TAPPS Semifinal Playoff Times and Locations 2026

Division I

Austin St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School (2-4th) @ Dallas Parish Episcopal School (1-1st)
--TBA Dallas' Gloria Snyder Stadium

Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy (1-3rd) @ Houston Lutheran South Academy (2-2nd)
--TBA Houston's Glassell Stadium

San Antonio Central Catholic High School (2-3rd) @ Frisco Legacy Christian Academy (1-2nd)
--TBA Frisco's Comstock Field

Addison Trinity Christian Academy (1-4th) @ Houston St. Thomas Catholic High School (2-1st)
--TBA Houston's Granger Stadium

Division II - Large School

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School vs. Midland Christian School
--TBA Neutral Site

Houston Second Baptist School vs. Regents School of Austin
--TBA Neutral Site

Division II - Small School

Grapevine Faith Christian School vs. Tyler Grace Community School
--7:00 Friday Mabank's Panther Stadium

Victoria St. Joseph High School vs. The Woodlands Christian Academy
--TBA Neutral Site

Division III

Lubbock Christian School vs. Mesquite Dallas Christian School
--7:00 Friday Vernon's Lion Stadium

League City Bay Area Christian School vs. Bryan Brazos Christian School
--TBA Neutral Site

Division IV

Dallas First Baptist Academy vs. Waco Live Oak Classical School
--7:00 Friday Waxahachie's Mustang Stadium

Tyler All Saints Episcopal School vs. Temple Central Texas Christian School
--TBA Neutral Site

Regional Playoff Results 2026

Great opening week of the playoffs and should be some great semifinals next week. A first ever to have two "very wrong" in one week. 

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Boerne Geneva (54-23) -- Correct
--Chargers offense proved the difference over a very game Eagles squad. Should be a fun one with Lubbock Christian next week.

Lubbock Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (50-7) -- Correct
--Game effort from the Panthers, but the defending champs prove to be too much. Eagles continue their march toward a repeat. Title game rematch with DC next week.

League City Bay Area Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (59-27) -- Correct
--Broncos survive the very long trip to Lubbock and get a chance to avenge a 30-7 loss to Brazos from district play. Lions just not quite able to get on track this season.

Bryan Brazos Christian over Dallas Covenant (34-28 2OT) -- Correct
--Knights were right there with a chance to win but regulation ran out at the 1 yard line and they failed to score after stopping the Eagles in OT1. Brazos likely favored in the semis next week, but a difficult pair of wins needed to claim the title.

Bullard Brook Hill over Midland Christian (35-49) -- Wrong
--Guard led 28-21 with 30 seconds to play in the 1st half and when they snapped the ball next they were behind. Drawing the tougher bracket was a bummer for 10-0 Brook Hill, but to be the man you have to beat the man and Brook Hill falls just short.

Houston Second Baptist over Austin Hyde Park (37-0) -- Correct
--Eagles close on the Panthers offense and notch a playoff shutout. Interesting game with Regents next week for a spot in the championship game.

Week 11: 5-1
Season: 50-28

Quick Hits:

Grapevine Faith Christian over Arlington Grace Prep (56-20) -- Correct
Brownsville St. Joseph over Victoria St. Joseph (14-63) -- Very Wrong
Dallas First Baptist over Tomball Rosehill Christian (52-7) -- Correct
Shiner St. Paul over Waco Live Oak (42-49) -- Wrong
Tyler All Saints over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (34-12) -- Correct
Temple Central Texas Christian over Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic (27-12) -- Correct
Magnolia Legacy Prep over Schertz John Paul II (63-35) -- Correct
El Paso Cathedral over Austin Brentwood Christian (26-67) -- Very Wrong
Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. John's (42-14) -- Correct
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston Christian (51-10) -- Correct
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day (44-14) -- Correct
Episcopal School of Dallas over Austin St. Andrew's (42-29) -- Correct

Week 11: 9-3
Season: 88-34

Regional Playoff Picks 2026

The playoffs are certainly off to a noisy start with Argyle Liberty ruled ineligible and the Division I playoffs delayed by a week. Just a 3 week run to the titles this year wiht the smaller brackets. Division II's split brackets creates an opening for a champion we did not expect. Should be a fun month on our way to 5 TAPPS 11-man champions. Parish Episcopal can win their 6th in 7 years and might be favored now that Liberty is out of the playoffs. Fort Worth All Saints is the dominant program in TAPPS right now, even if the long win streak was broken this year. A repeat seems likely for them, but they do have the tougher bracket of Division II. The Small School DII bracket will give us a new champion, The Woodlands Christian has a great shot as the only district champion in its bracket. Division III could have a title rematch in the semis between DC and Lubbock Christian. Brazos Christian on the other side we'll be a tough opponent down the road. Dallas First Baptist looks to be a cut above in Division IV and a favorite for a repeat title. We'll mix in some SPC and 6-man down the line. Good luck and safe travels on the road to State!

Division III

Boerne Geneva @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers pointed to a district title game against Covenant all year and secured the win 38-17. The speed and big play ability proved too much on the night. Now the mystery of opponents sets up an interesting postseason. DC enters at 8-2 losing only to a very good Life Oak Cliff squad and SPC 3A favorite Oakridge. The Eagles are 9-1 and averaging over 45 points per game. The much less forgiving playoff format sends them on the road in Round 1. The lone defeat to Brazos Christian was not a close loss at 49-23 and that is just part of the Geneva defense being susceptible to allowing more than a few points. The games that decided the playoff spot saw the Eagles allow 33 and 43 to Bay Area Christian and New Braunfels Christian, but they outscored their problems those nights with 52 and 57. The DC offense should score enough in this one, but the Chargers defense may have a challenge keeping up. The eight team brackets create some great playoff openers and this is one of them. Chargers win a classic with a pile of points. DC wins 48-40.

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Lubbock Christian -- On paper this is not one of the best matchups that await us this week, but sometimes that's where the surprises await. The Eagles won the 2025 Division III crown and that title game rematch would seem to be on offer next week. At 8-1 only Bushland has outscored Lubbock Christian and the Eagles still put up 40 that night. Only Lubbock Trinity got to more than 14 since the calendar turned to October. The Panthers secured a nice 7-3 record and that gave them enough wild card points to gain the last playoff spot. Those three losses though were to the three playoff teams they played and they were not close in any of them. So challenges await to reverse the trend for Pantego. Speaking of trends, the last two meetings between these were 40-8 and 38-0 in favor of Lubbock Christian. So not sure where the path to victory lies for the Panthers. Eagles win comfortably, 42-14.

League City Bay Area Christian @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- One of the longest road trips in TAPPS awaits the bottom half of the bracket. The Lions are just 4-5 thanks to a difficult non-district schedule out West, but were 3-1 in the district slate. The bracket slotting did them a bit of a favor by playing a 3rd place team so that its a home game in Lubbock rather than a neutral site contest. Trinity was much more competitive with Lubbock Christian than most opponents, but also allowed 28 to a scuffling Lake Country team. The Broncos are faced with a 557 ride to the South Plains after dropping the key games to Brazos and Geneva. They've scored a bunch of points this year with over 46 points per game. Honestly if not for the road trip, I'd lean heavily toward Bay Area in this one. The Lions do seems to play well at home and have improved throughout the season. So a close one, but I think the Broncos are too good for this one. Likely an interesting rematch with Brazos Christian in the semis. Broncos win 34-22.

Dallas Covenant @ Bryan Brazos Christian -- The Eagles have been a leading contender in Division III since realignment was released last year. At 9-1 they've lived up to that billing. Only Division II contender Regents bested the Eagles this year. Only 2 of the 9 wins saw the opponent reach double digits. The Eagles offense has averaged over 45 points per game. How will the Knights respond to the home loss in the district title game last week. Covenant is definitely good enough to threaten. Notably playing First Baptist to a 13 point game on the road. That's an FBA squad that beat Brazos for the Division IV crown last year. So the Knights should be in this one, but the Eagles and a road trip is tough mountain to climb. Eagles win at home in a similar fashion to the DC's win over the Knights last week. Brazos to the semis, 30-20.

The Rundown

If you read this space, you know that mascots are the order of the day at all times. We love interesting ones and dislike boring Eagles and Bulldogs. So I always open the playoffs with my own tradition of previewing the mascots that will contest Dallas Christian's division. Since I did one of these before I started the picks this will be rundown #13. So without further ado:

Just 3 weeks separate these squads from the title this year, so a bit shorter rundown to tackle just 8 teams. There are always too many Eagles and even with a smaller field the sky is full of 3 squads of Eagles searching for the crown. Best of luck on their crowded journey. Each of the remaining 5 has their own slice of the pie. Just a couple of big cats looking for the title this season. Good luck to the Lions and Panthers. Just a few more to wish good luck. First, the Broncos ride in for a return to the playoffs and look to buck the top contenders. After sharing with others last year the Knights ride into battle alone. As always we aren't completely sure if they're a knight, a horse, or maybe a lightning bolt, but we always finish with the best of luck to the Chargers!

Division II

Midland Christian @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard are the lone undefeated squad in TAPPS largest 3 divisions but their location makes us wonder how they stack up with the big contenders in Division II. The way it shakes out is that District 2 has been weaker than District 1, but 10-0 can not be ignored. They absolutely dominated district play and will be a strong squad. They get stuck with Midland Christian and All Saints in their half of the draw while Tyler Grace gets a bye and two 3rd place finishers. The Guard offense is averaging over 51 points per game. The Mustangs have had a very good season, but just 6-4 on the record board. Notably the Week 0 win over Argyle Liberty, 66-63, was a huge headline but they lost 3 in a row after that. They scored 39 against defending champion All Saints, but allowed 70. So the offense is there but the defense has allowed their share across the season. 70, 63, and 42, represent some big numbers allowed by the Mustang defense. So how does it shake out at the end? Probably with a defensive showdown... But I'll play the odds of home team and points. Guard win a thriller, 63-56.

Houston Second Baptist vs. Austin Hyde Park @ La Grange -- The Eagles are usually the strongest side in District 4 of Division II but The Woodlands Christian knocked them from that perch this season. A 7-3 season has SBS in contention but really just one notable win over UIL East Bernard. The dominant win over Concordia is noteworthy for the margin. Even with those couple of blowouts,  the Eagles scoring is a 33-19 game on average this season. So the Panthers get there shot at earning a rematch with Austin Regents. They are having a remarkably similar 7-3 season to the Eagles with dominant wins over the lower half of District 3 but dropping the close games to Central Catholic and St. Michael's before being blown out by Regents. With two similar squads and a neutral site this looks to be a close game. These two have played just 5 times in the MaxPreps era with Hyde Park winning the last three. However, they haven't played since 2017 when the Panthers took a 20-9 playoff victory. There should be more points than that and the recent history suggests the Eagles are the stronger program, but should be a good game. Second Baptist wins 34-21.

