State Finals Results 2025

A great finish to the season. Thanks everyone for reading and we hope to back for Season 12 in August. It will be a week earlier with the new TAPPS calendar and a much earlier finish with a 3-round playoff. We'll also see 5 state title on offer in 11-man competition. Hope to have you along in 2026!

Division III: Dallas Christian over Lubbock Christian (30-36) -- Wrong
--Eagles win a classic championship game by making the big plays at the biggest times. An incredible run for the Chargers ends at four straight titles. Lubbock Christian deserves all the accolades for this season as everyone prepares to climb the mountain again. Congratulations to the Eagles on their 3rd State Championship!

Division I: Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano Prestonwood Christian (14-7) -- Correct
--Lions defense almost made it happen, but could not get enough points. Not at all the game I thought this would be but a classic none the less. Parish claims their 6th title in 7 seasons. Congratulations to the Panthers on their 8th State Championship!

Division II: Fort Worth All Saints over Houston Second Baptist (34-16) -- Correct
--The Eagles were up for the fight and built a 10-0 lead, but just couldn't keep up as the night wore on. A remarkable improvement from their 1-6 start. We have to talk about the champs though as All Saints becomes the first team to go undefeated in winning back-to-back TAPPS titles. They were the best from the opening kick this year. Congratulations to the Saints on their 2nd State Championship!

Division IV: Dallas First Baptist over Bryan Brazos Christian (62-44) -- Correct
--The Saints offense was unstoppable and the Eagles fall a game short of an undefeated season for a 2nd straight season. FBA back in Division IV again next season looking for a 4-peat. Eagles will join the "Big 3" of Division III and should be a factor in that group as well. Congratulations to the Saints on their 4th State Championship!

And with that everyone is undefeated again...

Week 15: 3-1
Season: 79-23

Quick Hits:

Division I: Pasadena First Baptist over Waco Vanguard (54-18) -- Correct
Division II: Huntsville Alpha Omega over Fort Worth Covenant Classical (101-56) -- Correct
Division III: Waco Valor Prep over Lake Jackson Brazosport Christian (51-6) -- Correct

Week 15: 3-0
Season: 106-24

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 2025

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 we're actually going to 3-round playoffs next year! Not sure I love creating an additional champion when only xx schools play 11-man football, but I'm willing to give that a try. When your divisions are down close to 16 schools in a division its just not practical to have a 4-round playoff. Waco ISD Stadium is very good. An excellent choice for a Central Texas site. However, forcing Prestonwood and Parish to travel to Waco to play on Friday at 11am is not maximizing your value or helping your event feel big time. Going to five 11-man games next year is probably not going to help this situation. 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. We could schedule the games on different weekends to get different sites. Allow different bracketing depending on division needs. Scheduling games closer together so a neutral fan might attend more than one is another thought. No one is staying for an 11am and a 6pm game. If you need a place with more locker rooms to do this, find one. The cost to attend is awfully high for a high school game in a high school stadium at an inconvenient time. I always limit myself to this one space to voice these complaints. Thanks for listening.

Now to the games. We've got 4 great ones that include all 4 of last year's champions and 4 rematches from the 2024 playoffs. Two undefeated teams look to complete the perfect season. One actually looks to stay above .500. Two look to reverse last year's title games. One looks to reach the historic 5-peat. Weather looks good and these should great games to wrap the season. Everyone will be undefeated again soon, even the Eagles...

Division III

Dallas Christian vs. Lubbock Christian -- The Chargers took out the Eagles 43-38 in last year's semifinal. It was a classic game with lots of offense. Early in the season I would've said DC might have trouble producing that offense on the day but the Chargers have piled up points since the calendar flipped to October. The scoring average is up to 42.5 points per game. This is a shot at 5-in-a-row for the Chargers. The Eagles have won two state titles, in 2004 and 2022. If not for a 4-time defending champion in the division they'd probably be the favorites this season. Only Wellington has blemished the Eagles record so far in 2025 and they are fresh off a 58 point victory in the semifinals. LCS is averaging just under 49 points per game. I'm not sure either team is going to stop the other very much in this one. The Chargers dominated Colleyville Covenant in Round 2 and that points to a stronger squad. That is the only common opponent to draw on so how this goes is really anyone's guess. The leanings of this space are no secret, so we'll have to go with the 5-peat. Chargers win a classic for their 13th TAPPS title, 42-35.

Division I

Plano Prestonwood Christian vs. Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Lions and Panthers are destined to play twice every year. Last season the Lions took a 52-49 win the regular season before the Panthers turned the tables in the Regional with a wild 61-55 win. Both of those games were at Prestonwood. This season Parish took a 38-35 home win to secure the district title. PES has lost just one playoff game since 2019 when Liberty Christian took the title in last season's title game. The only loss for the Panthers this season was the opener to All Saints, a squad that hasn't lost since 2023. The Lions had one of the strangest starts to a season ever as they began with bye, no contest, loss, bye. Meaning that on September 25 they were just 0-1. They found 5 district wins and 2 playoff wins to reach 7-3 on the season. They really struggled to find their stride. Needing OT with Bishop Lynch and dropping the two "big" games against Parish and Liberty. Down the stretch though its been 63, 45, 49, and 44 on the scoreboard. So it was a bit of a winding road, but I think we got the best teams for a great final. It was a 3-point game at Parish so I expect nothing different to decide the 1st title of the weekend. Parish lost its first championship game last season to fall to 7-1 in title contests. Prestonwood is 5-3 in the title game. The Panthers may not be the champs right now, but the historic 5-peat was just a year ago. To be the man you have to beat the man and the Lions have their shot, but I lean toward the Panthers as the more consistent squad. Parish wins a 6th title in 7 seasons in a tight one. I'm going more defense than you might expect. Panthers 25 Lions 21.

Division II

Fort Worth All Saints vs. Houston Second Baptist -- A season ago the Eagles could not find the Waco ISD endzone as the Saints took their 1st TAPPS title, 21-3. Climbing back up the mountain when you get so close is always a challenge and it looked to have taken its toll early in the season for Second Baptist. At 1-6, I don't think anyone had the Eagles in the title game in even the faintest of pencil. Particularly given The Woodlands Christian 32 point victory over the Eagles. After 6 straight wins though they are surprise finalists. The Saints had the opposite experience in 2025. After winning the title they entered as likely favorites in Division II and after beating Parish Episcopal in the opener there was little debate. Now at 26 wins in a row they are primed to claim back-to-back trophies. The offensive domination of an undefeated Regents squad is the best result of 2025. The Eagles have always been the squad to pull an upset as these playoffs have shown and are one of just two schools south of the I-20 corridor to win TAPPS 2nd largest division since 1992. They have continued an odd trend of only reaching the title game when they do not win the district title, but I fear they are over-matched in this one. Saints dominate for a repeat, 33-7.

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist vs. Bryan Brazos Christian -- Yet another Eagles pierces the title games as the rematch with the Saints for the Division IV title. FBA is the holders of back-to-back crowns in the smallest 11-man division. The Eagles enter the Final at 12-0 for the 2nd straight season. Only Hallettsville Sacred Heart really tested the Eagles this season with the other 11 wins all coming by at least 30 points. At 45 points per game they are in better position than the 2024 team to out run the Saints. First Baptist dropped the opener to Division I Bishop Lynch and a game with an out-of-state opponent to reach their record of 10-2. Central Texas Christian nearly nabbed the Saints last week in the semis with FBA escaping 21-14. The Saints are going to hard to knock off the top step, but the margin appears to be closer than ever. They are playing their best now though having dominated Hallettsville Sacred Heart in Round 1. Brazos Christian has been the more consistent squad on the season and they dominated Central Texas Christian in the regular season. All I can say for certain is these two are clearly the top of Division IV. The Eagles have played in and lost just 2 championship games, both against the Saints. FBA is 3-1 all time in the championship game and won last year's game 42-15. This should be closer and probably decided at the end, but FBA is the champ until bested. Saints win a shootout, 47-44.

Season: 76-22

Quick Hits will make the first ever 6-man picks for the blog.

Division I: Pasadena First Baptist Warriors over Waco Vanguard Vikings
Division II: Huntsville Alpha Omega Lions over Fort Worth Covenant Classical Cavaliers
Division III: Waco Valor Prep Knights over Lake Jackson Brazosport Christian Eagles

Season: 103-24.

TAPPS State Finals Game Information 2025

Tickets are available at tapps.biz. Games are also available via pay-per-view on tappstvnetwork.com. Six of the eight teams return from a season ago including two rematches of last year's title games. The other two matches are repeats of playoff games from 2024. Should be a fun conclusion of the road to State.

Division I

Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy vs. Dallas Parish Episcopal School
--11:00 AM Friday Waco ISD Stadium

Division II

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School vs. Houston Second Baptist School
--6:00 Friday Waco ISD Stadium

Division III

Mesquite Dallas Christian School vs. Lubbock Christian School
--11:00 AM Saturday Waco ISD Stadium

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School
--6:00 Saturday Waco ISD Stadium

Semifinal Playoff Results 2025

This Week

Dallas Christian over Dallas Covenant (49-7) -- Correct
--Chargers rushed out to a 21 point lead in the 1st and never looked back. The showdown with Lubbock Christian should be a classic. Rematching a 5-point game in the semifinals of 2024.

