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: 54-18)
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
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