Season Record: 45-27 

Quick Hits: (Season: 79-31)

Grapevine Faith Christian over Arlington Grace Prep
Brownsville St. Joseph over Victoria St. Joseph
Dallas First Baptist over Tomball Rosehill Christian
Shiner St. Paul over Waco Live Oak
Tyler All Saints over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Temple Central Texas Christian over Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic
Magnolia Legacy Prep over Schertz John Paul II
El Paso Cathedral over Austin Brentwood Christian
Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. John's
Bellaire Episcopal over Houston Christian
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day
Episcopal School of Dallas over Austin St. Andrew's

TAPPS Regional Playoff Times and Locations 2026

Certainly going to be an unusual playoffs and its off to an unusual start. Division I will wait until next week to open the postseason after the Argyle Liberty Christian ruling. So we will now avoid having both a Thursday night championship game and a Friday afternoon championship game. Picks to come soon enough.

Division I -- Postponed to November 13 & 14

Austin St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School (2-4th) @ Dallas Parish Episcopal School (1-1st)

Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy (1-3rd) @ Houston Lutheran South Academy (2-2nd)

San Antonio Central Catholic High School (2-3rd) @ Frisco Legacy Christian Academy (1-2nd)

Addison Trinity Christian Academy (1-4th) @ Houston St. Thomas Catholic High School (2-1st)

Division II - Large School

Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School (1-1st) BYE

Midland Christian School (1-2nd) @ Bullard Brook Hill School (2-1st)
--5:00 Friday Bullard's Herrington Stadium

Houston Second Baptist School (4-2nd) vs. Austin Hyde Park School (3-2nd)
--7:00 Friday La Grange's Leopard Stadium

Regents School of Austin (3-1st) BYE

Division II - Small School

Grapevine Faith Christian School (1-3rd) vs. Arlington Grace Preparatory Academy (2-3rd)
--7:00 Friday Fort Worth's Doskocil Stadium

Tyler Grace Community School (2-2nd) BYE 

Brownsville St. Joseph Academy (3-3rd) vs. Victoria St. Joseph High School (4-3rd)
--2:00 Saturday Odem's Owl Stadium

The Woodlands Christian Academy (4-1st) BYE

Division III

Arlington Pantego Christian Academy (2-3rd WC) @ Lubbock Christian School (1-1st)
--6:30 Friday Lubbock's Masked Rider Capital Field

Geneva School of Boerne (3-2nd) @ Mesquite Dallas Christian School (2-1st)
--2:00 Saturday Mesquite's Wheeler Field

League City Bay Area Christian School (3-3rd) @ Lubbock Trinity Christian School (1-2nd)
--1:00 Saturday Lubbock's Archie Warwick Memorial Stadium

Dallas The Covenant School (2-2nd) @ Bryan Brazos Christian School (3-1st)
--7:00 Friday Bryan's Brazos Christian Field

Division IV

Tomball Rosehill Christian School (2-4th WC) @ Dallas First Baptist Academy (1-1st)
--7:00 Friday Dallas' Saints Athletic Complex

Waco Live Oak Classical School (1-3rd) @ Shiner St. Paul Catholic High School (2-2nd)
--7:00 Friday Shiner's Comanche Stadium

Hallettsville Sacred Heart Catholic School (2-3rd) @ Tyler All Saints Episcopal School (1-2nd)
--7:00 Friday Tyler's Mewbourne Field

Muenster Sacred Heart Catholic (1-4th) @ Temple Central Texas Christian School (2-1st)
--7:00 Friday Temple's Frazee Field

TAPPS Bowl Series

Spring Frassati Catholic High School (5th) vs. Hill Country Christian School of Austin (6th)
--10:30 AM Saturday Temple's Frazee Field 

El Paso Cathedral High School (3rd) vs. Austin Brentwood Christian School (4th)
--2:30 PM Saturday Temple's Frazee Field 

Magnolia Legacy Preparatory Christian Academy (1st) vs. Schertz St. John Paul II Catholic High School (2nd)
--7:00 PM Saturday Temple's Frazee Field

Week 10 Results 2026

The regular season comes to an end before November 1 for the first time in many years. Just a 3 week sprint to the crown awaits 36 qualifiers to the TAPPS 11-man playoffs.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Covenant (38-17) -- Correct
--Chargers win a 7th straight district title and get the home playoff game for another year. Knights will not be a pushover for whoever gets them in round 1.

Arlington Pantego Christian over Fort Worth Nolan (51-6) -- Correct
--Panthers dominant victory should ensure they get the Division III wildcard. We wait for official word though and to see where they are sent in Round 1.

Arlington Grace Prep over McKinney Christian (34-29) -- Correct
--Lions survive a close one in a rare home game for them. Mustangs just miss out on a return to the playoffs.

League City Bay Area Christian over New Braunfels Christian (60-34) -- Correct
--Broncos offense lights it up to secure 3rd place and a spot in the playoffs. Wildcats likely find themselves on the outside of the postseason. 

Tomball Rosehill Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (7-28) -- Wrong
--Indians get the big win they needed to make the playoffs. Eagles now wait to find out how the wildcard shakes out against Mercy Culture.

Dallas St. Mark's over Houston Christian (13-26) -- Wrong
--Mustangs defense gets them into the SPC 4A playoffs, which will be very Houston centric. 

San Antonio TMI Episcopal over Austin St. Andrews (28-44) -- Wrong
--Highlanders get the road win to secure their spot in the SPC 3A playoffs. A semifinal with Oakridge awaits.

Week 10: 4-3
Season: 45-27 

Quick Hits:

Addison Trinity Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (34-33) -- Correct
Austin Hyde Park Baptist over Brownsville St. Joseph (55-0) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over Austin St. Michael's (55-0) -- Correct
Bellaire Episcopal over The Woodlands John Cooper (34-22) -- Correct
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (39-38) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (56-42) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. John's (28-0) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph (38-14) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Fort Worth Country Day (3-28) -- Wrong
Muenster Sacred Hear over Willow Park Trinity Christian (50-29) -- Correct

Week 10: 9-1
Season: 79-31 

Week 10 Picks 2026

The final week of the regular season is upon us. We'll try to highlight the games with the biggest playoff implications. Just 3 weeks of playoffs after this one to one of the earliest finishes to TAPPS football in many years. Good luck and safe travels on the road to State. 

This Week: (Season: 41-24)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Covenant -- From the drawing of the schedule to now it appeared this would be a district title game and it is finally upon us. The Chargers enter at 7-2, but with two forfeits to them they've taken the field just once since Oct. 3. That was last week's 63-0 win over Shelton. So both squads are 3-0 in district play and really haven't been tested since September. DC's best win is probably Fort Worth Christian but they've struggled since. The Knight's best win is probably El Paso Cathedral last week, but historically that isn't a particularly difficult task. So just not much to go on really in this season's results, even after 10 weeks. The Chargers are a historic program in TAPPS. The Knights are an up and coming program and reached the semifinals a season ago, but were dominated by the Chargers. Covenant is 0-6 all time against Dallas Christian and really was only close once. We know where the leanings of this space go but I think it should be closer than that year's pair of blowouts. Chargers win another district title, 34-21.

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Fort Worth Nolan -- Its hard to get a Week 10 non-district game and even harder to get one with playoff implications, but that's where we are. The Panthers will finish 3rd in Division III District 2 and that puts them under consideration for the wild card spot and the final position in the TAPPS Division III bracket. They are likely to be compared against Lake Country Christian and either Holy Cross or New Braunfels Christian. They will have more than Lake Country and Holy Cross, but if its the Wildcats of New Braunfels then they need this win to tie them on 18 points from 10 games. The Vikings have struggled mightily in recent seasons winning just 4 games since 2023. This season's 1-7 mark has seen Nolan score just 88 points. Pantego enters at 6-3 but was dominated by Dallas Christian and Dallas Covenant in the big district showdowns. The Panthers are the stronger squad this season, but might be getable in a road game. If Bay Area Christian falls into the wild card position then Pantego will be out no matter what. Panthers win and probably get in the playoffs, 33-14.

McKinney Christian @ Arlington Grace Prep -- The Mustangs were Nolan's loan win way back in Week 0. They've since responded to reach 5-4 and have a chance at the playoffs this week. Brook Hill and Tyler Grace took out the MCA by a combined 104-7 mark the last two games. So work to be done for the Mustangs for sure. Five wins is the most for MCA since 2019. The Lions are 4-4 on the season, having lost their district showdowns by a combined 87-27. So a bit better, but also scuffling a bit. Grace Prep has played very few home games on the season but has the biggest one at home. They both defeated Bishop Dunne so the winner of this one gets 3rd place and a spot in the playoffs likely facing Grapevine Faith. On a Saturday afternoon as possibly the last regular season game in TAPPS, I think the Lions get the win in a low scoring affair. Grace Prep wins 22-18.

League City Bay Area Christian @ New Braunfels Christian -- The Broncos with a strong start to the season at 6-0 moved up our internal rankings, but Geneva and Brazos handled them relatively easily. A loss in this game would create a 3-way tie for 3rd and a bit of chaos for District 3. Bay Area would be in great position for the wild card if they are 4th while Holy Cross or NBCA would not. So the stakes may be higher for the Wildcats, who can only get in with a win. New Braunfels Christian is 6-3 with the loss to Holy Cross preventing a true play-in game for 3rd place in this one. The Wildcats 43 points against Geneva says they might have the goods to run with the Broncos. They've been on the upswing in recent seasons having won 9 games in both 2024 and 2025. Just 6 wins this year would be a bit of a disappointment. I think Bay Area is better, but no easy road game here with the playoffs on the line. Broncos win a fun one, 35-34.

Tomball Rosehill Christian @ Hallettsville Sacred Heart -- The Indians are right in the middle of pack in Division IV with a 4-5 record. They controlled the game the last two weeks over Westbury and Northland after struggling to score against the top two in the district. The Eagles have a stronger 7-2 mark on the season but lost the two big district games to Central Texas and Shiner St. Paul. Last week's defeat at home was certainly a disappointment, particularly to allow as many points as they did. With identical 2-2 district marks, this one will decide 3rd place and the last guaranteed playoff spot. Not sure the common data points are there to make much judgement on the quality of these two. Outside of very similar district results its hard to tell is the better record at Rosehill is a mirage or the truth. Seems like the Eagles have been a little more consistent so we'll go that way. Rosehill Christian wins a close one, 35-28.