Lubbock Christian over Boerne Geneva (71-13) -- Correct
--Eagles absolutely blow away the Eagles and an offense like this may be able to finally push the Chargers off the top step.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (49-14) -- Correct
--Panthers have been on a mission since losing the title last season. Now they'll try to an 11th out of 12 meeting with the Lions with this one for all the marbles.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (44-0) -- Correct
--Lions dominant on the road back to state. They'll get their shot at a Parish rematch for the title.

Fort Worth All Saints over Austin Regents (49-35) -- Correct
--Saints offense could not be stopped and the streak stretches to 26. A chance at a repeat is very much alive.

Houston Second Baptist over Houston Lutheran South (41-38) -- Correct
--The Eagles do it again and have run off 6 in a row to reach the State Final after starting 1-6. Saints and Eagles go back-to-back in meeting for the Division II crown.

Dallas First Baptist over Temple Central Texas Christian (21-14) -- Correct
--Lions held the Saints down, but it wasn't enough to knock out the champs. FBA back in the title game looking for a 3-peat.

Bryan Brazos Christian over Tomball Rosehill Christian (50-6) -- Correct
--The undefeated Eagles prove dominant again. An incredible showdown between the undefeated Brazos Christian squad and the defending champion Dallas First Baptist.

Week 14: 8-0
Season: 76-22 

Quick Hits rests for the week at 103-24.

Semifinal Playoff Picks 2025

The road is coming to a close for another season as just 12 games remain in 11-man TAPPS football for 2025. Only one defending champion has been eliminated so far and the remaining three have a good chance at another title. Though all three have big hurdles ahead. Good luck this week on the road to State!

This Week: (Season: 68-22)

Division III

Dallas Christian vs. Dallas Covenant @ Dallas Franklin Field -- The Chargers piled up the points to run away from the other Covenant last week. A rocky start to the season has leveled out nicely as the Chargers have not lost since the calendar flipped to October and now sit at 8-2. The Knights took out surprise District 3 champion New Braunfels Christian to reach the their 1st semifinal. Curiously, its a season that appeared to heading in the wrong direction for Covenant, but they found their stride winning 4 straight since losing to DC. That 45-7 Thursday night drubbing will be hard to ignore in the analysis of this one. The Covenant offense has improved since that night, scoring 42, 41, 35, and 42 in the four games since. That type of output is mandatory for keeping pace with DC. The Chargers have scored at least 42 in each game since the overtime loss to Pittsburg. The Knights will surely make some adjustments from the first meeting and have been playing better, but this seems like too much to overcome. The Chargers should reach their 6th straight title game. DC wins a tighter game, 40-22.

Lubbock Christian vs. Boerne Geneva @ Abilene Christian HS -- The Eagles head South to take on the Eagles, while the Eagles head North to take on the Eagles. Meanwhile, I continue to protest the abundance of Eagles. However, Lubbock Christian overcame one of the "Big 3" in Division III with their Regional win over Holy Cross. Holy Cross was coming off a runner-up finish a year ago and was a definite contender for the title. The Lubbock offense rolled up 48 points and really eliminated the threat early. The Geneva Eagles are 10-2 on the season after scoring 59 points to eliminate up and coming Tyler All Saints. So expect these two to pour on the points gravy to their Thanksgiving turkey. Holy Cross is the only common opponent between the two with Lubbock Christian being the only winner on the field, though Geneva was awarded a forfeit win. The Western based Eagles are the better squad on paper, but Geneva should keep this interesting on the scoreboard for a while. Lubbock Christian wins 48-28.

Division I

Tomball Concordia Lutheran @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers saw their string of 5 straight titles ended last season as Argyle Liberty Christian took the crown. They've responded this season by looking like a team on a mission. After losing to All Saints to open the season Parish has rolled off 10 in a row including drubbing Bishop Lynch 52-7 last week in the Regionals. They've scored at least 38 points in every game of the win streak. Another trip to the title game seems like fate. The Crusaders lost twice in district play to St. Thomas and St. Michael's but sandwiched two one score wins over Antonian to be the only team from District 2 standing in the semifinals. Concordia has scored 108 fewer points than Parish in a matching 11 games. While the Crusaders will be game for the fight, this is too much to overcome. Panthers back in the title game with a 45-21 win.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions have had a strange season. Thanks to weather and mid-alignment rescheduling Prestonwood is just 6-3. They were behind All Saints too when the weather stopped the game. They narrowly escaped Bishop Lynch in OT. They lost the first trip to Argyle back in October. Once the calendar turned to November though its been the Lions on the hunt. After playing Parish to within 3 points, they dominated St. Thomas in a non-district game and rolled off 49 points at Liberty in the rematch. Prestonwood dominated the Eagles 51-25 back on October 17 and seem to be playing better now than they were then. Earlier this year I called the Eagles snake-bit. They just haven't gotten that big win despite being right there multiple times. A Regional win at St. Thomas last week definitely qualifies, but getting another the next week is a tall order. I just don't see them turning a 26 point defeat into a win a month later. Should be a good game though. Lions earn a title game rematch, 35-28.

Division II

Fort Worth All Saints vs. Austin Regents @ McGregor -- The game of the year in Division II has finally arrived. The Saints haven't lost since the 2023 semifinals to Argyle Liberty. So the streak stands at 25. They've beaten Division I teams, teams from other parts of the state, teams from other states, and teams from next door. All comers have fallen to the Saints. Last season the Knights were the closest Division II team to toppling the Saints, falling 42-26 in the semifinals. This season the defense of All Saints has been a bit more forgiving than last season. They've allowed 21 points in each of the last 4 games and particularly allowing 30 to Lubbock Trinity was cause for concern. The big factor in that game was travel which the Saints have a long trip for the first time since then. The Knights 12-0 record has included blowouts and couple of close wins. The win over Kinkaid on September 5 was really the last close one for the Knights. The dominant performances Southwest and Midland Christian have to give the Knights a ton of confidence coming into this one. Regents has the best chance of anyone to break the Saints streak, but I can't go against the champs. All Saints wins 34-33.

Houston Lutheran South vs. Houston Second Baptist @ Alvin Freedom Field -- After The Woodlands Christian took the district title and rolled to 11-0 it was easy to discount both of these squads chances in the postseason. Particularly the Eagles who lost 42-10 in their first meeting with TWCA. Second Baptist came up with the goods in the rematch though, producing a 34-27 upset last week. The Eagles started the season a very week 1-6, a stretch that included the TWCA loss and a 24-20 loss to this Lutheran South squad. They've rolled off 5 in a row since then to even their record at 6-6. The Pioneers looked much better through the regular season, holding a record of 9-3. They lost the de facto district title game by just 7 to TWCA and have been in that 2nd tier of contenders. Its finally a semifinal appearance for LSA, after their best squads were stopped by DC a decade ago. This is a huge chance for the Pioneers to make a 1st State Final. The 40 points per game offense they've had in their victories should get them past the Eagles, but Second Baptist is playing its best right now. I think the Eagles spring another rematch turnaround and get back to a State Final rematch with the Saints. Second Baptist surprises again, 24-20.

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist vs. Temple Central Texas Christian @ Italy -- The Saints are the holders of the last two Division IV titles and very little has indicated an end to their reign. The Lions are 10-1 having only fallen to undefeated Brazos Christian this season. They've been dominant outside of the Brazos loss and tight game with Division II Brentwood Christian. They've allowed just 53 points outside of those 2 games, less than 6 points per game. So the Lions will provide a stiff test for FBA. Only Division I Bishop Lynch has toppled the Saints among in-state teams. Both squads dominated Hallettsville Sacred Heart and appear to be the among the top 3 in Division IV. A season ago, the Saints took out the Lions 54-21 in the semis. This seems like a very similar match-up as last year. Similar to Division II, I just can't pick against the champs. Saints get their shot at 3 in a row, winning 37-18.

Tomball Rosehill Christian vs. Bryan Brazos Christian @ Waller -- Another all Eagles showdown to decide our last predicted finalist. Rosehill is 7-4 on the season and secured a big win for their program last week over Mercy Culture. A great season for the Eagles from Tomball, but an uphill climb awaits in this semifinal. In the regular season they were shutout by Brazos, 47-0, and Central Texas Christian, 49-0. The offense will have to find a way past the Brazos defense that they didn't before. The Brazos Christian Eagles are 11-0 under first year head coach Jordan Black. They've allowed just 78 points in 11 games on the season. Only Central Texas Christian has made it to double digits among Division IV opponents. While I'm sure Rosehill will have some adjustments from the first meeting, this is Brazos moment to shine. Brazos Christian wins 42-7.

Quick Hits rests for the week at 103-24.

TAPPS Semifinal Playoff Times and Locations 2025

Division I

Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School at Dallas Parish Episcopal School
--5:00 Friday Dallas' Gloria Snyder Stadium

Frisco Legacy Christian Academy at Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy
--2:00 Friday Plano's Lions Stadium

 

 
Division II

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School vs. Regents School of Austin
--1:00 Friday McGregor's Bulldog Stadium

Houston Lutheran South Academy vs. Houston Second Baptist School
--6:00 Friday Iowa Colony's Alvin ISD Freedom Field


Division III

Lubbock Christian School vs. Geneva School of Boerne
--4:00 Friday Abilene's Panther Stadium

Mesquite Dallas Christian School vs. Dallas The Covenant School 
--7:00 Friday Dallas' Franklin Field

 

Division IV

 
Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Temple Central Texas Christian School

--5:30 Friday Italy's Gladiator Coliseum

Tomball Rosehill Christian School vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School

--7:00 Friday Waller's Daikin Stadium

Regional Playoff Results 2025

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian (51-13) -- Correct
--Chargers dominate another playoff game and run their playoff win streak to 16. The DC-LC showdown seems like a lock after this week.

