49-0, to open the season as the top Bishop in Dallas County. Bishop Lynch has now won 3 of their last 4 games after winning just 3 of the 20 before them. Maybe the playoff road win over the Buttons of Central Catholic awoke the Friars program. The Mustangs played reasonably well in a West Texas opener against the Steers of Graham, but could not find the scoreboard. MCS fell 23-0 to start 0-1. A season ago the Mustangs finished just 4-6 losing a playoff opener to Tyler Grace. One of the 4 wins was over the Friars. A 32-27 decision in Dallas. With just one result on the books so far in 2024, I don't know what to make of these two. The Mustangs in Midland, always a good angle. MCS takes a tight one, 13-10.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Jim Ned -- Play good teams with interesting mascots, get in the picks. That's our motto here. The Lions have been bitten by the freight train that is Dallas Christian in back-to-back semi-final appearances. After just 10 seasons of varsity football, Trinity is very much on the map of TAPPS programs. After closing the gap on DC to just 10 in the playoffs a season ago, Trinity finds itself in a wide open Division II with no defending champion. Liberty moved to Division I, and after just 1 week Fort Worth All Saints seems to have filled the power vacuum with a win over 5-time defending Division I champ Parish Episcopal. The Lions were one of the only idle teams a week ago so find their season opener this week. The Indians (ooh, is that allowed?) are frequent visitors to the UIL playoffs, but lost in Round 1 a season ago by just a single point. They fell to Estacado in Week 1, 14-7. Jim Ned held the Matadors of Estacado to just 10 first downs but were bitten heavily by the turnover bug. Seven points won't win many and it won't beat the Lions any day this year. Trinity moves to 1-0 with a 33-14 win.

Tyler Grace Community @ Dallas First Baptist -- The Cougars find themselves with a familiar trip to Eastern Dallas County, but for a rare visit to the Saints Athletic Complex and not Dallas Christian. The Saints and Cougars haven't clashed since 2011 when the Cougars made it 4-0 versus FBA. The Saints have the longest winning streak in TAPPS with their season opener pushing the streak to 14. First Baptist's 704 points in just 13 games in 2023 was further cemented that power with 48 points in the season opener against a squad from Arizona. The Cougars have frequently been a bit susceptible to being unable to keep the opponent off the scoreboard. This will be a big test for if Tyler Grace can compete with the All Saints and Regents powerhouses of the Division. Grace opened with a 38-26 victory over Queen City. This space likes home teams, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cougars depth win out late in this one. Saints survive, 42-35.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- I was going to just do six games this week, but All Saints earned its spot by defeating the 5-time defending champions Parish Episcopal. The Saints held on for a 39-35 win after building a sizable lead, but Parish is hard to top. The Lions have been Division I's "other" semifinalist many times, including 2023 when St. Thomas took them out in a wild 73-62 shootout. The defense may be shaping up for a run after holding ESD to just 7. All Saints puts a stamp on Division II favorite status with another Division I contender being taken out. With another home game we'll have to go with the Saints, but Prestonwood can finally enter the top tier with a win. Another barn burner should be in store for Tarrant County. All Saints wins, 39-35 (again).

Quick Hits: (Week 1: 7-3)

Argyle Liberty Christian over Texarkana Texas High
Fort Worth Country Day over McKinney Christian
Dallas Covenant over Plano John Paul II
Arlington Grace Prep over Colleyville Covenant Christian
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Bellaire Episcopal
Dallas St. Marks over Irving Cistercian
Fort Worth Nolan over Dallas Bishop Dunne
Episcopal School of Dallas over Fort Worth Trinity Valley
Houston Lutheran South over Austin Hyde Park
Lubbock Christian over Sundown (Roughnecks!--I could only include so many this week)