Dallas St. Mark's @ Houston Christian -- This one will likely decide the 4th playoff spot in SPC 4A. The Lions will be in with a win, but the 5-1 start they had on October 2nd feels very distant right now. They've lost the last three by just 9, 7, and 7. So whoever they would draw in the playoffs would be a candidate for a reversal, but they have to get there first. The Mustangs are just 4-5 on the season and need a win and a John Cooper loss to make the playoffs. Really just one of Houston Christian's losses would be considered a blowout so if they do get in they won't be an easy out. The tricky part of this one is figuring out if the Mustangs offense will score on the day. I think the Lions are the better squad but a challenging road trip awaits. St. Marks survives the three game losing streak and sneaks into the playoffs. Lions win 28-21.

Austin St. Andrews @ San Antonio TMI Episcopal -- The Panthers and Highlanders meet to decide 4th in SPC 3A. TMI holds a 5-4 record that probably undersells their quality. They scored 43 against undefeated ESD and lost to Country Day in OT. So they are right there but haven't found the big win just yet. St. Andrews 5-3 mark on the season suggests a very similar quality. They were in the game with Oakridge deep into the night and lost to Country Day by just 5. So both squads should have designs on a playoff upset, but only one will get the chance. The Panthers have scored over 100 more points than the Highlanders and with this one in San Antonio that feels like the pick to me. TMI wins 44-30.

Quick Hits: (Season: 70-30)

Addison Trinity Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
Austin Hyde Park Baptist over Brownsville St. Joseph
Houston St. Thomas over Austin St. Michael's
Bellaire Episcopal over The Woodlands John Cooper
Fort Worth Christian over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Midland Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. John's
Houston Second Baptist over Victoria St. Joseph
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Fort Worth Country Day
Muenster Sacred Hear over Willow Park Trinity Christian

Week 9 Results 2026

Shaping up to be a great postseason. Some big district title games next week and the last playoff spots to be decided as well.

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Shelton (63-0) -- Correct
--DC runs away early and we are finally to the district title game at Dallas Covenant next week.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Plano Prestonwood Christian (26-15) -- Correct
--Of course I call for a shootout and they play a defensive struggle. Panthers get to 2nd place and avoid having to play Liberty early

Bullard Brook Hill over Arlington Grace Prep (48-6) -- Correct
--Guard dominate and are just one win away from a 10-0 campaign. Lions host McKinney Christian next Saturday for the last playoff spot in Division II.

Fort Worth Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (28-35) -- Wrong
--Lions get the big win and secure their playoff spot. The losing streak for the Cardinals continues and they will miss the playoffs.

Fort Worth All Saints over Midland Christian (70-39) -- Correct
--Saints dominant offensive performance secures them the district title and now they will likely face two weeks off before a semifinal rematch with MCS.

Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (47-20) -- Correct
--Owls rebound from the ESD loss and will point toward the playoffs and trying to get a rematch.

Week 9: 5-1
Season: 41-24 

Quick Hits:

Boerne Geneva over San Antonio Holy Cross (23-21) -- Correct
Dallas Covenant over El Paso Cathedral (49-0) -- Correct
Bryan Brazos Christian over New Braunfels Christian (63-3) -- Correct
Tyler Grace Community over McKinney Christian (41-7) -- Correct
Houston Lutheran South over Tomball Concordia Lutheran (35-21) -- Correct
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Cypress Christian (42-28) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over The Woodlands John Cooper (52-14) -- Correct
Dallas St. Mark's over Houston St. John's (28-35) -- Wrong
Episcopal School of Dallas over Fort Worth Country Day (30-14) -- Correct
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (28-20) -- Correct

Week 9: 9-1
Season: 70-30

Week 9 Picks 2026

Many districts coming down to the wire with a few title games next week as well. A decent look at the playoff brackets can be put together after this week as well. Good luck and safe travels on the road this week. 

This Week: (Season: 36-23)

Dallas Shelton @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers return to the playing field for the first time since October 2. That night they defeated Pantego by racing to a 44-0 lead. So a bit of mystery surrounds where DC fits into the Division III mix. At 4-2 in on field contests its hard to pin down how things stack with Lubbock Christian or Brazos Christian. The opponents are very disjoint as well. Really just the Fort Worth Christian win is a potential contending opponent and FWC has struggled to secure victories since that night. I guess I haven't been specific, but all of that was the Dallas Christian Chargers. The Shelton Chargers are 2-5 on the season and really struggled in their 2 district games so far. The loss last week to Pantego puts an end to pretty much any playoff chances. Dallas Christian wins 49-6.

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions have scuffled through much of the season, currently just 4-3. The loss to Frisco Legacy really put Prestonwood down any rankings. The defense has really struggled, allowing over 35 points per game. Its always a challenging schedule in Division I and this year is no different, but the Lions usually have still managed a stronger record. The Panthers have won five of the last six Division I titles, and are 6-3 on the season. However, they were absolutely run over last week by Liberty Christian. I'm sure a rematch would be a little closer but that type of loss has to do a number on your confidence. So we have two squads trying to avoid a road game at the District 2 champion to start the playoffs. Parish finishes their regular season this week and will be in the playoffs, but it feels like they need some things to go their way to set things up for November. I think the Lions will be in this one, but the defense just hasn't gotten the stops this year. Panthers win a shootout, 48-44.

Arlington Grace Prep @ Bullard Brook Hill -- The Guard have marched to 8-0 so they earn this spot in the picks. Last week's win over Tyler Grace appears to be the last big hurdle to an undefeated regular season. The Lions will be a tougher task than the finale against Bishop Dunne on paper, but Brook Hill is certainly favored in this one. The Guard are holding opponents to less than 14 points per game and are finally producing the big points in the big games, like last week's 62 at Tyler Grace. The Lions are 4-3 and on track to decide the last playoff spot next week against McKinney Christian. They could really turn things upside down with an upset here. They were in the game with Tyler Grace before losing 39-21, so maybe they can limit the Brook Hill offense a bit. Guard look too strong for this one though. Brook Hill get to 9-0 with a 40-14 win.

Fort Worth Christian @ Grapevine Faith Christian -- The last playoff spot in District 1 for Division II. Since they are both smaller enrollments than Midland Christian and All Saints they will be in the small school bracket with potentially an open path to a title. The Cardinals started the season with big expectations but have lost every game that the opponent scored in. Just a 2-6 mark so far in 2026 leaves much to be desired. They were reasonably competive for stretches with both All Saints and Midland Christian, but just could not keep pace offensively. The Lions 3-5 mark is slightly better but also lacks any wins over top opposition. Neither was close to All Saints, but the FWC defense looked a little better. Looks like Fort Worth Christian's day to me, but a road game is always a challenge even when the trip is just 11.5 miles. Cardinals win 33-28.

Midland Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- With the last matchup likely deciding 3rd place this one will decide 1st place in District 1. This will be the Saints regular season finale and so with just one district game left for MCS after this its a de facto district title game. The Saints are the defending champions in Division II but saw their long win streak ended by Liberty. So 7-2 is still very good and they are likely still the favorites to repeat as champions. Maybe the most complete team in TAPPS this year putting defense with offense. The Mustangs though have a shot. Notably they won at Liberty in Week 0, 66-63. So MCS can produce on offense but can they slow down the Saints. They lost their next three after that big rivalry win but have won four in a row since. The all time series is 5-4 in the Saints favor thanks to winning the last three meetings. Last year was a 45-10 domination for All Saints and I think they are the better squad this year. However, that Week 0 win over Liberty makes me wonder if they can produce the goods again. The winner likely has a round 1 bye while the loser may have to go to Brook Hill depending on the bracket split. Saints win another district title, 35-28.

Fort Worth Trinity Valley @ Arlington Oakridge -- The Owls were soundly defeated by ESD last week for their first loss. So at 6-1 they will almost certainly be in the SPC playoffs will look for a rematch in the title game. Holding opponents to under 15 points per game puts them in position to try and flip that score next time out. The Trojans finally got out of their three game losing streak and a win here should secure their place in the top 4. Oakridge got in gear a bit in the 4th last week and it should carry over to another win. Owls back on top, 34-6. 

Quick Hits: (Season: 61-29)

Boerne Geneva over San Antonio Holy Cross
Dallas Covenant over El Paso Cathedral
Bryan Brazos Christian over New Braunfels Christian
Tyler Grace Community over McKinney Christian 
Houston Lutheran South over Tomball Concordia Lutheran
Houston Second Baptist over Houston Cypress Christian
Houston Kinkaid over The Woodlands John Cooper
Dallas St. Mark's over Houston St. John's
Episcopal School of Dallas over Fort Worth Country Day
Fort Worth Lake Country Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo

Week 8 Results 2026

Most things beginning to be decided. The split bracket of Division II leads to more of a mystery in that Division. A few district title games on offer in the final two weeks. 

This Week:

Austin Regents over Brownsville St. Joseph (40-0) -- Correct
--Knights survive the long trip to the Valley and secure a tidy victory. 

Bullard Brook Hill over Tyler Grace Community (64-28) -- Correct
--Guard continue their march to a 10-0 season as their offense continues to produce. As the largest school in District 2 they will be in the large school bracket either with a bye or a home game.

The Woodlands Christian over Houston Second Baptist (14-30) -- Wrong
--Warriors have clinched the district title, but the benefits of that are unknown with TAPPS split playoffs in Division II. Eagles will be in the large school bracket, if they qualify. 

Boerne Geneva over New Braunfels Christian (57-43) -- Correct
--The Eagles offense was ready on a Thursday and set up Geneva for a district title clash with Brazos next week. Wildcats have a big game with Bay Area Christian the last week of the season that may decide 3rd, 4th, and wildcard slots.

Bryan Brazos Christian over League City Bay Area Christian (30-7) -- Correct
--Eagles not as dominant as some weeks, but comfortably set up a district title game with Geneva next week.

Episcopal School of Dallas over Arlington Oakridge (32-20) -- Correct
--Eagles with the rare two safeties in one game to virtually secure the top seed in the SPC 3A playoffs. Owls will look toward a possible rematch in a few weeks.