New Braunfels Christian over Dallas Covenant (24-42) -- Wrong
--The Wildcats just have not progressed outside of District 3. Knights with a big win and will get a 2nd shot at DC for a place in Waco.

Lubbock Christian over San Antonio Holy Cross (48-27) -- Correct
--Eagles offense proving very difficult to stop. Knights topsy-turvy season comes to an end.

Tyler All Saints over Boerne Geneva (42-59) -- Wrong
--Trojans scored a bunch but also allowed a bunch in a pointsy affair as expected. Another Eagles on Eagles clash for a spot in the title game.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Plano Prestonwood Christian (34-49) -- Wrong
--Lions eliminate the champs and have a great shot at the title game with a rematch with Frisco Legacy in the semis.

Frisco Legacy Christian over Houston St. Thomas (24-21) -- Correct
--Eagles get the big road win and another semifinal. Will this be the year they finally nab one of the contenders from District 1?

Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian (38-21) -- Correct
--A game effort by the Cardinals, but the Saints seem unstoppable in Division II. 

Austin Regents over Midland Christian (48-14) -- Correct
--A controlling win for Regents who looked the better squad on paper. Knights have been angling for that rematch with All Saints all season and now at 12-0 they'll have that shot.

Fort Worth Mercy Culture over Tomball Rosehill Christian (28-35) -- Wrong
--Eagles get a huge win for their program and reach the semifinals and rematch with Brazos Christian in an all Eagles showdown.

Week 13: 5-4
Season: 68-22 

Quick Hits

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch (52-7) -- Correct
Tomball Concordia over San Antonio Antonian (41-35 OT) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over Brownsville St. Joseph (45-14) -- Correct
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Second Baptist (27-34) -- Wrong
Dallas First Baptist over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (42-0) -- Correct
Temple Central Texas Christian over Waco Live Oak (50-0) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Muenster Sacred Heart (52-7) -- Correct

Week 13: 6-1
Season: 103-24

Regional Playoff Picks 2025

Just three more weeks to go and after Friday we'll have just 12 games of 11-man TAPPS football to play. The weather forecast is looking better than it was early in the week and it should be a fun week as we head toward Waco.

This Week: (Season: 63-18)

Division III  

Dallas Christian vs. Colleyville Covenant Christian @ Dallas Loos Stadium -- The Chargers enter the playoffs with another district title and 1st round bye. The season started a bit rocky with losses to San Antonio Cornerstone and Pittsburg in the non-district. They did not have that consistency that the Luke Carney led offense promised in the last 4 seasons. Its hard to knock out the champs though and they've rolled since the calendar turned to October. They'll have keep the offense on track to stretch the playoff win streak to 16. The Cougars have been very competitive in recent seasons, but have not put up the big win totals. They score and allow over 30 points per game so expect an active scoreboard. They scored 30 against the top team of District 1, Lubbock Christian. They also allowed 57. The DC defense has not been dominant when faced with comparable opposition. They both played Dallas Covenant with the Chargers scoring a dominant victory at home. The Cougars won their meeting on the road but be a smaller margin. So this will be a test, but favoring the champs is never a bad idea. We also know how this space leans. Chargers win a shootout, 44-30.

Dallas Covenant vs. New Braunfels Christian @ Mary Hardin Baylor -- The Knights seemed to be the 2nd best team in District 2 entering the season. They were expected to lead the group behind the "big 3" of Dallas Christian, Lubbock Christian, and Holy Cross. It hasn't played out that way in the regular season. However, a win here and we are right where we thought we'd be. Being blown out by Dallas First Baptist was the first sign that the Knights offense was not quite up to recent standards. The Wildcats are 9-1 having reaped the benefits of Holy Cross forfeits and gotten the first round bye. That saved them from a repeat of last year where they lost the opening playoff game at home. A 2nd straight 9-win season shows the progress they've made, but a playoff win would validate that success. They've won the games they should and now they need to back that up. They'll need to be better than the group that allowed 41 to Geneva and lost to Hill Country. The Knights will need to better than the group that lost to Colleyville Covenant and Tyler All Saints. I see this a low scoring affair and I like the Wildcats to get a signature win for their program and a 1st semifinal. NBCA wins, 20-18.

Lubbock Christian vs. San Antonio Holy Cross @ McMurry -- The forfeits move the Knights to 3rd in District 3 and force two of the "big 3" to meet a round early. The Eagles results look the best in the division so far this season. Just the lone loss to UIL Wellington has them at 9-1 after a 1st round bye. They've piled up over 46 points per game. The Knights will be the toughest defense the Eagles have faced outside of that loss. After the board decision and a disappointment outing against First Baptist, the Knights have returned to dominant form. Both teams completely squashed Lake Country as we look for common opponents. I think the Eagles are the better squad but they have their toughest test here. If the Knights can get their offense rolling it may be difficult for the Eagles to keep up. I think Lubbock Christian slows them just enough to overcome the strong Knights defense. Eagles win, 28-21.

Tyler All Saints vs. Boerne Geneva @ Little River-Academy -- The Trojans have finally found some form after years of struggle since starting football in 2007. They were so ravaged by the COVID season they played just 3 games. The three years that followed saw All Saints win just 3 games. A season ago they won 6 and upset New Braunfels Christian on the road in the playoffs. Their 7 wins this season earned them a 2nd place a finish and a home playoff win last week. At 39 points per game they have enough firepower to win this one. The Eagles have their own 9 win season going and dominated TK Gorman in Round 1. It was a similar win to that of the Trojans. They points allowed to squads like Cypress Christian and TMI leave some room for All Saints to capitalize on that side of the ball. I think the Trojans have just enough firepower to claim a victory and a 1st ever semifinal appearance. All Saints wins a pointsy evening, 50-41.

Division I

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Division I Regionals always deliver and this should be no exception. These two and Parish have been the consensus Top 3 throughout the season. The Warriors are the holders of back-to-back titles and by that standard have struggled this year. Now struggle is 8-3 and a great season for many. They were doubled up by Parish Episcopal and just sneaked by Frisco Legacy. Three losses is a lot when you lost one in the previous two seasons. The Lions had a very strange start to the season with 2 open dates and a no contest within the first 4 weeks. So at the end of September Prestonwood was officially 1-1. They lost to Parish by just 3 points and are certainly a contender in Division I. A bit of a shame to lose one of these teams in Round 2. I think Prestonwood is in the better form and should be well prepared to deal with a bye week after El Paso Cathedral's withdrawal. That said with the game in Argyle, I think this goes the Warriors way. Liberty wins a squeaker, 37-34.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Houston St. Thomas -- Flying above the storm is a pair of Eagles. Legacy has been a snake bit squad for their entire time in Divisions I and II. This year losing by just 7 to Bishop Lynch and by only 4 to Argyle Liberty. They completely dominated Austin St. Michael's in the playoff opener. St. Thomas earned the 1st round bye with an undefeated run in District 2. Finishing the season at 8-2 they proved the best squad of that bunch. Non-district losses to Prestonwood and Kinkaid show a lot of room to improve. With Prestonwood and Liberty playing it opens up another spot in the semis. Legacy has a great chance here to get to a 2nd straight semifinal. The results for Legacy and the general strength of District 1 have me leaning that way, but a road game against a very good team this a difficult pick. Ultimately, I'm disappointed that St. Thomas changed from Tommies to Eagles many years ago. So I'll lean Legacy to win, 31-28.

Division II

Fort Worth All Saints vs. Fort Worth Christian @ Grapevine -- The Saints won the 2024 title with a 14-0 mark and have chalked up 10 more in an undefeated regular season plus one playoff win. Three of those 24 wins are over the Cardinals. Will the 4th shot at the king be the one that gets through? The 8 point win over Lubbock Trinity is the only slow down the Saints have experienced against D2 competition. That seems to have been the aberration, taking out all others by at least 20 points. The Cardinals have their own 9-2 season going and will not be easy team to beat a 2nd time. The Friday afternoon game is a curious one that you have to wonder how it might effect things. Unless the Saints offense under-performs, I don't see FWC keeping pace. Its not a lock by any means and I think this will be the closest of the 4 meetings in the last two years. Saints win a good one, 42-36.

Midland Christian vs. Austin Regents @ San Angelo -- The Mustangs are always ready for the road but have a tall mountain to climb out of the Permian Basin. The Knights have rolled off another 11 wins posting double digits in that column for a 9th straight season. In 2024, Kinkaid and All Saints were the only squads to top Regents. They avenged the Kinkaid loss earlier this year and can get that shot at the champs with a win here. A season ago, Regents took out MCS 46-23. The Mustangs struggled to put away Brook Hill at Awtry Field last week but survive and advance is the plan. It was way back in September but Regents forced the running clock in a 42 point win over Brook Hill. I just see the dominant Knights as being too much for the Mustangs to answer. They would be the team that could find the upset, but I can't make that call personally. Knights win 40-20.

