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
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