Week 8: 5-1
Season: 36-23 

Quick Hits:

Bellaire Episcopal over Dallas St. Mark's (24-21) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over Houston Christian (42-14) -- Correct
Cypress Christian over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian (41-37) -- Correct
Austin Hyde Park over San Antonio Christian (48-13) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch (47-24) -- Correct
The Woodlands John Cooper over Houston St. John's (6-35) -- Wrong
Lubbock Christian over Andrews (50-14) -- Correct
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (13-42) -- Wrong
Shiner St. Paul over Temple Central Texas Christian (7-27) -- Wrong
Waco Reicher over Tyler T. K. Gorman (13-46) -- Wrong

Week 8: 6-4
Season: 61-29

Week 8 Picks 2026

This Week: (Season: 31-22)

Austin Regents @ Brownsville St. Joseph -- The Knights have dominated districts across Division II with their last district loss coming in 2015. Regents is off to a 6-1 start with the only defeat to SPC stalwart Kinkaid. Notably they dominated their conference nemesis Episcopal just two weeks later. The district slate has been a the usual domination with 120-7 margin across two victories so far. The longest trip of the season poses a unique task for the Knights to continue their streak. The Bloodhounds have had a few good seasons in recent years, but are scuffling a bit in 2026. At 2-4, the hope is the district schedule is more forgiving. They won the district opener over St. Anthony and stand a decent chance of a top 2 finish and the split brackets of Division II could make for a better chance than expected in the playoffs. The 'Hounds though have lost all seven meetings with the Knights, only keeping it within four scores once. The specter of a trip all the way to the tip of Texas makes for a challenge, but this still favors Regents by a bit. Happy to have the Bloodhounds in the picks though over another Eagles. Knights win, 44-6.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Tyler Grace Community -- The Guard and Cougars are always a big game. This season is no different, but a 7-0 mark for Brook Hill is a bigger deal than usual. Allowing just 11 points per game means a tall task awaits the Cougars offense. Grace is 4-3 on the season and is trending up having won four in a row. They are allowing over triple the points per game of the Guard. Brook Hill is Grace's most common opponent in school history and they hold an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series. The Guard dominated last year's meeting, 44-10. The Cougars have improved this season, but this seems to be the Brook Hill season and the path to 10-0 is very much open. They are likely to draw a playoff bracket with All Saints and Midland Christian, while the Cougars may actually get an easier side in Division II's split format. Brook Hill is the better squad now though particularly on defense. Guard win, 30-7. 

The Woodlands Christian @ Houston Second Baptist -- The Eagles were impressive early on with wins over Tomball Concordia and East Bernard. At 5-2, its still a strong campaign but figuring out how they fit after being blown out by Episcopal has been tricky. This is not a guaranteed district title game but it looks likely. The Warriors are having a nearly identical 6-2 season with some mixed results against the stalwart SPC programs. They both dominated Fort Bend Christian. Both are candidates to maybe find success in the small school bracket of Division II once the playoffs are split. This should be a close game with plenty of capable offensive players on both teams. We always like home teams in these regular meetings. The Warriors have won head-to-head over these Eagles just once in eight tries all time. That one was last season though before SBS reversed the result in the playoffs. Should be a fun one to decide District 4. Eagles win at home, 28-26.

Boerne Geneva @ New Braunfels Christian -- District 3 of Division III has a clear top 4 the way things have shaken out after seven weeks. Conveniently that top 4 plays each other this week. Holy Cross may still poke in there late, but I think the playoff teams are decided in these pairings. So the winners of this one and Brazos-Bay Area should be in. The runner-up earns a trip to Dallas Christian in Round 1, while the champion hosts a Regional round game. The stakes are high. The Wildcats have been improving in recent seasons. Back-to-back nine win seasons in the last two years looks way better than the three wins combined that they had the pair of seasons before. The 6-1 campaign ongoing saw its lone loss to Holy Cross. The number of non-district wins though gives them a good chance to qualify in the wild card position if they finish 4th. Holy Cross will have a hard time doing that thanks to a difficult non-district. The Eagles 52 point outburst against Bay Area last week puts them in the current drivers seat for 2nd place. They've already lost to Brazos so a win here would set up the game with Holy Cross next week to decide 2nd place for sure. The Eagles offense looks to be there better unit but they have to do it on the road. Expect the Wildcats to keep this one interesting, but Geneva gets its 2nd big win in two weeks. Eagles win 45-34.

Bryan Brazos Christian @ League City Bay Area Christian -- The Broncos dropped the first showdown game with Geneva last week, 52-33. That defensive performance will see them thoroughly pushed around by Brazos. The six wins before that suggest they are not that team though. Can they reverse the trend against this rising Brazos Christian squad? The Eagles sole loss is to a Regents squad that figures to factor in the Division II mix. Rolling up 49 on Geneva suggests that Brazos will be able to score must like their Eagle counterparts did last week. Its a bit of a road trip for the Eagles, but they should be the better side here. Not a gimme by any stretch but Brazos moves closer to the district title, 48-24.

Episcopal School of Dallas @ Arlington Oakridge -- This will be the last matchup of undefeated squads in private school 11-man football for 2026. The Owls have allowed just 12 points per game in reaching 6-0. They've also looked the part all along the way so far. None of their SPC opponents have held them under 35 points. The Eagles have been a little more forgiving in reaching 7-0 themselves, but they allowed nearly one-third of their points this year in one aberration of a game against TMI. The Owls are almost certainly the best opponent they've faced in 2026 though. I think this gets a bit jumpy on the scoreboard, but the Oakridge defense wins the day as the game gets late. Owls win, 42-29.

Quick Hits: (Season: 55-25)

Bellaire Episcopal over Dallas St. Mark's
Houston Kinkaid over Houston Christian
Cypress Christian over Sugar Land Fort Bend Christian
Austin Hyde Park over San Antonio Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Bishop Lynch
The Woodlands John Cooper over Houston St. John's
Lubbock Christian over Andrews
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Shiner St. Paul over Temple Central Texas Christian
Waco Reicher over Tyler T. K. Gorman

Week 7 Results 2026

This Week:

Argyle Liberty Christian over Dallas Parish Episcopal (55-7) -- Correct
--Absolute domination for the Warriors. Clearly the favorites in Division I at this point. Panthers with a lot of work to do to repeat as champions.

Bellaire Episcopal over Houston St. John's (55-20) -- Correct
--The Knights offense continues to be the force in SPC 4A. Mavericks with improvements to make to swing a possible playoff rematch.

Dallas Covenant over Arlington Pantego Christian (35-7) -- Correct
--The Knights have secured the district title game matchup with DC on October 30. Panthers need to win their final 3 and 7 wins should have a decent chance at claiming the wild card playoff spot.

Midland Christian over Fort Worth Christian (56-21) -- Correct
--Mustangs dominate the 2nd half and should have a district title game against All Saints on October 23. Cardinals need to win their last 2 to make the playoffs.

Dallas First Baptist over Tyler All Saints (48-13) -- Correct
--Saints cement their place as the favorites in Division IV. Trojans will try to get a playoff rematch and learn from this one.

League City Bay Area Christian over Boerne Geneva (33-52) -- Wrong
--Eagles with a big win that sets them up well to finish 2nd in District 3. Broncos will possibly have a play-in game with New Braunfels Christian to close the season and decide 3rd place.

Week 7: 5-1
Season: 31-22 

Quick Hits:

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian (49-28) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Southwest Christian (56-13) -- Correct
Houston Cypress Christian over Victoria St. Joseph (29-33) -- Wrong
Episcopal School of Dallas over Austin St. Andrew's (52-21) -- Correct
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day (51-12) -- Correct
Houston Christian High School over The Woodlands The John Cooper School (27-29) -- Wrong
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Mark's (45-36) -- Correct
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over San Antonio Central Catholic (21-22) -- Wrong
Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (26-12) -- Correct
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Tyler T. K. Gorman (48-24) -- Correct

Week 7: 7-3
Season: 55-25

Week 7 Picks 2026

The district contests continue as the road to the playoffs moves through October. The weather looks pretty good across the state and we'll start to shape the playoff brackets very quickly. A little bit tricky to find competitive games across the private schools this week, but I suspect someone will surprise us. Good luck and safe travels this week!

This Week: (Season: 26-21)

Dallas Parish Episcopal @ Argyle Liberty Christian -- The Warriors are 4-2 but seem to be the favorites right now in Division I. The defense though has been vulnerable. While last week was a relatively comfortable win over Prestonwood, 43 points allowed is not a sign of encouragement. The Panthers will always have something to say about someone else being the favorite. Parish has won five of the last six state titles so that affords a certain amount of credibility. They both played All Saints in the first two weeks with Liberty taking a 3 point win and Parish taking a 20 point loss. With the game in Argyle this matchup very much favors the Warriors. It is a prime candidate for a playoff reversal, but for the regular season its Liberty's day. Warriors win 44-30.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Houston St. John's -- The Knights dropped the last two SPC 4A title games to Kinkaid. This season has been alternating pattern to a 3-3 record, including another loss to Kinkaid. In the previous SPC format this might be for the other title game slot, but with a 4-team playoff this year they'll both probably be in either way. Episcopal is both scoring and allowing over 35 points per game. The Mavericks are also 3-3 but with a slightly easier schedule. The last St. John's win in the series came in 2023 and they've won just five of the last 22 matchups. A home game against a familiar opponent is always grounds for upset potential but I think the Knights are too good to drop this one. The Mavericks will have two big games ahead to claim their spot in the first ever SPC semifinals. Episcopal wins on the road, 42-28.

Dallas Covenant @ Arlington Pantego Christian -- The Knights have been hyped in this space as heading for a last week match with DC for the district title. This is the last chance to derail that with Prince of Peace removing itself from the district standings by forfeiting. Covenant is 3-3 on the season coming off a blowout win over Shelton. They acquitted themselves well in a loss to Dallas First Baptist but did not look the part while being dominated by St. Mark's. So the jury is out a bit on where the Knights stand in Division III. The Panthers were soundly defeated at Dallas Christian last week, but this is their shot at 2nd place and a likely home game in round 1. Pantego is 4-2 but the opening win over Colleyville Covenant doesn't look as good as it did at the time. They struggled to escape a Lake Country squad that is struggling this season. So while not a pushover this appears to favor the Knights. It is a home game though for the Panthers and they are a tougher squad in the enclave of Arlington. Knights should get it done though. Covenant wins 28-8.

Midland Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Mustangs opened the season with a huge comeback and win over their rivals from Liberty, 66-63. They followed that with three straight losses but have since rebounded to even their record at 3-3. They have their whole district slate in front of them as one of the last to start the games that count in the standings. All Saints appears to be the favorite in the district and division so getting the 2nd spot and maybe a first round bye is the task at hand. The Cardinals are 2-5 having lost their district opener to All Saints last week, 37-7. They will need to score to keep this one interesting but they are much better at home. FWC is just 6-19 all time against MCS but 3-1 in playoff games. The Cardinals are allowing too many points to win the big games right now, but this feels like a chance for a notable win. Don't see them quite getting over the mountain this time though. Mustangs win 44-38.