Division IV

Tomball Rosehill Christian vs. Fort Worth Mercy Culture @ Mexia -- Our final pick brings us to the smallest of the 11-man squads. A win here would get the Eagles (another one???) to 7 wins for the first time since 2019. They did not threaten the top teams in District 2 being shutout by both Brazos Christian and Central Texas Christian. The bracket has set up a huge chance to make the semis though. Perennial power Shiner St. Paul is out. First Baptist and Central Texas are on the other half. However, the Conquerors have to see this as their big chance as well. And with a great name like Conquerors we should have included them in this space sooner. Though I'm not being told that when Mercy Culture took over they changed the name to Royals. Not as good, but still preferred to Eagles. Since being dominated by First Baptist they've won five in a row and scored 48 or more in four of five. I think the Royals are the better team here, but its not a wide margin. The winner has a tough one coming up in the semis, but no reason to sweat that now. Royals win a fun one, 30-28.

Quick Hits: (Season: 97-23)

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Tomball Concordia over San Antonio Antonian
Houston Lutheran South over Brownsville St. Joseph
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Second Baptist
Dallas First Baptist over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Temple Central Texas Christian over Waco Live Oak
Bryan Brazos Christian over Muenster Sacred Heart

TAPPS Regional Playoff Times and Locations 2025

Division I

Dallas Bishop Lynch High School at Dallas Parish Episcopal School
--7:00 Friday Dallas' Gloria Snyder Stadium

San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory High School at Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School
--6:00 Friday Tomball's Crusader Stadium

Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy at Argyle Liberty Christian School
--7:00 Friday Argyle's Mullen Realty - Warrior Stadium

Frisco Legacy Christian Academy at Houston St. Thomas High School
--6:00 Friday Houston's Granger Stadium


Division II

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School vs. Fort Worth Christian School
--1:00 Friday Grapevine's Mustang-Panther Stadium

Midland Christian School vs. Regents School of Austin
--1:00 Friday San Angelo Stadium

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

Houston Second Baptist School vs. The Woodlands Christian Academy
--7:00 Friday Hempstead's Bobcat Stadium


Division III

Lubbock Christian School vs. Holy Cross of San Antonio
--4:00 Friday Abilene's Wilford Moore Stadium

Tyler All Saints Episcopal School vs. Geneva School of Boerne
--7:00 Friday Little River-Academy's John Glover Stadium

Mesquite Dallas Christian School vs. Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy
--7:00 Friday Addison's Kedric Couch Field at Alfred J. Loos Stadium

Dallas The Covenant School vs. New Braunfels Christian Academy
--7:00 Friday Belton's Fredenburg Field at Crusader Stadium


Division IV

Hallettsville Sacred Heart vs. Dallas First Baptist Academy
--6:00 Friday Bartlett's Bulldog Stadium

Waco Live Oak Classical School vs. Temple Central Texas Christian School
--7:00 Thursday Lorena's Leopard Field

Tomball Rosehill Christian School vs. Fort Worth Mercy Culture Preparatory
--7:00 Friday Mexia's Blackcat Field

Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic School vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School
--6:00 Friday Italy's Gladiator Coliseum

Area Playoff Results 2025

This Week:

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Schertz John Paul II (42-6) -- Correct
--Cougars dominate the Guardians and are a team that could surprise DC next week.

Dallas Covenant over Arlington Pantego Christian (35-14) -- Correct
--Knights scoot away late in this one and have a great chance at a semifinal slot next week against New Braunfels Christian.

San Antonio Holy Cross over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (48-14) -- Correct
--Knights set up the showdown with Lubbock Christian next week.

Tyler All Saints over Austin Hill Country Christian (49-34) -- Correct
--Trojans needed all of their offense to eliminate the Knights in their first ever home playoff game. Geneva as the Regional opponent provides a great opprutunity for either to make the semis.

Boerne Geneva over Tyler T.K. Gorman (49-12) -- Correct
--Eagles comfortably into the 2nd round and an interesting game with Tyler All Saints. Someone gets to be a surprise semifinalist.

Fort Worth Christian over Austin Hyde Park (42-10) -- Correct
--Cardinals way out front early in this one and will try their hand at a rematch with All Saints. 

Frisco Legacy Christian over Austin St. Michael's (52-9) -- Correct
--Eagles dominate a road game and show District 1 is way ahead of District 2, at least in the middle. St. Thomas will be a tougher test for Legacy.

Week 12: 7-0
Season: 63-18 

Quick Hits:

Dallas Bishop Lynch over San Antonio Central Catholic (35-34) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Addison Trinity Christian (70-35) -- Correct
Argyle Liberty Christian over Houston St. Pius X (63-0) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Arlington Grace Prep (58-21) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Bullard Brook Hill (28-12) -- Correct
Austin Regents over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (62-2) -- Correct
Brownsville St. Joseph over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (26-18) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over San Antonio Christian (38-28) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph (42-10) -- Correct
The Woodlands Christian over Tyler Grace Community (51-6) -- Correct

Week 12: 10-0
Season: 97-23 

Area Playoff Picks 2025

The playoffs have arrived at last. Just 4 weeks separate us from the trophies being handed out in Waco. This season brings all 4 champions back looking for another shot at glory and believing they have a good chance. In Division I, Liberty probably has its work cut out to repeat but will not be ousted easily. In Division II, All Saints hasn't lost since 2023 and seems to show no signs of stopping. In Division III, Dallas Christian looks for 5 in a row but replacing Luke Carney at quarterback seems to have the door open for someone to topple the king. In Division IV, First Baptist has not looked as dominant this season and there is an undefeated challenger lurking on the other side of the draw. Should be a fun run to the end. Good luck and safe travels on the road to State!

This Week: (Season: 56-18)

Division III Playoffs:

Schertz John Paul II @ Colleyville Covenant Christian -- We will dutifully pick each game in the playoffs of Dallas Christian's division, so we start with the game that leads into the Chargers Regional game. The first round of the playoffs can bring some mismatches on paper and this is probably one of those. The Cougars record is just 5-5, but they lost 4 in a row before the calendar turned to October. They've been regularly in the mix for the title in the last decade, winning Division IV in 2017 and Division III in 2020. They gave Lubbock Christian a bit of a run for the district title in each of the last two seasons. The Cougars offense should be very competitive with the best squads in Division III. They just haven't been able to pair the defense and the offense in recent seasons. The big games allowed 52, 57, 41 in recent seasons. The Guardians have not won 7 games in a season in program history and are just 2-8 this season. However, they played district champion New Braunfels Christian to just an 8 point game last week. They held Hill Country to just 27 points but Geneva dominated them. So really a mysterious group from Schertz (note to MaxPreps and those editing it, not all JP2s are the Plano variety). The Cougars offense should run away with this one at home, but last week's game for the Guardians does give a little pause. Colleyville Covenant advances to play DC in the Regional, 42-14.

Dallas Covenant vs. Arlington Pantego Christian @ L.D. Bell High School -- The Panthers had a shot at 2nd place a round 1 home game last week but fell to Covenant 35-27. Pantego started 7-0 for the 2nd straight year and did get to 8-0 this year but both Lubbock Christian and Colleyville Covenant bested them. The scores do show progress over 2024, losing by just 8 at Covenant and 40-8 against Lubbock Christian. They were shutout in both contests last year. The defeated Geneva to open the playoffs last year before Dallas Christian eliminated them. The lesser opponents have not been able to slow the Pantego offense. The Knights should be better than some of the early squads Pantego played. For example, both schools handled Shelton easily. Though Covenant has trended opposite of the Panthers. The Knights were DC's strongest opposition for 2023 and 2024 in district play. This year they were run over by DC and also dropped the home game slot with a loss to Tyler All Saints. At just 5-5 on the season, I don't think a single result for the Knights looked better in 2025 compared to 2024. That said they still appear to be favored in this one. Knights slide by 28-12.

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian @ San Antonio Holy Cross -- The Knights won all the district games on the field, but broke a rule along the way. So the official record for Holy Cross is 3-7 and just 3-2 in district play. So a 3rd place finish makes them a sort of "floater" in the bracket. A season ago only Luke Carney could best the Knights as they fell in the title game 21-18 for their only loss of the season. So entering 2025 the last two losses for Holy Cross were to Dallas Christian in the State Championship Game. The Eagles have a difficult task ahead looking for a road upset. At 3-7 and with no impressive wins this season it feels like an uphill climb. Throw a road trip on top and I don't see it. With just 20 points per game averaged for Lake Country they will have to play their best game in years to get this upset. Its hard to know where Holy Cross slots given the forfeits and skewed district standings, but they should win this one. Knights win 43-14.

Austin Hill Country Christian @ Tyler All Saints -- In just their 2nd season playing 11-man the Knights are making their second appearance in the picks. Last season they lost the playoff opener to Dallas Covenant 35-12. This season is up to 5 wins after 4 last year. Notably, the win over New Braunfels Christian is a quality victory and their best 11-man win as a program. The offense has a tendency to dry up for the Knights and that is not something they can afford on the road in Round 1. The Trojans are having their best season, and will be looking forward to a Division IV schedule next season. In the mean time, All Saints has finished 2nd in district and earned a home game with a road win over favored Dallas Covenant. They struggled after scoring first last week at Dallas Christian. The Trojans are averaging 38 points per game and that should be enough to get to Round 2. All Saints wins 40-14.

Tyler T.K. Gorman @ Boerne Geneva -- The Eagles have felt like the mushy middle of Division III for multiple seasons. They wind up 2nd place in District 3 this year after Holy Cross forfeits and losing to New Braunfels Christian in what became the district title game on Oct. 9. While 8-2 is a great season, Geneva just doesn't have what we would consider a signature win. They are averaging 44 points per game  on the season and that should be plenty to get them to Round 2. The Crusaders have played hard and have not been embarrassing on the season. They just haven't won. At 2-8 and averaging just 17 points per game, I can't see how TKG has enough to spring the road upset. A tidy victory for the Eagles as they head into the Regional. Geneva wins 33-7.