Tyler All Saints @ Dallas First Baptist -- The Saints have been the class of Division IV for some time now and 2026 is no different. At 6-0 it feels like a march to the title game is unstoppable. This is probably the toughest test left on the schedule. FBA is 3-0 all time against the Trojans and its hard to see that changing this week. All Saints powered past Live Oak last week and now at 3-0 on the district slate, they are in the running and if this game was in Tyler it would be a huge opprutunity to announce themselves as contenders. I suppose its still that chance, but on the road it feels a little less likely. If the defense can produce like they have against the lesser opponents this could get interesting. If the game is in the 30s or higher I don't think the Trojans can keep up. Saints win with a 2nd half run, 42-20.

League City Bay Area Christian @ Boerne Geneva -- The Broncos are off to a 6-0 start and all signs point to a showdown with Brazos Christian for the district title. So this is the trap game before the big one. Bay Area is averaging over 50 points per game and has allowed 20 or more just twice this season. Once of those was in a 43 point win so likely not reflective of the quality of the Broncos defense last week. The Eagles have been on the fringe of the Division III contenders in recent seasons and San Antonio Holy Cross struggles have opened a door for replacing them in the "big 3" of Division III. Geneva is averaging over 45 points per game themselves so should not be blown off the field. This is a challenging trip up from the coast but I think the Bronco offense will travel. The Brazos Christian game should be for the district crown, but I think all three should see the playoffs and avoid the wildcard mix that 4th place will have to navigate. Bay Area Christian wins, 49-35.

Quick Hits: (Season: 48-22)

Lubbock Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Lake Country Christian
Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Southwest Christian
Houston Cypress Christian over Victoria St. Joseph
Episcopal School of Dallas over Austin St. Andrew's
Arlington Oakridge over Fort Worth Country Day
Houston Christian High School over The Woodlands The John Cooper School
Houston Kinkaid over Dallas St. Mark's
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over San Antonio Central Catholic
Shiner St. Paul over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Tyler T. K. Gorman

Week 6 Results 2026

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Arlington Pantego Christian (44-15) -- Correct
--Chargers get away early and virtually guarantee the Week 10 showdown with Covenant for the district title. Panthers with the inside track still for playoff spot for 3rd place thanks to the win over Colleyville Covenant in Week 0.

Argyle Liberty Christian over Plano Prestonwood Christian (65-43) -- Correct
--The Warriors offense was too much as my idea of a low scoring game was quickly dismissed. Lions now just 3-3 and will be favored in a road game at TCA, but they probably have to win it to get in the playoffs.

Fort Worth All Saints over Fort Worth Christian (37-7) -- Correct
--Saints continue to be unstoppable against Division II opponents. Cardinals seem a bit snake bit this season, but have a chance to earn a rematch down the line.

Frisco Legacy Christian over Dallas Parish Episcopal (13-48) -- Wrong
--Panthers dominate and stop the Eagles push up the rankings. Should be an interesting 

Houston Kinkaid over Bellaire Episcopal (48-17) -- Correct
--Falcons clearly the favorites in SPC 4A now.

Wall over Midland Christian (26-34) -- Wrong
--A very good non-district win for the Mustangs as they put there name in the list of contenders in Division II.

Waco Live Oak over Tyler All Saints (17-40) -- Wrong
--Trojans with a big win to set up the likely district title game at First Baptist

Week 6: 4-3
Season: 26-21

Quick Hits:

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (40-76) -- Wrong
Temple Central Texas Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart (33-12) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over San Antonio TMI Episcopal (22-45) -- Wrong
Dallas Covenant over Dallas Shelton (63-6) -- Correct
Lubbock Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian (41-27) -- Correct
Tyler Grace Community over Arlington Grace Prep (39-21) -- Correct
The Woodlands John Cooper over Dallas St. Mark's (10-24) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over Houston Lutheran South (19-14) -- Correct
Houston St. John's over Houston Christian (17-24) -- Wrong
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Mercy Culture (35-44) -- Wrong

Week 6: 6-4
Season: 48-22

Week 6 Picks 2026

District play is fully upon us this week. The picks usually do better with the familiar district matchups, and they really need it this year. A few favorites have emerged, but there are many contenders across the state. With the heat finally breaking this week, it should be fun final five weeks on the run in. Good luck and safe travels.

This Week: (Season: 22-18)

Arlington Pantego Christian @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers could not hold a 21 point lead on the road against Life Oak Cliff. LOC appears to be better on paper than the upcoming district slate for DC, but that's why they play the games. The Panthers started 2024 at 7-0 before finishing 8-4. Then in 2025, they started at 8-0 before losing their last 3 and being eliminated at home. This season its just a 4-1 start for Pantego, but the Chargers will be the toughest opponent so far. The DC defense has seemed to be a little more porous than typical on the season so far. Can the Panthers capitalize on that opprutunity? These two have met just once all time with DC dominating a 55-0 playoff win in 2024 en route to the title. The Chargers should be better and a trip Wheeler Field for an unfamiliar squad is always a tall task. Dallas Christian wins comfortably, 42-12.

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The Lions fell last week to Frisco Legacy for their first loss in five meetings with LCA. Falling to 1-2 in district play would be shocking for a Prestonwood squad that figured to be a title contender. It could introduce the possibility of missing the playoffs, but even a 4th place finish would give you a stiff road trip in Round 1. The Lions defense has allowed 38 or more points in four of their five outings this season. That will have to improve to get back int the win column. The Warriors are just 3-2 but are also the only TAPPS squad that can beat Fort Worth All Saints it seems. The defense for Liberty has had its own struggles with 66, 38, and 35 allowed in the first three games. They rebounded though to hold their last two opponents to 7 each. So both offenses can score and both defenses might be accommodating to a few touchdown requests. So naturally this will probably go the other way, maybe something similar to the 14-7 title game that surprised us a season ago. Warriors appear to be too good this season though. Liberty wins, 21-10.

Fort Worth Christian @ Fort Worth All Saints -- The Saints win streak came to an end but they are still a strong 4-2 with losses to Liberty and UIL Lovejoy. No one in TAPPS Division II has bested All Saints since 2023 and no one currently in Division II since 2022. So the Cardinals have a difficult hill to climb, particularly on the road. The Saints have won all 8 meetings since joining TAPPS from the SPC. FWC has a good squad and last season dropped a pair of meetings by just 17 and 20 points. They can make this interesting but have struggled to find the win column this year, entering the week just 2-4. Both Cardinals units seem to be just behind the Saints and that should play out on the scoreboard though not in complete blowout fashion. All Saints wins, 35-14.

Frisco Legacy Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Eagles finally got the big win they've seemed so close to last week. Finally able to topple Prestonwood they will not be able to rest on the accomplishment with a trip to the blue field on Midway Rd. up next. After an out-of-state loss and a tight one at ESD in a clash of Eagles, Legacy has won three in a row and are poised to assume a top two spot in District 1 with a win here. The Panthers have won five of the last six state titles, but 2026 has not been rosy thus far. Parish is 4-2 but was really run over by All Saints and San Antonio Cornerstone. Last week's narrow victory over a struggling Bishop Lynch squad did not inspire confidence, but we also do not want to downgrade wins. A season ago, the Panthers took a 43-21 win in this matchup. I think this one is closer and the Eagles defense will make this very difficult for the Panthers, and I think will put the Eagles on track for a home playoff game in November. The playoff rematch though might go the other way. Legacy Christian wins, 25-22.

Houston Kinkaid @ Bellaire Episcopal -- The Falcons are just 2-3 on the season, but the blowout win over Austin Regents suggests they are still near the top of SPC 4A. These two seem to always decide the conference and last year Kinkaid took both meetings to claim the crown. The combined margin of the two games was just 14 though. The Knights are 3-2 but were blown out by the same Austin Regents squad that Kinkaid took out. Looking at the results thus far, the Episcopal defense does not seem to be as good as the Kinkaid offense. The Knights should make it interesting, but this looks like another Falcons win which would make 5 in-a-row for Kinkaid in the rivalry. Another one to keep an eye on for a playoff reversal. Kinkaid wins this week though, 42-23.

Wall @ Midland Christian -- The Mustangs started off with a huge win over Liberty in Week 0. They needed a big road comeback and all of the 66 points they scored. They followed that with three straight losses. It was a tough stretch but you'd like to be able to get one after the big rivalry win to start the season. Last week's win over Jim Ned has MCS at 2-3. The host a frequent opponent of the Mustangs in Wall. The Hawks are off to a 5-0 start and will probably be favored in their five district games. So this might be the last hurdle to 10-0. They also took out Jim Ned but were a little more impressive. The win over Canyon West Plains also puts the Hawks near the top of UIL 3A Division I. The Mustangs will not be run out of the stadium by any means but this feels like too big of a hill to climb. I don't see the MCS offense being able to keep up as the game gets late. Wall wins 35-25.

Tyler All Saints @ Waco Live Oak -- Our weekly foray into Division IV sees the Falcons smarting from a 45-0 thrashing by First Baptist. They were 4-0 coming into that one, so a path to a playoff rematch is something still on the table. Live Oak features an offense that had scored 40+ in each of the four wins to start the season. That will be a big test for the Trojans. All Saints has found its back to competitiveness in recent seasons after a long trip through the wilderness that saw 4 wins in 4 seasons between 2020 and 2023. They are 3-2 on the season so far including 2-0 in district play. The winner here is very much in the driver's seat for a home playoff game. The Trojans have not shown the form against the best TAPPS squads yet so still a smidge behind particularly on the road. They have a chance to prove me wrong and make a statement this week though. Falcons win by a handy margin, but the Trojans are on the way up. Live Oak wins, 40-20.

Quick Hits: (Season: 42-18)

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Temple Central Texas Christian over Hallettsville Sacred Heart
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over San Antonio TMI Episcopal
Dallas Covenant over Dallas Shelton
Lubbock Christian over Lubbock Trinity Christian
Tyler Grace Community over Arlington Grace Prep
The Woodlands John Cooper over Dallas St. Mark's
Houston St. Thomas over Houston Lutheran South
Houston St. John's over Houston Christian
Willow Park Trinity Christian over Fort Worth Mercy Culture

Week 5 Results 2026

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas Life Oak Cliff (35-42) -- Wrong
--Chargers offense sputters in the 2nd half and they are caught by the Lions. Schedule looks favorable to gear up for the playoffs, but a likely district title game on Oct. 30 looms at Dallas Covenant.

Bullard Brook Hill over Diboll (50-35) -- Correct
--The Guard offense appears ready to contend and the path to 10-0 seems open. Plenty of room for twists and turns remain, but a playoff game with All Saints seems an intriguing possibility for November.

Gunter over Fort Worth All Saints (9-25) -- Wrong
--The Saints with a huge road win over a UIL power. Seems like they have to be the Division II favorites at this point since they won't see Argyle Liberty in the playoffs.