The Rundown:

The readers of this space know that I talk about team mascots and love to trumpet the more interesting descriptors across the state. We also poke a little fun at the lack of creativity we find at times too. So we always open the playoffs with a particular unique preview of the 4 week journey ahead. I actually did one of these a year before I started the picks, so here is rundown #12:

Once again too many Eagles soar above the storm looking for a state title; 3 such squads in the bracket this year. Its only tied for the most common though as 3 Knights blanket the bracket as well. Six of the 13 squads are covered by just these two mascots. We wish good luck to all of them, even if we don't like so many matching names. The other 7 teams have a name to themselves in this bracket. The large cats always make a splash and this year is no different as we send off the Wildcats, Cougars, and Panthers with good luck on the road. While not as noble as the Knights, several combatants hunt for the crown. We wish the Trojans, Crusaders, and Guardians, good luck on their quests. Sometimes we wonder if they're a knight, a lightning bolt, or a horse, but we always end with the best of luck to the Dallas Christian Chargers.

Additional Area Round Picks:

Fort Worth Christian @ Austin Hyde Park -- The Panthers had a shot at the district title last week and Regents dominated the game, 48-7. Hyde Park won some tight district games along the way, and that is why they seem like a vulnerable home team this week. In a similar spot last year, FWC came to Austin and got a 31-19 win. The Cardinals appear a little better than their 2024 squad having 8 wins in the regular season to last year's 7. They were very much in the game with the top two finishers in District 1. They've averaged 44 points per game this season and that will be a hard pace for the Panthers to keep up with. They 28 and 24 posted against Grace and Brook Hill in the district slate will not scare of FWC in the slightest. If the Panthers can find a way to 30 points they probably should win. That would keep the Cardinals offense off the field, but I don't see it happening. Cardinals get the road win, 40-20.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Austin St. Michael's -- The separation between districts always feels huge in Division I. This seems to set up a primary top 3 in District 1 that we expect to see in the semifinals. That leaves one spot from this section of the draw. The Eagles had a game effort last week against defending champion Liberty Christian. They've seemingly been a bit snake bit in the big games. Even dating back to Division II they'd get close to the big upset. Just a 7 point loss to Prestonwood last year, an OT loss to Faith in 2022, halftime leads that evaporated. The list goes on. This season they notably had a 64 yard field goal made and have scored 33 points per game. The rebranded Warriors are 5-5 and coming off a 1-point win over Tomball Concordia to earn the home game. They are allowing over 34 points per game and so this seems to be set for a shootout. I think the Eagles defense is better and that is why this strikes me as a chance to pick a road winner. Legacy has played the tougher schedule and I think their results have looked better against it. Eagles get the road win and a date with Houston St. Thomas for that 4th spot in the semis. Legacy wins 33-22.

Quick Hits: (Season: 87-23)

Dallas Bishop Lynch over San Antonio Central Catholic
San Antonio Antonian over Addison Trinity Christian
Argyle Liberty Christian over Houston St. Pius X
Fort Worth All Saints over Arlington Grace Prep
Midland Christian over Bullard Brook Hill
Austin Regents over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Brownsville St. Joseph over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian
Houston Lutheran South over San Antonio Christian
Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph
The Woodlands Christian over Tyler Grace Community

TAPPS Area Playoff Times and Locations 2025

Division I

Dallas Parish Episcopal School (1-1st) BYE

San Antonio Central Catholic High School (2-5th) @ Dallas Bishop Lynch High School (1-4th)
--6:00 Friday Dallas' Roffino Stadium

Addison Trinity Christian Academy (1-6th) at San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory High School (2-3rd)
--6:00 Friday San Antonio's John J. Ferrara Field

Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School (2-2nd) BYE


Houston St. Pius X High School (2-6th) at Argyle Liberty Christian School (1-2nd)

--7:00 Friday Argyle's Mullen Realty - Warrior Stadium

Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy (1-3rd) BYE (El Paso Cathedral chose not to participate)

Frisco Legacy Christian Academy (1-5th) at Austin St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School (2-4th)
--6:30 Friday Austin's Crusader Field

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

Division II

Arlington Grace Preparatory Academy (2-4th) at Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School (1-1st)

--7:00 Friday Fort Worth's McNair Stadium

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

Bullard The Brook Hill School (2-3rd) at Midland Christian School (1-2nd)
--3:00 Friday Midland's Gordon Awtry Field

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

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian Academy (District 4-4) at Brownsville St. Joseph Academy (District 3-1)
--5:00 Friday Brownsville's J.T. Canales Field

San Antonio Christian School (District 3-3) at Houston Lutheran South Academy (District 4-2)
--7:00 Friday Houston's Teichman Field at Glassell Stadium

Houston Second Baptist School (District 4-3) at Victoria St. Joseph High School (District 3-2)
--6:00 Friday Edna's Cowboy Memorial Stadium

Tyler Grace Community School (District 2-5) at The Woodlands Christian Academy (District 4-1)

--6:30 Friday The Woodlands' Woodforest Field

Division III

Lubbock Christian School (1-1st) BYE

Fort Worth Lake Country Christian School (1-4th) at Holy Cross of San Antonio (3-3rd)

--7:00 Friday San Antonio's Holy Cross Stadium

Hill Country Christian School of Austin (3-4th) at Tyler All Saints Episcopal School (2-2nd)

--7:00 Friday Tyler's Mewbourne Field

Tyler Bishop Gorman Catholic School (2-4th) at Geneva School of Boerne (3-2nd)

--6:00 Friday San Antonio's Warrior Stadium

 

 

Mesquite Dallas Christian School (2-1st) BYE

Schertz St. John Paul II Catholic High School (3-5th) at Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy (1-2nd)

--6:00 Friday Colleyville's Covenant Christian Field

Dallas The Covenant School (2-3rd) vs. Arlington Pantego Christian Academy (1-3rd)

--7:00 Friday Hurst's LD Bell Raider Bowl

New Braunfels Christian Academy (3-1st) BYE

Division IV - Regional Round (may be played anytime before November 22)

Hallettsville Sacred Heart (2-4th) vs. Dallas First Baptist Academy (1-1st)
--7:00 Thursday, November 20, Little River-Academy's John Glover Stadium

Waco Live Oak Classical School (1-3rd) vs. Temple Central Texas Christian School (2-2nd)
--7:00 Thursday, November 20, Lorena's Leopard Field

Tomball Rosehill Christian School (2-3rd) vs. Fort Worth Mercy Culture Preparatory (1-2nd)

--7:00 Friday, November 21, Mexia's Blackcat Field

Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic School (1-4th) at Bryan Brazos Christian School (2-1st)
---6:00 Friday, November 21, Italy's Gladiator Coliseum

Week 11 Results 2025

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Tyler All Saints (56-9) -- Correct
--The Trojans scored first and then the Chargers got rolling. The big 3 of Holy Cross, Lubbock Christian, and DC remain the primary title contenders. 

Dallas Covenant over Dallas Shelton (56-14) -- Correct
--Knights dominate the Chargers to head into the playoffs on a high note. A neutral site game against Pantego awaits. 

Austin Regents over Austin Hyde Park (48-7) -- Correct
--Knights run away with another district title and all signs point to a Regents-All Saints semifinal showdown.

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (35-27) -- Correct
--Panthers nearly get the win, but still fall short of a host position in the final standings. Cougars get the easier 1st round opponent but will have to face DC in Round 2.

The Woodlands Christian over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (48-7) -- Correct
--Warriors dominate to finish a 10-0 regular season. They are definitely one of the contenders for the South spot in the title game and would only have to play one of All Saints and Regents in the playoffs.

Houston Kinkaid over Bellaire Episcopal (31-21) -- Correct
--Falcons were the best last year and remained so in 2025. This makes 3 championships in 4 seasons. Congrats to Kinkaid on the winning the SPC 4A title!

Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day (38-23) -- Correct
--The Owls were the best in the conference all season and take the title after pushing back the Falcons test. Country Day had the lead but the Oakridge 4th quarter was too good. Congrats to the Owls on winning the SPC 3A title! 

Week 11: 7-0
Season: 56-18 

Quick Hits:

McKinney Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman (24-12) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (33-28) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (36-30) -- Correct
San Antonio Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (35-41) -- Wrong
Argyle Liberty Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (31-27) -- Correct
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch (66-28) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over San Antonio Central Catholic (53-21) -- Correct
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Austin St. Michael's (28-29) -- Wrong
San Antonio Holy Cross over Austin Hill Country Christian (49-7) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Tomball Rosehill Christian (47-0) -- Correct

Week 11: 8-2
Season: 87-23 

Week 11 Picks 2025

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: 49-18)

Tyler All Saints @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers and Trojans will settle the district championship of District 2 in Division III. All Saints has made huge strides in the last 2 seasons. From 2020 to 2023, the Trojans won 1 game per season. Last season they went 6-6 including a playoff road win over New Braunfels Christian. They scored more points in 2024 than they did in 2022 and 2023 combined. That progress has carried forward to 2025, reaching 7 wins for the first time in program history. They've already scored more points in 9 games this year than 12 games last year. The Chargers rocky non-district slate has given way to a dominant district campaign of a 167-14 scoring margin. A season ago the Chargers dominated this matchup 56-7. That DC team was a little better on paper but this one is still very formidable. Only San Antonio Cornerstone scored more than 20 points against the Chargers defense. If the Trojans can score some points they can keep this interesting. Probably need 30 to have a shot at the win. That would keep the Chargers offense off the field as well. The margin is closer than last year's gap of 49 but winning at DC is always difficult. Chargers win 35-14.