Muenster over Fort Worth Christian (38-21) -- Correct
--The Cardinals played well, but the Hornets proved too much. A tall task awaits with All Saints the district opening opponent next week.

Houston Second Baptist over Bellaire Episcopal (20-49) -- Wrong
--Eagles with a disappointing showing against the Knights. Second Baptist could still wind up in a good spot in the Small School bracket of Division II with many of the favorites likely in the Big School half of the playoffs. 

Dallas First Baptist over Waco Live Oak (45-0) -- Correct
--The Saints dominate again and its hard to see anyone toppling them in Division IV.

Week 5: 3-3
Season: 22-18 

Quick Hits:

Midland Christian over Jim Ned (50-27) -- Correct
Shelbyville over Tyler Grace Community (35-42) -- Wrong
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Addison Greenhill (0-17) -- Wrong
Bryan Brazos Christian over San Antonio Holy Cross (42-8) -- Correct
Dallas St. Mark's over Grapevine Faith Christian (48-16) -- Correct
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over San Antonio Antonian (42-35) -- Correct
Houston Kinkaid over The Woodlands Christian (48-27) -- Correct
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Austin St. Andrew's (20-35) -- Wrong
Arlington Pantego Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo (50-28) -- Correct
Fort Worth Country Day over Irving Cistercian (48-0) -- Correct

Week 5: 7-3
Season: 42-18 

Week 5 Picks 2026

Hornets, Lumberjacks, and 100 points all feature in the column. A couple of recent UIL champions also appear. Maybe Fall weather will get here before November...

This Week: (Season: 19-15)

Dallas Christian @ Dallas Life Oak Cliff -- The Chargers travel across the county for an intriguing matchup. The Lions enter at 4-0 and having played all four on the road so far. Notably, they made headlines with 105 points scored against the Purple Warriors of Bonham. The other wins are not over what would be noted as top opponents, but you have to beat the teams in front of you. The high powered offense will be up against a Chargers defense that has held every opponent to 22 or less. DC moved to 3-1 last week in dominant fashion over Grace Prep, 40-6. This game holds a lot of mystery. On the one hand, the Chargers have historically been much stronger. Life was just 5-5 last year including some very pedestrian losses. However, these two have never played and the Lions are clearly improved. How much though? That's the question. We know how things go in this space even if the confidence is low. Chargers win a fun one, 35-30.

Bullard Brook Hill @ Diboll -- The Guard are off to a 4-0 start and have quickly become a team to watch in Division II. With two championships on offer, who winds up in each bracket will be a big story come November. Brook Hill has allowed just 42 points through 4 weeks on the season and things set up well for a strong district finish. Producing the points in the biggest games has been where the Guard have fallen short in Division II. They'll travel south to meet the first Lumberjacks to feature in the picks. Diboll enters at 2-2. The Lumberjacks have probably played the more difficult quartet but also fell short twice. After a 4-7 campaign a year ago they look to be in a similar spot in the pecking order of the state. The Guard are on the way up, but this may be too tough a road trip. Another first time meeting makes this a tough choice. I think the Guard sneak b and keep the undefeated season alive. Brook Hill wins, 29-25.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Gunter -- The Saints challenging schedule continues to the northern reaches of Preston Rd.  After losing the steak to Liberty they dropped a 2nd one last week in a heartbreaker to Lovejoy. The All Saints defense absolutely squashed Parish and Prestonwood this season but Liberty and Lovejoy were a bit more successful. The Tigers will be testing that Saints defense early and often. Gunter has posted 13 wins or more every season since 2016 including multiple state championships. They scored over 700 points a season ago and are 3-0 to start 2026. They've not been as prolific on offense this season, and the Saints are not a squad to get healthy against. This is a big chance for the Saints to score a notable win over a UIL power. They just missed last week and I fear they may just miss again. Tigers win a squeaker, 23-20.

Fort Worth Christian @ Muenster -- The Cardinals started 2026 win a dominant shutout of Bishop Lynch followed by close losses to DC and Prestonwood. After a blowout of Nolan they had a disappointing performance against Paradise. So the trip to the Red River creates a chance to get back on the right side before a short district sprint starts next week with All Saints. That will be a big test and this one might be just as big. The Hornets are a defending state champion but did lose a 50-47 contest to Collinsville last week. Based on the season so far, I don't see how FWC can keep pace with the Muenster offense in this one. A difficult non-district still leaves everything in front of the Cardinals, but this task is too tall this week. Hornets win 41-20.

Houston Second Baptist @ Bellaire Episcopal -- The Eagles started with a loss to Houston St. John's but have ramped up lately. The boat raced Tomball Concordia before posting a really nice win over East Bernard. So at 3-1, SBS will be one of the Division II teams looking at the bracket split for the two titles on offer. Getting the offense going against one of the SPC's best will be an interesting look into the Eagles chances in November. The Knights are 2-2 after giving up a shocking 62 points to Regents last week (possibly have to change mascots after losing the Knights battle that badly). So the window is there for the Eagles and I think they will fly through it. Second Baptist wins 42-28.

Waco Live Oak @ Dallas First Baptist -- We head to the smallest division of TAPPS 11-man for what is likely a district title game. The Saints have started 4-0, but have allowed a few points on the season at 21 per game. So there is an opening for the Falcons against the Divison IV favorites. Both squads dominated the district openers and Live Oak is averaging over 50 points per game. Both squads should be favored over the rest of the district and it wouldn't surprise me to see these two line up for the title just before Thanksgiving. The Saints are the champs and to be the man you have to beat the man. So First Baptist gets the 5-0 mark with a 55-50 shootout win.

Quick Hits: (Season: 35-15)

Midland Christian over Jim Ned
Shelbyville over Tyler Grace Community
Colleyville Covenant Christian over Addison Greenhill
Bryan Brazos Christian over San Antonio Holy Cross
Dallas St. Mark's over Grapevine Faith Christian
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over San Antonio Antonian
Houston Kinkaid over The Woodlands Christian
Fort Worth Trinity Valley over Austin St. Andrew's
Arlington Pantego Christian over Flower Mound Coram Deo
Fort Worth Country Day over Irving Cistercian

Week 4 Results 2026

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Arlington Grace Prep (40-6) -- Correct
--Maybe a little closer than the score, but a dominant win for the Chargers. Lions season opening road trip continues at Lake Country next week. 

Dallas St. Mark's over Dallas Covenant (52-6) -- Correct
--I guess I'll count it even though I picked a much closer game. Knights with a lot of work to do before the Week 10 district showdown with DC.

Bryan Brazos Christian over Boerne Geneva (49-23) -- Correct
--Brazos with a big district opening win. They will be a contender in the Division III playoffs.

League City Bay Area Christian over San Antonio Holy Cross (56-19) -- Correct
--Broncos continue to look the part in 2026 and the offense posts another 50+ point performance. Knights with barely any path to the playoffs the way things look now, and no path if their form doesn't improve.

Wellington @ Lubbock Trinity Christian (40-6)  -- Correct
--Lions dominated in this one, but still look to be the prime contenders for 2nd place behind Lubbock Christian in District 1 of Division III.

Austin Regents over Bellaire Episcopal (62-38) -- Correct
--Regents with a very good win and will be a factor in the Division II playoffs.

Episcopal School of Dallas over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (36-7) -- Correct
--The Eagles defense wins the day. Could definitely see these two rematch in the SPC 3A playoffs.

Week 4: 7-0
Season: 19-15 

Quick Hits

Rio Hondo over Brownsville St. Joseph (60-21) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Addison Trinity Christian (52-7) -- Correct
Hitchcock over The Woodlands John Cooper (21-14) -- Correct
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Central Catholic (56-0) -- Correct
Fort Worth All Saints over Lucas Lovejoy (28-30) -- Wrong
Paradise over Fort Worth Christian (49-28) -- Correct
New Boston over Tyler Grace Community (48-55) -- Wrong
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over West (49-14) -- Correct
Austin Brentwood Christian over Austin Hill County Christian (24-30) -- Wrong
Lubbock Christian over Bushland (49-69) -- Wrong

Tyler All Saints over Fort Worth Mercy Culture (36-18) -- Correct

 

Week 4: 7-4
Season: 35-15 

 

Week 4 Picks 2026

Another week approaches as the games that count draw near. We even have a couple of districts kicking off their round robin slates this week. It feels like things are little more open this year, but maybe that's just my dismal record so far. Still a top tier of contenders but those groups appear a little bigger this year. We'll see what twists and turns happen this week as we head out for another scorching Friday night.

This Week: (Season: 12-15)

Arlington Grace Prep @ Dallas Christian -- Its not the most historic rivalry in TAPPS but its also not far off. The Chargers dropped a pair of state title contests to the Lions in the early 2000s. Grace Prep won a 3OT semifinal game in 2004 with DC taking the most recent playoff matchup in 2012. The Chargers have won the last three meetings but the two have not shared the field since 2013. The Chargers dominated HSAA 56-21 a week ago thanks to a 42 point 2nd quarter. The DC defense always gives its opponents trouble but if you turn it over its going to be a very long night (or short night I suppose with a running clock). The Lions are 2-1 after Prince of Peace opted to forfeit last week. Grace Prep is in the middle of 6 straight road games with just two district home games to come in October. Their loss was a 44 point drubbing by Dallas First Baptist. This creates a big pile of mystery for this one. The Lions finished 2025 at 6-4 being ousted by the eventual champions, All Saints. Grace Prep should keep this one interesting and if they avoid the turnover bug they have a shot for sure. The Chargers appear to be the stronger squad but getting the offense moving early would be good to see for their chances at claiming the crown in November. DC wins handily, 33-16.

Dallas St. Mark's @ Dallas Covenant -- Looking ahead to the district campaigns, the Knights have a Week 10 showdown with Dallas Christian that we expect to be for the district title. So this space will look toward that for much of the season. Covenant is off to a 2-2 start to the season and lost to Dallas First Baptist last week. The Knights acquitted themselves well against the favorites of Division IV, losing 45-32. That offensive output can keep Covenant in the mix for Division III. After this one the schedule looks very favorable for the Knights. The Lions come in off a 27-13 loss to ESD last week. With two SPC wins so far and Covenant having played four TAPPS teams there is a lot of unknowns surrounding this matchup. Best I can tell, this is the first ever meeting between these two. The Knights did not even play an SPC squad last year. Much like DC-Oakridge two weeks ago, this will tell us a bit about how these divisions stack up against one another. The Covenant offense givens them a shot, but I think the Lions inch by in a shootout. St. Mark's wins, 48-42.

Boerne Geneva @ Bryan Brazos Christian -- The always feared Eagles vs. Eagles clash to open district play in Division III District 3. Brazos dropped the last two Division IV Championship games for their lone loss each season. This alignment they are in Division III, which looks to have a few contenders including these Eagles. Its been an extreme 2-1 start for Brazos, having wins by 48 and 56 and a loss by 31. BCS has a favorable schedule after this one given Holy Cross struggles so far this season. The winner of this one will have a leg up heading into October and its needed given the crowded playoff bubble in this district. Geneva has been a regular outsider in the Division III mix. After winning the 2019 title, they've been in the playoffs but not really battling for a title. A 4-0 start has these Eagles scoring 48, 49, 49, and 50 so far. So the Brazos defense should be on alert. This will be the closest game either team has seen so far and the offense should win the day. Which offense is the question. Home teams always a lean so that's where we land. Brazos soars past Geneva, 49-42.

San Antonio Holy Cross @ League City Bay Area Christian -- Sticking in District 3, the Knights travel to the coast to start district play. Holy Cross had a pair of title game losses to Dallas Christian before an earlier exit last season. That form is on the ropes early on with just 12 points scored in their first three games. They did manage to win the one they scored in, but having 0 points in September is a concerning sign. Particularly, the 4th place finisher in this district has to qualify with wild card points means the Knights are way behind in that race and will need to finish ahead of two of Bay Area, New Braunfels, Geneva, and Brazos. The Broncos are off to a much better start at 4-0 and have already posted 2 shutouts. Can the Knights reverse that trend? Seems like a tall task, particularly on the road. Bay Area Christian wins comfortably, 30-7.

Wellington @ Lubbock Trinity Christian -- Play fun mascots and you get in the picks. The Lions had a difficult alignment in Division II, winning just 7 games in two seasons. They won 19 the 2 years before. So sliding back down certainly engenders a bit of hope for Trinity. However, the season is off to a 1-2 start after allowing 108 points to Seagraves and Post. Last week was a better outing in a dominant over Albuquerque Legacy (the Silverbacks by the way, I should have done them last week). The Skyrockets make another appearance in this space but the first against Trinity rather than Lubbock Christian. They are 3-0 on the season after winning two low scoring home games in which neither team reached 20 points and then dominating Sunray on the road. That defensive form will be tough for the Lions to overcome. So Skyrockets win the football and mascot game, 30-8.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Austin Regents -- Somehow I found a battle of Knights for the picks as well this week. Regents has not had the top contender status since winning the 2020 title but has always been in that next group. With the All Saints win streak broken and two title on offer in Division II there is an opening for Regents to get back on top. They were soundly defeated by SPC 4A foe Kinkaid two weeks ago so their Knights opponents will get to measure themselves for the Conference slate. Episcopal is also 2-1 having lost a 3-point decision to Parish. They won by 7 over St. Thomas and by 26 over Fort Bend Christian. The Regents offense is the most impressive of the units so far this season and with the game deep in the forest of Austin we'll lean that way here. Should be a good one though. Regents wins 36-28.

Fort Worth Trinity Valley @ Episcopal School of Dallas -- The Trojans are the upstart of the season in SPC 3A. The schedule though just has them at 2-0 so far with an out-of-state win and a rivalry win over Southwest Christian. It doesn't give us much to go on, but suggests they could be trending upward. They will almost certainly be in the SPC playoffs with its expanded field this year. The Eagles are 3-0 on the season and set up well for a run in SPC 3A this year. Remarkably consistent so far with outputs of 24, 24, and 27 on the scoreboard. Based on the preseason expectations, ESD should be favored here but its seems like just the game that surprises you in a Conference opener. In the MaxPreps era its a 7-6 series in favor of the Eagles. Notably, ESD has won the last three with TVS scoring just 2 points across the streak. So I think the Trojans are closer this year, but Eagles move to 4-0. ESD wins 28-14.

Quick Hits: (Season: 28-11)

Rio Hondo over Brownsville St. Joseph
Frisco Legacy Christian over Addison Trinity Christian
Hitchcock over The Woodlands John Cooper
Houston St. Thomas over San Antonio Central Catholic
Fort Worth All Saints over Lucas Lovejoy
Paradise over Fort Worth Christian
New Boston over Tyler Grace Community
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over West
Austin Brentwood Christian over Austin Hill County Christian
Lubbock Christian over Bushland
Tyler All Saints over Fort Worth Mercy Culture

Week 3 Results 2026

The committee of one is struggling a bit in the non-district this year. Hopefully with a few more common opponents across the district slates we can rally as the weather get cooler. 

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Dallas HSAA (56-21) -- Correct
--Chargers with a flurry of points in the 2nd quarter scoring twice on defense and once on special teams. Hard to say where things sit in Division III given the varied schedules of the contenders.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Fort Worth All Saints (14-42) -- Wrong
--Lions seems to be well behind their District 1 brethren right now, but they always seem to be there come playoff time. Saints respond well after the loss to Liberty and probably still lead the pack in Division II.

Houston Kinkaid over Houston St. Thomas (28-31) -- Wrong
--Good win for the Eagles over the SPC favorites. Prestonwood's struggles tonight and this win suggest they may not be as far from contention as we expected. Falcons will regroup and are sure to be there at the end in SPC 4A.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over San Antonio Cornerstone Christian (16-42) -- Wrong
--A disapointing night for the Panthers. They'll need to improve quite a bit to claim another state title, but I also wouldn't rule it out. 

Temple Central Texas Christian over Waco Live Oak Classical (20-49) -- Wrong
--Falcons ascending Division IV rankings as we speak.

Atlanta over Bullard Brook Hill (21-24) -- Wrong
--A close one as expected, but the Guard claim a 3-0 record. Brook Hill and interesting up and comer in Division II.

Waco Reicher over Arlington Newman International (51-12) -- Correct
--Cougars at 3-0 after losing every game for 3 full seasons is a great story. Next week's game with Muenster Sacred Heart will feature the two smallest 11-man enrollments in TAPPS.

Week 3: 2-5
Season: 12-15 

Quick Hits:

Frisco Legacy Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian (43-7) -- Correct
Austin Regents over San Antonio Antonian (56-20) -- Correct
Dallas First Baptist over Dallas Covenant (45-32) -- Correct
Arlington Grace Prep over Carrollton Prince of Peace -- Zonk (No counting forfeits in this space)
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Country Day (24-14) -- Correct
Episcopal School of Dallas over Dallas St. Mark's (27-13) -- Correct
Houston St. John's over Houston Lutheran South (19-49) -- Wrong
Lampasas over San Antonio Central Catholic (30-28) -- Correct
Boerne Geneva over Shiner St. Paul (50-0) -- Correct
League City Bay Area Christian over Danbury (49-14) -- Correct

Week 3: 8-1
Season: 28-11 

Week 3 Picks 2026

Not sure why you want to read these after last week's 7-10 performance. However, we get right back on the horse and try to find some fun games and fun mascots. Even a couple of Thursday contests this week to get things started early. Good luck and safe travels, maybe it will get cooler soon...

This Week: (Season: 10-10)

Dallas HSAA @ Dallas Christian -- The Chargers offense is off to a slower start to the season, particularly to start games. They've scored just 10 first half points in their first two outings. The deficit last week proved to big to overcome but they did close a 22-3 gap to 22-17 before running out of time. Will that late offensive form be more the norm going forward? We'll have to wait and see. The Angels have the same 1-1 record as DC, having dominated a Cincinnati homeschool orginization before a 33 point loss to Blue Ridge. Historically the Chargers are the stronger side here, leading the series 4-0 all time. Last season DC took a 45-7 victory and I don't see this being a ton different. Getting the offense going though is critical for the Chargers title plans. DC wins comfortably, 40-8.

Fort Worth All Saints @ Plano Prestonwood Christian -- The marquee matchup among the northern private schools is a big one. The Saints seemed unbeatable at a 29 game streak but fell to Argyle Liberty last week. In the last 4 seasons, All Saints has lost 4 games and 3 of them have been to Liberty. After dominating Parish in the opener this provides a great comparison point for Division I. The Lions piled up points last week in a 49-35 win over Fort Worth Christian. They did not need the late heroics of their opening win but still needed almost all of 40+ points. In the last two seasons, the Saints have scored 31 and 28 in two wins over Prestonwood. So if the Lions offense can get going they may be able to hold off the Saints. If Prestonwood can score like they have in the 2-0 start it will be a 3-00 start. That is the rub as the Saints defense projects as the best of the bunch so far. Lions win a close one at home, 35-31.

Houston Kinkaid @ Houston St. Thomas -- The Falcons win streak was 9 after claiming the SPC 4A title a season ago, but started 2026 with a pair of losses. Their 3rd game a season ago was a 21-6 win over the Eagles and they did not lose the rest of the year. For 2026, Kinkaid notched an impressive win over Regents, 51-28. A huge number of points to post on the Regents defense. The Eagles are off to a 1-2 start and allowing over 40 points per game. Now they are also scoring over 40 per game so perhaps a unmovable object vs. unstoppable force situation here. In recent years the Falcons have been the stronger side and should score enough to win this one. Will be interesting to watch the Eagles offense to see if they can threaten the Division I District 1 powers in the postseason. Kinkaid too strong right now though. Falcons win 48-30.

San Antonio Cornerstone Christian @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Panthers were largely wiped out by All Saints to open the season starting with a loss to the Saints for a 3rd straight year. They responded with two very good wins over Kinkaid and Episcopal who will compete for the SPC 4A title. Particularly with Kinkaid scoring 51 on Regents the next week that win looks even better. A season ago Parish went to San Antonio and got a 43-38 win. The Warriors though will be a tough test on the blue field. Cornerstone enters off a 6-4 season with a 1-2 start this year. Very difficult group of opponents to compare in this one. The Panthers were better last season so we'll go that way. They need to stay away from the offensive struggle they had against All Saints and if they do so they'll stay in the win column. Parish wins 35-27.

Temple Central Texas Christian @ Waco Live Oak Classical -- The Lions had a dud of a trip to the coast with a 54-21 loss to Bay Area Christian. After a 10-2 season last year, they are still one of the contenders in Division IV and likely to finish high in District 2. These two played twice last year with Central Texas winning by a combined 97-7 aggregate. The Falcons finished 6-5 a season ago and have made some quick roads into 11-man. The 2-0 start is impressive, but we'll have to see some games against contenders to see where they stack up. I think Live Oak is still below that top tier of Division IV, but a win here would give some notice to FBA and Tyler All Saints to be on the lookout. Lions win this one handily, but closer than last year, 35-14.