Dallas Covenant @ Dallas Shelton -- A season ago these two contested 2nd place in District 2 with the Knights claiming the win 34-27 and earning a home playoff game. This season the two are scuffling at the bottom of the district standings. The Chargers force a 3-way tie for 3rd with an upset win. The Knights secure 3rd place solo with their own win. Covenant has fallen off on offense in 2025. Dropping from 32 points per game to 25. They dominated T.K. Gorman to get their first district win last week and maybe are finding a bit of form. The Chargers were roundly defeated by the same Gorman squad that lost to Covenant, so its hard to see this one being close. Maybe a home game helps the Chargers a bit, but this should be a comfortable Knights win to keep them away from a road game in Round 1. Covenant wins, 42-7.

Austin Hyde Park @ Austin Regents -- For a 2nd straight season the Panthers and Knights play a de facto district championship game in Week 11. Regents has not lost a district game since 2015. Hyde Park's last district loss was to Regents in the regular season finale last year. The Knights have been the far more impressive squad this season, averaging 51 points per game en route to a 9-0 record. They've won each district game by at least 29 points. The Panthers have a very good 7-2 squad, but haven't not squashed the opposition quite like Regents. They've won just one of their district games by more than 20. Regents entering this one from their week off can't be good news for the Panthers either. A season ago it was 35-13 in the Knights favor and nothing has really changed since then. Its even a little tougher for the Panthers heading across town to Regents for the game. Knights take the district crown again, 42-14.

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Colleyville Covenant Christian -- The Panthers season opening win streak lasted longer this year than it did in 2024. However, they were pretty much run over Lubbock Christian last week, 40-8. So at 8-1 they still have a shot at 2nd place and opening the playoffs at home. The Cougars are just 4-5 on the season but have the same chance to get to 2nd place on the district standings. Covenant missed in their chance at Lubbock Christian 57-30. So neither team showed much ability to stop the highly powered LCS squad. The Panthers defense should be good enough to make this interesting, but just hasn't had the stops against the better teams on the schedule. A season ago the Cougars rolled to a 42-0 victory. I think the Panthers are a little better than that this year, but not enough to win. Cougars win 36-13.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ The Woodlands Christian -- The Warriors pulled a big win at Lutheran South last week to win the district title. Now all that's left is to claim the 10-0 undefeated season. TWCA has scored 38 or more in every game and has a big chance to win the South half of Division II. Notable contenders Regents and All Saints will both be in the North half. The Eagles had shown some late season promise in beating Beaumont Kelly and playing a reasonable game with LSA. FBCA majorly disappointed last week in getting blown out by Second Baptist. Scoring points has been the Eagles problem and on the road this doesn't seem like where they will regain their form. A 1st round game at the District 3 champion will be their fate. Warriors run away with this one to finish 10-0, winning 42-7.

SPC 4A Championship: Bellaire Episcopal vs. Houston Kinkaid @ Stafford -- The Knights and Falcons rumble for a 4th straight year to decide the SPC crown. Kinkaid won the 2022 and 2024 titles, notably routing Episcopal in the title game last season. This year's 28-24 win in the regular season gives the Falcons 3 in-a-row in the series. Only UIL power Gunter and undefeated Austin Regents have taken out Kinkaid this year. Just 7 total points was the margin of defeat in those two games and since then they've won 8 in-a-row. The Knights have had a rockier 6-4 season, but similarly controlled the other SPC opponents in the counter games. Episcopal has allowed far more points at 276 to Kinkaid's 206. Considering Gunter scored 49 of those in Week 1, the Falcons defense has to make them favored here. Certainly not a pushover, but all signs point to a repeat championship for the Falcons. The Knights should be closer than last year's title game blowout. Kinkaid wins 30-20.

SPC 3A Championship: Fort Worth Country Day vs. Arlington Oakridge @ Arlington's Maverick Stadium -- Coming off 3 SPC losses in 2024 the Owls were not the favorites to start the season but quickly ascended the rankings averaging over 45 points per game in a 9-0 campaign. Similarly the Falcons turned 2 SPC losses into a 5-0 conference mark a season later. With both teams locked into the title game thanks to wins over Trinity Valley their Week 9 regular season game was cancelled due to the weather forecast. So not as much to go on as we normally have in an SPC rematch. Country Day has scored plenty as well, but at 37 points per game its a touchdown less than the Owls. Oakridge has allowed 8 fewer points on the season despite playing 1 more game. Both squads rolled by much of the SPC 3A opponents and narrowly secured 1 point wins over Trinity Valley. This really feels like a toss up. Throughout the season I've felt the Owls had the better results, but its not a big margin at all. Oakridge wins a nail biter, 36-35.

Quick Hits: (Season: 79-21)

McKinney Christian over Tyler T.K. Gorman 
Fort Worth Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Midland Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
San Antonio Christian over Victoria St. Joseph
Argyle Liberty Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
Dallas Parish Episcopal over Dallas Bishop Lynch
San Antonio Antonian over San Antonio Central Catholic
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over Austin St. Michael's
San Antonio Holy Cross over Austin Hill Country Christian
Bryan Brazos Christian over Tomball Rosehill Christian

Week 10 Results 2025

This Week: (Season: 44-17)

Dallas Christian over Plano John Paul II (42-10) -- Correct
--Cardinals missed an opening possession field goal and it went downhill after that. Chargers with a district title game at home next week against Tyler All Saints.

Dallas Covenant over Tyler T.K. Gorman (42-0) -- Correct
--Knights secure the win needed to earn 3rd place in District 2 and a neutral site opener for the postseason.

Lubbock Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (40-8) -- Correct
--The Eagles proved to be too much for the Panthers as they secure the district title and first round bye. Panthers need a win over Colleyville Covenant to hold on to 2nd place. 

Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian (41-21) -- Correct
--Saints continue to march into the win column having not lost since 2023 and claiming another district title. Cardinals will have to open the playoffs on the road.

Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (14-24) -- Wrong
--Lions get a critical win and stay in the playoff mix. Possible 3-way tie for 4th and 5th in this district will be messy to resolve.

The Woodlands Christian over Houston Lutheran South (52-45) -- Correct
--Warriors with the last minute win in a shootout and can finish the 10-0 season next week.

Week 10: 5-1
Season: 49-18

Quick Hits:

Tyler All Saints over Dallas Shelton (62-0) -- Correct
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (43-14) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Tyler Grace Community (55-34) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (58-30) -- Correct
Fort Bend Christian over Houston Second Baptist (7-49) -- Wrong
Brownsville St. Joseph over San Antonio Christian (20-19) -- Correct
Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (49-13) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (63-14) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (38-40) -- Wrong
Dallas St. Mark's over Episcopal School of Dallas (21-14) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. John's (38-14) -- Correct

Week 10: 9-2
Season: 79-21 

Week 10 Picks 2025

A few district titles on the line this week. A few more will wait until Week 11. Just 6 weeks of games separate us from the titles being handed out. Weather has finally turned to Fall and it feels like football again.

This Week: (Season: 44-17)

Dallas Christian @ Plano John Paul II -- The Chargers had a rocky start with difficult opposition and weather. The district slate has gone swimmingly with DC winning by a combined 162-14. The offense clearly rounding into form for a possible post-season run. Replacing a 4-time champion at quarterback is never an easy task. This non-district interlude comes against the larger, but much less accomplished school. The Cardinals shockingly reached the 2019 State Championship Game falling 42-14 to Parish Episcopal. After winning 10 games that season JP2 has won just 13 games in the 6 seasons since. Former Cowboys safety George Teague has returned to the coaching position and a few wins have returned to the record for the Cardinals. John Paul II has scored a few points this year, averaging over 26 per game. They'll need that offense to keep pace with DC. The Chargers dominated a Covenant team last week that led the Cardinals at halftime of a weather halted game. The big thing in that one for JP2 was they only scored 9. To keep pace the Cardinals must score more than their season average. While improved this season, it won't be enough for them this week. DC wins comfortably, 38-21.

Tyler T.K. Gorman @ Dallas Covenant -- The Knights have lost their two biggest games in a stretch of 3 weeks. After finishing 2nd place in District 2 last season, it certainly appeared that Covenant would be right there again. However, Tyler All Saints took a 10 point decision at Covenant and then Dallas Christian routed them in the 2nd half, 45-7. If you need to get back in form, the Crusaders have been the team to find on the schedule. Last week's win over Shelton was the Crusaders first since September 5. It is a win that probably puts TKG in the playoffs. They've allowed at least 34 in every loss on the season. The Knights just haven't been able to pair a good offensive game with a good defensive game, allowing 30+ points too many times this season. They should have enough to put away the Crusaders this week but that's why they play the games. Knights win, 38-7.