Atlanta @ Bullard Brook Hill-- The Guard continue to schedule the fun mascots of East Texas and thus make the picks. The Rabbits make their 3rd appearance in this space, all against Brook Hill. These two split a pair in 2022 and 2023 and are both off to 2-0 starts in 2026. So this should be a good tilt. Atlanta played two different Arkansas squads from Ashdown and Arkansas High to start off. The Guard have dominated Brownsboro and San Augustine to start the year, allowing just 9 points so far. I think the Rabbits win over Arkansas High is the best of the four between these two so I lean that way. However, Brook Hill is at home and appears to be a candidate for making some noise in the split Division II playoffs depending on who winds up in each bracket. Big unknown here, but we don't get to pick the Rabbits very often. Atlanta wins a tight one 30-27.

Arlington Newman International @ Waco Reicher -- I promised if they won two in a row I'd include them, so the Cougars are in the top section for the first time since the 2020 State Championship Game. After going 3 years between wins it was just 7 days between wins for Reicher's 2-0 start. They've already scored more points this season than they did last season. To say the Cougars have improved would be an understatement. Big props for those that stuck with it. The opponent this week suggests that it could be a 3-0 start for the Wacoans (Wacoites? Wacoians? Wacos?). The Warriors dropped their opening pair by a combined 106-6 margin. and also failed to secure a win in 2025. Nothing to expect that changes with the Cougars clear progress this season. Reicher wins 42-6.

Quick Hits: (Season: 20-10)

Frisco Legacy Christian over Grapevine Faith Christian
Austin Regents over San Antonio Antonian
Dallas First Baptist over Dallas Covenant
Arlington Grace Prep over Carrollton Prince of Peace
Fort Worth Southwest Christian over Fort Worth Country Day
Episcopal School of Dallas over Dallas St. Mark's
Houston St. John's over Houston Lutheran South
Lampasas over San Antonio Central Catholic
Boerne Geneva over Shiner St. Paul
League City Bay Area Christian over Danbury

Week 2 Results 2026

A little slow getting the results up this week. Not because the picks were so bad, I promise. However, they were ugly. We have a wind open season ahead of us it looks like. Should be a fun run to the titles. 

This Week:

Dallas Christian over Arlington Oakridge (17-22) -- Wrong
--Chargers left it too late on offense. When they got going in the 4th there was not enough time to catch the Owls. Oakridge undefeated streak continues.

Colleyville Covenant Christian over Dallas Covenant (12-50) -- Wrong
--The battle of Covenant did not go the way I thought. Knights barreling toward the Week 10 game against DC.

Celina over Argyle Liberty Christian (35-34) -- Correct
--Warriors very game but just miss in a big public vs. private showdown. Liberty just 4 points from a 3-0 start but instead are 1-2.

Dallas Parish Episcopal over Bellaire Episcopal (31-28) -- Correct
--The Panthers win a close one and are rounding into form since being dominated in Week 1 by All Saints.

Plano Prestonwood Christian over Fort Worth Christian (49-35) -- Correct
--The Lions offense claims a big win. Cardinals a bit of a mystery heading toward district play. The split playoff brackets of Division II may leave a title open for the taking depending on where everyone winds up.

Austin Regents over Houston Kinkaid (27-51) -- Wrong
--A disappointing showing by the Knights, but they'll be in that mix for the two titles in Division II. Falcons put SPC 4A on notice here with 50 points on a typically tidy Regents defense.

La Jolla Country Day (CA) over Fort Worth Trinity Valley (28-49) -- Wrong
--Trojans with a fun win on the road and may be Oakridge best challenger in SPC 3A.

Week 2: 3-4
Season: 10-10 

Quick Hits:

Slaton over Lubbock Christian (28-45) -- Wrong
San Antonio Holy Cross over Addison Trinity Christian Academy (0-42) -- Wrong
Dallas First Baptist over Arlington Grace Prep (53-9) -- Correct
New Braunfels Christian over San Antonio Christian (34-10) -- Correct
Frisco Legacy Christian over Episcopal School of Dallas (20-24) -- Wrong
Little Rock Catholic over Plano John Paul II (50-13) -- Correct
Midland Christian over Jarrell (31-36) -- Wrong
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over The Woodlands Christian (65-6) -- Correct
Temple Central Texas Christian over League City Bay Area Christian (21-54) -- Wrong
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word over Waco Reicher (22-61) -- Wrong

Week 2: 4-6
Season: 20-10 

Week 2 Picks 2026

Another week is upon us and I think we've found some great games and some great mascots for the picks this week. Maybe a hint of things cooling off across the state as the seasons heats up. Big shout to Waco Reicher for breaking their 34 game losing streak last week. They make the Quick Hits section this week but I'm still picking against them. Two in a row and we'll have to move them up to the top section. Have fun as we head down the road of the 2026 season and we'll see what twists and turns await us this week. 

This Week: (Season: 7-6)

Dallas Christian @ Arlington Oakridge -- After last week's season opening rivalry clash the Chargers have a bit of trap set for them. The Owls are the defending SPC 3A champions and look to be a contender again for the Conference title. Oakridge shutout a squad from Hawaii last week leaving us with plenty of mystery heading into game 2 of the season. Last season's 10-0 team allowed just 17 points per game and after allowing 0 in game 1 it will be tough for the DC offense to put up any big numbers this week. The Owls have won 12 in a row but against a very different list of opponents to Dallas Christian. Not different in an inferior way, just not a lot to compare. Both teams dominated Atlas last year and look to be contenders this year. This is a really good cross-conference match that will tell us a lot about how SPC 3A and TAPPS DIII compare in 2026. These two have played rarely in the MaxPreps era with just one biennium in 2010 and 2011. The Chargers squeaked out 10 and 6 point wins then in relatively low scoring contests. This looks to be much of the same style of game. Chargers secure a tight road win, 27-20.

Dallas Covenant @ Colleyville Covenant Christian -- The battle of Covenant heads to the West side of the airport for the 7th renewal in just four seasons. In the previous six matchups each has won three. So the rubber match of sorts could have big wild card implications in Division III. The Knights have been DC's biggest district rival the last two seasons but have struggled in the biggest games despite putting up 15 wins across the last two campaigns. This season they are 1-1 with a dominant win over Coram Deo and 1-point home loss to Austin St. Michael's. The Cougars had a disappointing start to the season with a road loss to Pantego but rebounded last week with a win. A season ago the Cougars claimed a 34-22 win in Dallas. Both teams seem right below the contenders in Division III and this is a chance to position themselves as a team that could challenge last year's finalist and try to displace them. Not sure about this one at all, so the hoe team seems the way to go. Thus, Cougars win a close high scoring one 39-33. 

Argyle Liberty Christian @ Celina -- Always an attraction when one of the expected contenders takes on one of the big ticket UIL opponents. The Warriors have been a mystery early in the season. They were dominating Midland Christian in the 1st half of the opener and then the defensive dam broke. A 66-63 loss at home when you lead by 35 is a stinging blow. To their credit they answered the bell the next week and broke Fort Worth All Saints 29 game win streak. They did so on the road too. So a home loss that they were favored and road win when they were the underdogs. Division I looks to be extremely competitive in District 1. The Bobcats are among the most storied programs in Texas and the growth of DFW has pushed them all the way into 5A. They won their opener of the Legacy School of Sports Sciences and this game will close their non-district slate with this one. These two schools met eight times between 2006 and 2019 with Liberty winning just once. The depth of the Bobcats should get them over the top in this one, but I think these Warriors will not be blown out by anyone this year. Celina survives a challenge, 41-35.

Bellaire Episcopal @ Dallas Parish Episcopal -- The Knights are always a threat in SPC 4A and 2026 is no different. A season opening win over St. Thomas is always a good start for a Houston area private school. Last season was a little down for the Knights with just 6 wins but still made the SPC 4A title game. Notably one of the 5 losses was to this Parish Episcopal team. The Panthers were overwhelmed by All Saints in the opener, losing 31-11. They are still the school that's won 5 of the last 6 TAPPS Division I titles so will be a force down the line. Parish responded with a 28-14 win over Kinkaid last week to level their record at 1-1. Particularly with the game on the blue turf of Parish I think they win this one, but a nice measuring stick game for both teams. Panthers win 30-20.

Plano Prestonwood Christian @ Fort Worth Christian -- The Cardinals absolutely demolished Bishop Lynch in their opener, 40-0. Last week's rivalry visit to DC turned into a 28-17 loss after FWC led 10-7 late in the 3rd quarter. Finding that offensive form will be needed to topple Prestonwood. The Lions lost the Division I title game in a defensive slugfest last season so naturally the season opener required 45 points for a Prestonwood comeback win. Historically the Lions have been known for producing lots of points so 2026 seems to be on that track early on. These two have not met since 2005, so a bit of intrigue with the Lions making a rare trip to Holiday Lane in North Richland Hills. Incredible to look back at 2005 and see Prestonwood played both Fort Worth Christian and Garland Christian. Historically Prestonwood has been the stronger side, but this looks to be a very game FWC squad. I think the Lions are ahead but not a walkover of any kind. Lions win 35-26.

Austin Regents @ Houston Kinkaid -- The Knights are always a regular season juggernaut and I see know reason to expect anything different this season. Regents opened the season with a 45-14 drubbing of Brazos Christian and appear on track to threaten for one of the Division II titles. Only All Saints could take out the 2025 Knights, but along the way the closest contest was a 23-20 win over Kinkaid. The Falcons finished 9-2 and SPC 4A champions a season ago and will be looking to ascend that mountain again. However, a trip to Colorado and a clash of champions with Parish Episcopal has them 0-2 to start the season. This should be another good game but Regents won a year ago and is off to the better start this year. Knights win 28-21.

Fort Worth Trinity Valley @ La Jolla Country Day (CA) -- We love mascots in this space (not the Eagles) so this game makes the cut this week. The Trojans won their opener in the Battle of Bryant Irvin with a 1-point win over Southwest Christian. Trinity Valley travels west for an out of state opponent. So with likely their only appearance ever in this column we head to La Jolla. The Torreys (take note Eagles everywhere) have started their campaign 2-0 and enter off an OT win over Mt. Carmel (the Sun Devils by the way). Always fun to see the Texas vs. California showdown, but I think California takes this one. Torreys win a shootout, 45-44.

Quick Hits: (Season: 16-4)

Slaton over Lubbock Christian
San Antonio Holy Cross over Addison Trinity Christian Academy
Dallas First Baptist over Arlington Grace Prep
New Braunfels Christian over San Antonio Christian
Frisco Legacy Christian over Episcopal School of Dallas
Little Rock Catholic over Plano John Paul II
Midland Christian over Jarrell
Tomball Concordia Lutheran over The Woodlands Christian
Temple Central Texas Christian over League City Bay Area Christian
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word over Waco Reicher