Lubbock Christian @ Arlington Pantego Christian -- The Eagles may be the favorites in Division III, but its hard to put them over a 4-time defending champion. They've been the better squad this year though with a 7-1 mark. The offense has overpowered opponents, rolling up 65 and 57 in their last 2 district wins. They need just 24 points to eclipse 400 points on the season. The bracket probably puts the Eagles against Holy Cross in their semi, but they'll need to win the district first. The Panthers have once again notched a bushel of wins to start the season, but even better than 2024. A 6-0 start last year ended in a 55-0 2nd round exit to the eventual champions. Pantego has also scored substantially more than a season ago with 70 more points this season in 3 fewer games. They'll need every bit of that offense to keep up with the Eagles. The Panthers last outing was a 5-point win over a Lake Country squad that the Eagles rolled up 65 on the scoreboard against. The Panthers are on an upward trajectory, but I do not think they've quite entered the top tier of Division III. They're right in the mix though if they can find a win this week. Eagles run away with it, 44-22.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Saints won the 2024 Division II Championship as part of their current 21 game winning streak. Its hard to see anyone else winning the title this season. The Cardinals have their shot on the field at the always challenging environment of Barrow Field. Only a road loss to Midland Christian has blemished FWC this season. They're scored at least 35 points in all of their 7 wins and only a weather shortened game kept them under 45. The Saints offense has a few less points, but given the opponents its clear they are very good. Notably, All Saints routed the Midland Christian squad that dealt the Cardinals their only loss of the season. This is likely the Cardinals only shot at a top 2 finish and a Round 1 home game. 3rd place in District 1 also stand to meet All Saints in the quarters rather than the semis. So plenty on the line for FWC. The Saints struggled a bit on the road at Lubbock Trinity, so maybe a bit of a travel angle for the Cardinals favor. FWC should be in this one to the end, but All Saints has just made too many plays at the big moments lately to pick agasinst them. Saints with an impressive road win in a shootout, 42-35.

Lubbock Trinity Christian @ Fort Worth Southwest Christian -- The Eagles had an outstanding start to the season. They reached 5-0 and had a halftime lead against DC expunged by a thunderstorm. The district schedule has been unpleasant though. Road trips to Midland Christian and Fort Worth Christian saw a combined margin of 115-27 in favor of the opponents. They won a home game over Grapevine Faith in between and this is a home game again. With 5 teams making the playoffs in District 1, a playoff spot is guaranteed to the winner. The Lions have struggled in Division II as they are still looking for their first district win. They competed well in All Saints visit to the South Plains, losing by just 8. They disappointed in their game at FWC and were absolutely routed by Grapevine Faith. A season ago the Eagles won a rock fight in Lubbock, 7-0. These two should combine for more than 1 score this year, but it does look like an evenly match pair. So we lean home team in close games. Eagles win, 27-21.

The Woodlands Christian @ Houston Lutheran South -- The Warriors are 8-0 and may be an undefeated team that is even less talked about than Pantego. They won their two district game so far 42-10 and 50-14. The Pioneers appear to be the best opponent of those three though. LSA is already 3-0 on the district campaign, so the winner here takes the district crown. The only two losses for the Pioneers are very good SPC squads in John Cooper and St. John's. The Warriors look like the better team. They've scored 38 or more in all 8 games this year. Its clear the Second Baptist reign at the top of District 4 is over as they'll miss out on a 1st round the playoff game. LSA will compete in this one at home, but the Warriors firepower is too much as they claim a district title. The Woodlands Christian wins 42-28.

Quick Hits: (Season: 70-19)

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

Week 9 Results 2025

Wild week of blowouts and weather. Several district title showdowns to come in the final two weeks.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Covenant (45-7) -- Correct
--Knights scored first and kept this interesting for most of 3 quarters, but the Chargers ran away late. District title on the line in 2 weeks against Tyler All Saints.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano Prestonwood Christian (38-35) -- Correct
--Panthers sneak out with a home win. Lions will be pointing toward a Round 1 home game before getting ready for all the district rematches that seem likely in the final 3 rounds of Division I.

Fort Worth All Saints over Midland Christian (45-10) -- Correct
--Seemingly any thoughts of the gap closing on the defending champions were dashed with a dominant win over a leading challenger. Saints very much the favorites in Division II.

Austin Hyde Park over Tyler Grace Community (28-20) -- Correct
--Panthers get the win they needed to stay in the district title race. Cougars will need one more win to make the playoffs.

Houston Lutheran South over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (35-18) -- Correct
--Pioneers get the notable win to set up a district title game with The Woodlands Christian. 

Victoria St. Joseph over Brownsville St. Joseph (10-18) -- Wrong
--Bloodhounds secure a home win that sets them up for a district championship game at San Antonio Christian. Flyers will get a chance at 2nd place (or maybe a 3-way tie) against the same opposition in Week 11.

Austin Regents over Arlington Grace Prep (49-21) -- Correct
--Lions with a game effort but the march continues for Regents. It all seems to be headed towards Knights vs. Saints in the semifinals.

Week 9: 6-1
Season: 44-17 

Quick Hits: (Season: 61-19)

Tyler All Saints over McKinney Christian (38-7) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Colleyville Covenant Christian (57-30) -- Correct
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Willow Park Trinity Christian (53-7) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (57-13) -- Correct
San Antonio Christian over San Antonio St. Anthony (41-6) -- Correct
San Antonio Antonian over Houston St. Pius X (35-26) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Addison Trinity Christian (47-9) -- Correct
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day -- Zonk (Will play in the SPC 3A Championship)
Houston Kinkaid over The Woodlands John Cooper (38-20) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over Shiner St. Paul (48-0) -- Correct

Week 9: 9-0
Season: 70-19

Week 9 Picks 2025

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. Some cooler temperatures also seem to be bringing us some storms and rain possibilities. Thursday night contests and Friday afternoon showdowns create a few more obstacles for everyone to navigate. Good luck and safe travels to your team on its road to State!

This Week: (Season: 38-16)

Dallas Covenant @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers last lost a district game in 2019. A new challenge awaits with a Thursday night home game. The Knights have been the most significant challenger on the district slate for the last 3 seasons and entering the season appeared to be so again. It was just a 24-13 win for DC last year at Covenant, much closer than the 3 meetings before. In 2025, its just a 3-4 mark for the Knights so far. The loss to Tyler All Saints puts Covenant way behind in the race for a home game in Round 1. With so few district games, this really is the Knights only opportunity to make up the ground needed. The Chargers won the two district games so far 122-7. Covenant will be closer than that, but the matchup does not favor the visitors. Chargers win, 38-14.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers took down the defending champions from Argyle last week and this actually looks like a perfect trap game. A season ago Prestonwood had not seen their bye week yet. This year they've played a complete game just 5 of 8 weeks, holding a record of 3-2. The Panthers lost their opener to All Saints and have not dropped a contest since. The Lions dropped a two touchdown margin to Liberty and narrowly survived a home game against Biship Lynch. The Lions got the 3-point home win in the regular season a year ago, but Parish has trended up since then. Another Thursday night offering adds a little more intrigue to this one. The Panthers are better and at home I do not think they'll be topped. It all feels like a prelude to the playoffs in District 1. Parish cements its place as favorite, 42-27.

Midland Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Saints opened 2024 with what we thought was an upset win over Parish Episcopal. After 20 consecutive wins, it may have been the expected result. Lubbock Trinity though gave the Saints a test with All Saints winning by just 8 on the long trip. The Mustangs have their shot at the district title after defeating undefeated Fort Worth Christian last week. A season ago the MCS defense could not slow the Saints attack in a 49-28 loss in the Permian Basin. The Mustang defense must perform better than that to win this one. If this game is held under 30 points MCS is very much in the running, but I think the Saints are too good. All Saints wins, 39-20.

Tyler Grace Community @ Austin Hyde Park -- The Cougars make their first ever visit to the Quarries as two teams head in different directions. These two met with a 1st round home game on the line last season. The Panthers took a 46-28 win from Tyler to secure 2nd place in the district. The Cougars had to open the playoffs in Midland as a result. Its been a tough season for Grace since that playoff loss last year. Just a 2-5 mark and having been blown out in 4 of their last 5 outings, leaves this as a last chance saloon of sorts for the Cougars. The Panthers are 5-2 having started district play 3-0. If they win this one, they'll be heavily favored over Brentwood to set up a district title game in Week 11 against Regents. The common opponent of Brook Hill offers the biggest data point for this one. Hyde Park defeated the Guard 24-14 while Grace Community dropped their visit to Bullard 44-10. So everything favors the Panthers. Hyde Park wins 42-14.

Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian @ Houston Lutheran South -- The Eagles won the 2022 State Championship but went 6-6 the next season and 8-5 last year. Though playing 13 games does mean you reached the semifinals so perhaps things were back on track. The middle of the 2025 schedule was challenging for FBCA and the record showed it. The Eagles scored just 25 points total across a 4-game losing streak. The dominated Shiner St. Paul and secured a runaway district opening win over Beaumont Kelly. So now at 3-4 the "big 3" of District 4 await. The Pioneers are 5-2 and already 2-0 on the district side. A win here would set up a district championship game next week at home. The Pioneers have not won a solo district title in the MaxPreps era. Both squads posted wins over Kelly though the Eagles were a little more impressive. Anahuac, Hyde Park, and Second Baptist, are all more impressive wins for the Pioneers than the Eagles have so far this year. With the game at Lutheran South, they seem to be the pick. I think this one is close though. Pioneers win a squeaker, 33-30.

Victoria St. Joseph @ Brownsville St. Joseph -- We travel to the Southern reaches of the state for great mascot clash. The Bloodhounds finished 10-2 a season ago, winning a 1st round playoff game. This season has been a much tougher road with a 2-5 record so far. The defense has struggled. In 2024, they allowed 230 points in 12 games. In 2025, they've allowed 313 points in 7 games. The Flyers have gone the opposite way in 2025. At 6-1, they've already equaled their 2024 win total. The Flyers are averaging 37.7 points per game and so far this season the 'Hounds have not matched that offensive efficiency. The winner here should contest the district title with San Antonio Christian in the final weeks of the season. The road test is a challenge, but this sets up for the Flyers to get a big win. VSJ wins 35-19.

Austin Regents @ Arlington Grace Prep -- Our last game of Week 9, is an interesting test for both squads. Any progress the Lions have made can be quickly erased with another Regents beatdown. The Knights have a Friday afternoon challenge thanks to weather and no lights at Grace Prep. Regents is averaging over 51 points per game and at 8-0 looks the part of a team that could challenge Fort Worth All Saints for the crown. The points allowed continues to decline as well for Regents, with just 27 points allowed in 4 district games. The Grace Prep offense should be competitive but faces a big challenge. The Brook Hill loss for the Lions points toward this being too big a mountain to climb. Maybe the home field can help, but unlikely to replicate the 76 point outing they had in Week 3 against McKinney Christian. Knights win, 52-18.

Quick Hits: (Season: 61-19)

Tyler All Saints over McKinney Christian
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
Houston Kinkaid over The Woodlands John Cooper
Bryan Brazos Christian over Shiner St. Paul

Week 8 Results 2025

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Shelton (62-7) -- Correct
--DC dominates early and has the remaining two district games at home with a chance to secure a place in the bracket on the opposite from both Lubbock Christian and Holy Cross.

Argyle Liberty Christian over  Dallas Parish Episcopal (28-56) -- Wrong
--Panthers should win District 1 and sets everyone on the path for a rematch in the playoffs.

Dallas First Baptist over San Antonio Holy Cross (34-7) -- Correct
--Saints win big as the Knights need to pick up the pieces heading into the playoffs.

Fort Worth All Saints over Lubbock Trinity Christian (38-30) -- Correct
--Saints not as dominant as I expected so a very good showing by the Lions. All Saints hosts Midland Christian for the presumptive district title next week. 

Midland Christian over Fort Worth Christian (31-24) -- Correct
--Mustangs get by the Cardinals with a big 2nd half. They'll get their shot at breaking the All Saints win streak next week in what seems like its probably the district title game.

Houston Kinkaid over Bellaire Episcopal (28-24) -- Correct
--Falcons are not locked into the SPC 4A title game, but its close. Knights have a good chance at a rematch for the title but need another win.

Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (20-27) -- Wrong
--Indians get the big rivalry win and set up a showdown with Central Texas Christian for 2nd place in District 2.

Week 8: 5-2
Season: 38-16 

Quick Hits:

Tyler All Saints over Tyler T.K. Gorman (49-12) -- Correct
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (49-35) -- Correct
Bullard Brook Hill over Arlington Grace Prep (47-21) -- Correct
Austin Regents over Austin Brentwood (49-0) -- Correct
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Second Baptist (42-10) -- Correct
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian (51-25) -- Correct
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth Nolan (55-3) -- Correct
Arlington Pantego Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (26-21) -- Correct
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hill Country Christian (28-12) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Addison Greenhill (49-31) -- Correct

Week 8: 10-0
Season: 61-19 

Week 8 Picks 2025

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 have some interesting curve balls this year as the Holy Cross sanctions create a bizarre district standing in Division III District 3. The newly released brackets create even more intrigue. Should be a fun stretch run as we head toward Waco. Good luck and safe travels on the road to state.

This Week: (Season: 33-14)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Shelton -- Its the rare Chargers on Chargers matchup. This will be the 8th meeting all time between the two with DC winning the previous seven by a minimum of 38 points. The big games for Shelton are after this one. With 4 of the 5 squads in District 2 headed to the playoffs, Shelton will just need to win one of their final 3 to make the postseason. The Preston Road based Chargers had one of their best seasons a year ago winning 7 games for the first time since 2017. This season has been more of a challenge with just a 2-4 start. The Mesquite based Chargers had an up and down non-district entering this one at just 3-2, but coming off a big district opening win that included 2 safeties. Shelton looks to be better than Gorman, but this one is unlikely to be close. DC wins 50-6.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- A season ago this was the showdown of champions as the 2023 champions of Divisions I and II were matched in the same district for this biennium. In 2025, we'll settle for this being a state final rematch. The Panthers had won 5 state titles in a row before Liberty took them out twice last year, including the final game of the season. After an opening loss to All Saints, Parish has won 6 straight and is very much in the mix for the Division I crown. The Warriors lost their opening pair against top UIL squads and now have 4 straight wins themselves. Both teams are piling up points with over 40 per game. The defenses are going to decide this one but they're also going to allow some points. Last year this signaled the changing of the power in Division I as the Warriors took a win and the district title. This season it feels like a prelude to a December showdown. For this picker, the Warriors are the champs until dethroned. Liberty wins a squeaker, 43-41.

San Antonio Holy Cross vs. Dallas First Baptist @ Belton -- The clash of Division III and Division IV contenders has taken a turn with the sanctions announced against the Knights. Holy Cross is 5-2 based on game ending scores, but 1-6 in the record books. This space is not going to wade into the situation. All that matters for us is how it effects the standings and the playoffs. The Knights will almost certainly not finish 1st in District 3 and as such will wind up on the opposite side of the bracket. Though this week's game will not decide any of that since its a non-district clash. The Saints are the favorites as the defending champions in Division IV and nothing about this season has changed that. Two losses to a Division I team and an out of state team does nothing to erode the Saints chances. FBA will be looking to avenge their only loss from 2023 and 2024 and the Knights seem a little down from the last two seasons. This should be a really good game and I love that they've kept this late season neutral site game for a 2nd season. I think FBA squeaks by as the defenses rise up. Saints win, 20-18.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- The Saints opened 2024 with notable wins over Prestonwood and Parish and have not slowed down since, winning 19 in a row. All Saints filled the void of Liberty's move up a division and seem to be unstoppable. None of the remaining 4 district games look like walkovers though so we'll probably see the Saints as regulars in this space. The Lions have held a similar win pattern to a season ago, entering this one at 3-3. That squad did not get another win, finishing 3-7. This included a 43-6 drubbing by the Saints. The Lions defense may keep this one interesting for a minute, but I just don't see them having enough to keep this in range. The road trip makes it a tiny bit more interesting, but not by much. Saints win their 20th consecutive, 45-8.

Fort Worth Christian @ Midland Christian --  The Cardinals have demonstrated that they are a stronger squad than 2024. At 6-0, its clear they are in the group in closest chase of All Saints. Only a thunderstorm has kept the Cardinals under 45 points so far this year. The Mustangs were a bit of a mystery entering the district slate at 3-2 and owing to the geographic separation of their opponents. MCS completely dominated Southwest Christian in the district opener setting this up as a clear showdown game. The winner has a clear path to a top 2 finish and a home playoff game. Further, the winner will have their shot at the district crown. A season ago, MCS went to Fort Worth and took a 21-19 win to earn the 2nd place district finish. The Mustangs defense should slow the Cardinals attack more than previous opponents and with the long road trip I think this favors the Mustangs. MCS deals the Cardinals their first loss, 28-21.

Houston Kinkaid @ Bellaire Episcopal -- After 2 losses to UIL power Gunter and TAPPS contender Regents, the Falcons have 5 wins and scored 40+ in their last 4. Notably, they've dominated the SPC 4A counters and win here would almost get them a spot in the title game. The Knights are in a similar position, but already have a win over St. John's in the bag. Their remaining schedule makes it even more likely that win would put them in the top 2 of SPC 4A. The Episcopal defense should be better than the recent squads Kinkaid has seen. A season ago it was a defensive struggle as the Falcons took a 16-14 home win and then blew out the Knights in the title game. A home game makes this a better matchup for Episcopal, but this also feels like a prelude to another SPC 4A championship game as these two have contested the last 3. Kinkaid looks like the better team to me, but it should be another classic. Falcons win, 35-32.

Hallettsville Sacred Heart @ Shiner St. Paul -- Encompassing all the divisions and areas of the state we check in on the legendary South Texas clash. This will be the 66th meeting since 1971 and given the size of the two schools you wonder how long it will continue at the 11-man level. The Cardinals once won a state title from a 2-8 regular season so at 4-2 they are very dangerous in the Division IV ranks. They scored 56 points in a district opening win over Conroe Covenant and seem to be back on track. The Indians lost a district opening rock fight to Brazos Christian just 14-6. That type of defense will surely lead them to victory this week. This district looks extremely competitive but also behind FBA in the northern half of the Division. The Indians won a season ago at home, but I think the Cardinals have moved ahead and with this one at home we'll favor them. Its just 14 miles from door to door between these two and that proximity always makes for great games. Cardinals win, 30-26.

Quick Hits: (Season: 51-19)

Tyler All Saints over Tyler T.K. Gorman
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Bullard Brook Hill over Arlington Grace Prep
Austin Regents over Austin Brentwood
The Woodlands Christian over Houston Second Baptist
Plano Prestonwood Christian over Frisco Legacy Christian
Dallas Bishop Lynch over Fort Worth Nolan
Arlington Pantego Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Boerne Geneva over Austin Hill Country Christian
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Addison Greenhill